Rain Forecaster
Rain Forecaster is a decision-support tool for sugarcane farmers to predict the chances of rain and whether rain is likely to affect yield.
- Who this tool is for
- Questions this tool answers
- What this tool does
- Inputs
- Outputs
- Reliability
- History
- Support available
- Where to get it
- Cost
Read about our selection process for including tools on Climate Kelpie
Who this tool is for
Sugarcane growers on the east coast of Australia.
Questions this tool answers
- What is the chance of rain leading up to and during harvest?
- If it rains this growing season before harvest, how will it affect my yield?
What this tool does
Rain Forecaster is a software package for predicting rainfall and the number of wet days in a season. It allows you to assess early in the year if there is likely to be a wet finish to the harvest season.
Forecasts are based on:
- the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI)
- sea surface temperatures of the central equatorial Pacific Ocean
Inputs
Rain Forecaster contains historical climate records, sea surface temperatures and SOI phases. You can choose the:
- region and location
- forecast method
- number of months for the forecast
- response type (rainfall or wet days)
- output type
Outputs
Rain Forecaster displays the forecast results as tables, graphs and maps.
Figures 1 and 2 show the chance of rainfall in September to November for the Macknade sugar mill in Ingham, based on the SOI-phase forecasting method.
Reliability
Rain Forecaster is most reliable for sugarcane farmers in eastern Australia because it is based on the Southern Oscillation Index.
Because it predicts rainfall based on historical data, it cannot take climate change into account.
History
Rain Forecaster was mainly funded by the Sugar Research and Development Corporation and developed by researchers at the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, James Cook University.
Grower groups in Tully, Ingham, Plane Creek and northern New South Wales were consulted extensively.
Support available
Local industry extension providers, especially BSES offer support for Rain Forecaster.
Where to get it
Contact your local climate coordinator or extension officer.
Cost
One-off cost