Giles Weather Station
Giles | |
|---|---|
Giles Weather Station in 2011 | |
Giles | |
| Coordinates: 25°02′0″S 128°18′0″E / 25.03333°S 128.30000°E | |
| Country | Australia |
| State | Western Australia |
| LGA | |
| Location |
|
| Established | 1956 |
| Government | |
| • State electorate | |
| • Federal division | |
| Elevation | 592 m (1,942 ft) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 3 (2018) |
| Time zone | UTC+9:30 (ACST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+10:30 (ACDT) |
| Postcode | 0872 |
| Mean max temp | 29.5 °C (85.1 °F) |
| Mean min temp | 15.9 °C (60.6 °F) |
| Annual rainfall | 290.9 mm (11.45 in) |
| Time zone | |
Giles Weather Station (also referred to as Giles Meteorological Station or Giles) is located in the locality of Warakurna, Western Australia near the Northern Territory border, about 750 kilometres (470 mi) west-south-west of Alice Springs and 330 kilometres (210 mi) west of Uluru. It is the only staffed weather station within an area of about 2,500,000 square kilometres (970,000 sq mi) and is situated mid-continent and near the core of the subtropical jetstream. This means it plays an important role as a weather and climate observatory for the country, particularly eastern and southeastern Australia, and particularly for rainfall predictions. The station is on the Great Central Road Warakurna and the nearest township is the Warakurna Aboriginal settlement (population 180), 5 kilometres (3 mi) North. Giles is within the Shire of Ngaanyatjarraku and is in the foothills of the Rawlinson Ranges.
A staff of three operates the remote station on four-monthly tours. Giles Airport, a 1,600-metre (5,200 ft) airstrip services the station and the Warakurna community.
Tourists are invited to watch the daily release of the weather balloon at 8:45am Australian Central Time. Additionally there is a museum that visitors can browse, a remnant of the Blue Streak Rocket and Len Beadell's grader on display.