When you are out to sea, it is crucial to keep on top of the weather forecasts, a change in swell and wind can change the sailing landscape from smooth to challenging.

The Australian Bureau of Meterorology (BOM) Marine Forecast Service provides regular weather forecasts and warnings Australia wide.

This information is broadcast on HF radio for mariners in two formats:

a. Broadcast (voice) of marine weather warnings, forecasts and observations.

b. Broadcast (radiofax images) of marine weather forecast and analysis maps.

The Bureau broadcasts its marine weather HF radio services for high seas and Australian coastal areas from transmitters at Charleville in Queensland and Wiluna in Western Australia. Identifiers are VMC (for services from Charleville) and VMW (for services from Wiluna). Services use USB (F3C) modulation.

VMC (Australia Weather East) broadcasts for the following areas:

· Coastal Waters areas off Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania.

· High Seas for the Northern, Southern, North Eastern and South Eastern high seas areas.

Marine weather warnings are broadcast on the hour (on the half-hour in CST) for NT, Qld, NSW, Vic, SA and Tasmanian coastal waters zones and for all high seas areas. The broadcast is available on the following frequencies (kHz):

· Day-time (0700 – 1800 EST): 4426, 8176, 12365, 16546

· Night-time (1800 – 0700 EST): 2201, 6507, 8176, 12365

Navigation Maritime Safety Information notices are broadcast at 25 past each hour on 8176 kHz. Marine forecasts and observations are broadcast from Charleville (VMC) on a four hour repeat cycle, according to the schedule below:

All times are in Eastern Standard time (0700-1800EST) DAY-Time schedule

0730hrs Queensland

0830hrs High Seas (Northern, North Eastern, South Eastern, and Southern areas)

0930hrs New South Wales, Victoria

1030hrs Tasmania

This schedule repeats every four hours until 1800EST after which time, the nigh-time frequencies are used.

When daylight savings is in force, add one hour to EST and CST to obtain Eastern and central daylight time equivalents.

 

VMW (Australia Weather West) broadcasts for the following areas:

· Coastal Waters areas off South Australia, Western Australia and Northern Territory.

· High Seas for the Northern, Western and Southern high seas areas.

Marine weather warnings are broadcast on the hour (on the half-hour in CST) for Qld Gulf, NT, WA and SA coastal waters zones and for all high seas areas. The broadcast is available on the following frequencies (kHz):

· Day-time (0700 – 1800 WST): 4149, 8113, 12362, 16528

· Night-time (1800 – 0700 WST): 2056, 6230, 8113, 12362

Navigation Maritime Safety Information notices are broadcast at 25 past each hour on 8176 kHz. Marine forecasts and observations are broadcast from Wiluna (VMW) on a four hour repeat cycle according to the schedule below:

All times are in Western Standard time (0700-1800WST)

0730hrs Western Australia (Northern Zones: NT-WA Border to North West Cape) NT

0830hrs Western Australia (Western Zones: North West Cape to Cape Naturaliste) Western Australia (Southern Zones: Cape Naturaliste to WA-SA Border)

0930hrs South Australia

1030hrs Queensland (Gulf waters) High Seas (Northern, Western, and Southern areas)

This schedule repeats every four hours until 1800WST after which night-time frequencies are used.

When daylight savings is in force, add one hour to EST and CST to obtain Eastern and Central daylight time equivalents.

 

BOM Marine Weatherfax service:

The BOM Marine Weatherfax service is also broadcast from Charelville (VMC) in the east and Wiluna (VMW) in the west. Both transmitters have a power rating of 1Kw, utilising F3C transmission.

Charleville: Call Sign VMC

 

Frequency: 2628, 5100, 11030, 13920, 20469 kHz

Broadcast (UTC) 0900-1900, 0000-2400, 0000-2400, 0000-2400, 1900-0900.

 

WilunaL: Call Sign VMW

 

Frequency: 5755, 7535, 10555, 15615, 18060 kHz

Broadcast (UTC) 1100-2100, 0000-2400, 0000-2400, 0000-2400, 2100-110

VMC & VMW Radio Fax Schedule