Greater computer power for Australian weather forecasters

[senorpepr]

A new super computer has been delivered to Australia's National Climate Centre in Melbourne to make weather forecasting faster and more accurate.

The computer, valued at $AUD30 million dollars, will allow scientists to process data 11 times faster than they can now.

The center's Phillip Tennenbaum says the new computer system is a far cry from the average desk top computer, weighing in at 14 tons and measuring 20 meters long.

He says it will take two months to install at the Melbourne centre and will improve forecasting around the country.

"It's actually a replacement for our current super computers and it will provide around 11 times more power," Mr Tennenbaum said.

"It means that the researchers have the opportunity of making the weather models a little bit more accurate.

"We have a window where we have to do all of the computations and generally, end to end, that's three hours.

"So with a much, much faster machine we can do much more work in that three hour window," he said.