Meteorological Technician

Job overview
Meteorological technicians are responsible for the collection of meteorological information.

Most of the climatological services at the Department of Meteorology are handled by technicians.

These services include the rendering of meteorological advice services and the operation and maintenance of a weather observation network throughout the whole country.

What do people do in this job?
Before any weather forecast can be given, the technicians must collect a large amount of meteorological information.

Observations are made of different elements such as temperature, atmospheric pressure, visibility and clouds.

Various aids such as computers, radar and automatic weather stations are used to make these observations.

After meteorological technicians have checked all the information, they send it to the most important weather offices with the use of meteorological codes.

Sometimes observations are directly sent to air navigation offices.

Weather offices at all the major airports are manned by meteorological technicians who provide flight forecasts daily to air navigation.

Forecasts are also provided to agriculture, industry and the general public.

Records are kept of all observations.

Technicians are responsible for the establishment of a computerised data bank.

They work shifts.

Meteorological instrument technicians are responsible for the installation, maintenance and development of electronic and sophisticated equipment such as electronic airport systems and weather radars.

What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
Because the safety of aircraft and human lives depends on the observations of meteorological technicians, accuracy and attentiveness are important qualities.

What qualifications are needed?
Good school leaving results in science subjects, particularly mathematics and physics.