Daily London
Unlike most workers though, the sky – rain, hail or shine – will dictate every move he makes in the office.
How is working his “dream” job as a Senior Meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology in Melbourne.
For a decade, he has stood in front of TV cameras and relayed crucial information to Australians about weather events ranging from the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires to deadly flash floods.
“It was a lifelong dream of mine.”
How begins his day at 6am and spends most of the morning doing TV interviews and talking to journalists about the day’s weather.
Then he will work with his team of fellow weather experts to produce four daily forecasts for the states, cities and regions.
“The great thing about Australia is that there’s always something going on in the weather, even when it’s sunny,” How said.
“Of course, when it is sunny, it does mean that things aren’t quite as hectic. But sunny skies also can mean things like heatwaves or fire weather warnings.”
Australian weather is an extraordinary and untameable beast and it often even surprises the BoM.
A meteorologist’s day can change very quickly and without warning.
For How, that’s when his passion for weather is really ignited.
“Sometimes you get very little notice like what we had on Sunday in Melbourne,” he said.
“The storm came through very quickly and we had to issue that warning pretty quick smart.”
At times like this, How can’t take his foot off the accelerator.
He and his team need to be “weather watching” every moment of the day.
”It’s not set and forget. It’s something that needs to be updated and continually monitored,” he added.
How recalls Cyclone Alfred being one of the busiest times of his career.
The tropical cyclone brought wild weather to south-east Queensland and northern NSW between February and March this year.
The bureau’s job was to keep everyone informed, including the media and State Emergency Services (SES).
“We had a forecast which changed every hour,” How said.
“So we needed to make sure that [updates] get out in time before the new one comes in.
“It can be a bit of a race against the clock.”
Severe weather can be dangerous and it’s important residents are aware of the latest warnings.
But How is careful not to cause unnecessary concern.
“We’re not here to cause panic or create drama,” he said.
“We just focus on what’s coming up in the facts and make sure people have the information they need and make sure that they can make the right decisions.”
