The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has dismissed suggestions that the rainfall gauge at the Richmond RAAF automatic weather station has been providing incorrect data for an extended period. According to the BOM, any issues have been temporary and have now been resolved.

Local residents, however, have raised concerns over missing and inaccurate rainfall readings - vital information for those living on the Hawkesbury floodplain. Several community members noted that during heavy rain events, weather apps sourcing data from the BOM recorded zero or incomplete rainfall amounts. In some cases, these discrepancies have been observed as far back as 2022.

“Does anyone living near the RAAF base have good rainfall records?” questioned resident Carolyn Eaton on Facebook on February 2, expressing frustration with what she described as “appalling” inaccuracies in official records. 

“Does anyone living near the RAAF base have good rainfall records??? There is a huge problem with the BOM records of local rainfall and we need to call them out on it. Official rainfall data has been missing many times over the past few months. The latest being the huge thunderstorm we had last week. But it's not a once off either. It's pretty appalling when the official records are soo inaccurate,” Eaton wrote.

Again on she posted to Facebook; “Some days there is data missing. Some days just have blanks or the rainfalll I quoted didn't appear in the 9am totals.” The Hawkesbury Post has also noted to inaccuracies as far back as 2022.

Rey Ansen posted; “As some others have mentioned -the forecast from the BOM has also been completely off on many occasions- claiming sun when it's bucketing rain and vice versa. What IS going on over there? Maybe their machines stopped working ages ago and they're just looking out the window of wherever they are to provide the forecasts and /or record what actually occurred.”

Turf farmer Peta-Julie Akester also reported numerous instances of missing data in recent months. “:I know, it's shocking, I work on a turf farm, and we record this information too, missing so many days in the last couple of months especially.”

In response, the BOM stated, “It is incorrect that the rainfall gauge for Richmond, NSW, has been out of order for approximately a year. Data available on our website shows that it has been operating to a high degree of serviceability throughout 2024 and into 2025.” The agency acknowledged that the Richmond RAAF AWS experienced intermittent, temporary outages, but asserted that these have been promptly resolved.

“The Richmond RAAF AWS has experienced intermittent, temporary outages. These outages have been resolved.”

“The outages caused no impact on the Bureau's forecasts and warnings because while rain gauges are an important part of the Bureau's observations network, and the Bureau understands the value the community places on them, they are one part of a composite observing network, which includes radars, satellites, lightning detection and upper air observations. Bureau forecasters draw on all of these sources, in addition to predictions from advanced computer models, to monitor and predict weather,” the BOM said in a statement to the HP. 

The BOM further explained that while the Richmond gauge is an important component of its observation network, it is only one part of a broader system that includes radars, satellites, lightning detection, and upper-air observations. This composite approach ensures that forecasts and warnings remain accurate even if isolated data gaps occur.

Despite the BOM’s assurances, many residents remain concerned about the reliability of the rainfall data, which is essential for assessing flood risk and making informed decisions about land and water management in this flood-prone region.

The Hawkesbury Post will continue to follow this story and update readers on any further developments regarding the accuracy and reliability of local rainfall data.

The Bureau of Meteorology owns, manages and maintains the automatic weather station (AWS) at Richmond RAAF (station number 067105).