A new weather and environmental forecasting service is being launched at the Mystery Creek Fieldays and will provide farmers with tailored information about weather conditions on their farm.

The web-based weather forecasting information service called NIWA forecast aims to help farmers and growers identify the right time to carry out weather-dependent operations like irrigation, spraying and harvesting.

Dr Jochen Schmidt presents NIWA forecast at Fieldays 2013.

NIWA Chief Scientist, Atmosphere, Dr Murray Poulter says this new service takes forecasting to another level because different forecasts can now be created for properties as little as 12km apart. Information and forecasts incorporate data from the NIWA weather station that best represents climatic conditions on a property.

'NIWA forecast can deliver valuable climate analysis and forecasts from the present to 15 days ahead direct to farmers' and growers' computers via the internet direct to their farm.”

Murray says the service is backed by modelling and the capabilities of one of the most powerful supercomputers of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

The forecast can be set to give information about rainfall, temperature, wind, soil temperature and frost.

Subscribers will receive a direct, 24/7 feed to their computer.

Alerts can be set up that trigger email or text 'warning' messages to nominated recipients whenever the specified alert conditions are forecast – instantly identifying windows of opportunity or periods of risk.

Anyone interested in the service who can't make it to Fieldays can email [email protected] for more information.