A flood is caused when water inundates land which is normally dry. While the pattern of flooding varies, there are few areas of the country where the community is not at risk.
Flood warning is one way of reducing the damaging impact of the flood.
The Bureau of Meteorology provides a flood warning service for all areas of Australia. The Bureau delivers the service through Flood Warning Centres in Bureau Regional Offices in each State and the Northern Territory. These centres are staffed with technical specialists who work closely with the Regional Forecasting Centre to continually monitor potential fl ood threats and prepare and transmit warning messages to threatened areas. The type of service provided depends on the nature of flooding and the flood risk and some aspects may vary between States. The service supported by an ongoing research and development program that continually assesses new technologies aimed at improving all aspects of the flood warning service.