Course: Introduction to Meteorology - course information | The Bureau Learning Portal

  • Introduction to Meteorology

    Wonders of the weather

    Our Introduction to Meteorology course is designed and delivered by professional Bureau meteorologists. They will arm you with the practical weather knowledge you need to make critical decisions and manage risk in your personal and professional life. You'll learn about the:

    • fundamental reasons behind why the atmosphere behaves the way it does and how that influences our weather
    • broad scale drivers of our weather
    • ways we watch and measure the weather, including direct observations and remote sensing
    • methods meteorologists use to forecast the weather
    • ways you can interpret and utilise the range of weather and warning services delivered by the Bureau of Meteorology to make better, more informed decisions.
    You'll also learn about the key principles behind Australia's climate, weather, and natural disasters, including:

    • thunderstorms
    • fire weather
    • heatwaves
    • tropical cyclones
    • flooding

    A selection of testimonials about the course.

    Our course is available in 2 formats to best meet your needs:

    • an online course for individuals
    • an instructor-led course for groups and businesses
    You can learn more about the content of the course by looking at our course layout.

    Individual online course

    Our online course is made up of 10 modules which you can do at your own pace. Packaged with bespoke graphics and videos to make the weather come alive, these modules each take about 60 to 90 minutes to complete. Learn at your on pace, at a time which suits you.

    You can access the course as many times as you want for up to 12 months, even after you've completed it. After finishing all 10 modules you receive a certificate of completion.

    This course costs $245 (including GST).

    To enrol:

    1. Sign into a Bureau of Meteorology learning account. To create an account, follow our guide. 
      Button linking to the account creation page.
    2. Once you are signed in, click on 'Enrol now' and follow the prompts. Access to the course will be granted automatically after payment has been made.

    Group-based instructor-led courses

    Our instructor-led course is adapted to the needs of the attendees and can be taken in-person or through our virtual classroom. It's offered to business groups of up to 20 people at a time.

    Each course is facilitated by a meteorologist trainer, who can answer questions and demonstrate concepts in real time.

    While times will vary depending on the needs of your group, a typical course takes place over 4 half-days. As an alternative, there's also a condensed version of the course which takes 2 half-days.

    To make an enquiry or find out more about our virtual instructor-led courses, contact i2m@bom.gov.au.  

    How do I shape the instructor-led course for my group's interests?

    During your business' enrolment discussion you'll be asked to indicate your elective preferences in a survey. Depending on your preferences and the course you've booked we'll normally cover 5 to 6 basic course topics, and 3 to 4 elective topics.

    Elective topics to choose from include:

    • aviation,
    • climate drivers and outlooks,
    • fire weather and heatwaves,
    • floods,
    • marine,
    • tropical cyclones, and
    • tsunami.

    You can find out more about the specifics we cover in these topics in our electives overview (PDF).  

    Make an enquiry 

    Tailored content can be created to meet the needs of your organisation, as well as face-to-face delivery and bulk enrolments. Contact i2m@bom.gov.au for group bookings and pricing.