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Glossary of Weather Terms

We have recieved a number of requests asking us to explain some of the terms used on this site.

The list below contains just a few of the hundreds of terms used in day to day weather. For a more substantial list the Weatherzone site is a good one to visit.

Anemometer
An instrument used to measure wind speed.
BoM
Abbreviation for the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
Dew point
A measure of moisture in the atmoshphere. The dewpoint is the temperature to which air must be cooled in order to reach saturation. As the amount of water the air can contain varies by temperature dewpoint gives a more accurate reading of the actual water content of the air than the humidity reading.
East Coast Low (ECL)
An intense low pressure systems that can develop in the Tasman Sea close to the east coast of Australia.
Heat Index
The Heat Index uses the temperature and the relative humidity to determine how hot the air actually "feels." When humidity is low, the apparent temperature will be lower than the air temperature, since perspiration evaporates rapidly to cool the body. However, when humidity is high (i.e., the air is saturated with water vapor) the apparent temperature "feels" higher than the actual air temperature, because perspiration evaporates more slowly. In Summer the Heat Index for Bellingen will highlight the fact that the combination of temperature and heat leaves the town feeling like one of the hottest sub-tropical locations in Australia.
Humidity
The percentage of atmospheric moisture present relative to the amount that would be present if the air were saturated.
Sea breeze
A local onshore wind. Cooler, more humid air from over the sea flows onto the coast to replace the warm air rising over the land.

This page is part of www.bellingen.com - your guide to Bellingen Shire

Live weather data on this site is sourced from a Davis Vantage Pro2. This information is made freely available but before you reproduce any of the live data on this site please contact the site coordinator at bellingenweather@iprimus.com.au We try to ensure that the live information on this site is as up to date and as accurate as possible but for reasons outside our control (such as the Tawny Frog Mouth that likes trying to make nests in the rain gauge!) there may be times when the data is out of date or inaccurate. If you spot any problems please drop us an e-mail and let us know.

Much of the other data and graphics on this site is sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology and is copyright the Bureau of Meteorology. It is reproduced in good faith and with many thanks but should not be relied on without further contacting the Bureau of Meteorology.