Part-time radar causing a storm

A 24-HOUR weather radar is needed to protect Mackay against dangerous weather events like yesterday’s severe storm at Mirani and mini-tornado at Sarina. I am launching a petition today to upgrade Mackay’s weather station to a full-time service.Mackay is the only weather station on the entire east coast of mainland Queensland that has a part-time radar. The Bureau of Meteorology Mackay weather station’s weather watch radar is shared with wind finding, which means the weather watch radar is unavailable for periods of 90 minutes every six hours.Yesterday’s dangerous weather conditions in the Mackay region occurred while the radar was out of service, meaning local weather monitors, such as L&K Mackay Severe Weather were unable to issue warnings. North Queensland has the technology to monitor and communicate weather conditions and forecasts but the technology is only useful when it is available.North Queenslanders know better than most that dangerous weather conditions, such as tropical cyclones, can arise and change very quickly. We need to use everything at our disposal to make sure we are both fore-warned and fore-armed.I think most people these days are familiar with getting access to live weather condition, reports, and warnings on their computers and hand-held devices. In this day and age, it is unacceptable that a critical link in the chain, like Mackay, is not capable of providing that service 25 per cent of the time.The petition is available to sign at my office, at 2/21 Milton Street, Mackay and also available to download <here>. Just remember, electronic petitions and photocopies will not be counted.You can also request an emailed copy of the petition by calling my office on 4944 0662.