Richard Whitaker
Encyclopedia
Richard Northcroft "Dick" Whitaker (born 15 July 1947) is an Australia
n meteorologist and author
. Whitaker is also a Meteorologist on The Weather Channel (Australia)
, following his esteemed thirty-year career as a meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology.
bureau, Australia's largest.
In 1984, he was presented with an Australia Day
Achievement Award for his work in the field of meteorology. In 1992, Whitaker became the New South Wales
Manager for Special Services, dealing with exceptional cirumstances and disaster recovery operations. He retired from the Bureau in 2002 after thirty-one years.
During the final years of his tenure at the Bureau, between 1999 and 2001 Whitaker worked with the World Meteorological Organisation as a rapporteur
for the Committee of Agricultural Meteorology.
charts for the Australian mass media
. Such charts are now used throughout print
and electronic media
to convey data about present and future rainfall in graphical form.
In his second year at the Bureau of Meteorology
, 1972, he developed and authored a manual for aviation
forecasting in the state of New South Wales
, still used today. Whitaker also researched the correlation
between sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean
and rainfall in Australia
, which is now used as a routine consideration in the production of seasonal rainfall outlooks.
which is found on channel 603 on AUSTAR and FOXTEL, having joined the station in 2004. On air, his first name is abbreviated to "Dick". He also presents numerous radio
weather crosses to a selection of stations around Australia on a daily basis. Whitaker has authored or co-authored several books about weather and historical topics, having a particular interest in natural disasters
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n meteorologist and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. Whitaker is also a Meteorologist on The Weather Channel (Australia)
The Weather Channel (Australia)
The Weather Channel is an Australian 24 hour cable and satellite channel that broadcasts weather news and information. The Weather Channel is available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television.-History:...
, following his esteemed thirty-year career as a meteorologist with the Bureau of Meteorology.
Bureau of Meteorology
Whitaker began working with the Bureau of Meteorology in 1971, aged twenty-four. A decade later, he was promoted to the role of Officer in Charge of the Facilities and Information section of the Bureau. He held this position for three years, before being promoted again to Senior Operational Forecaster in the SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
bureau, Australia's largest.
In 1984, he was presented with an Australia Day
Australia Day
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia...
Achievement Award for his work in the field of meteorology. In 1992, Whitaker became the New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
Manager for Special Services, dealing with exceptional cirumstances and disaster recovery operations. He retired from the Bureau in 2002 after thirty-one years.
During the final years of his tenure at the Bureau, between 1999 and 2001 Whitaker worked with the World Meteorological Organisation as a rapporteur
Rapporteur
Rapporteur is used in international and European legal and political contexts to refer to a person appointed by a deliberative body to investigate an issue or a situation....
for the Committee of Agricultural Meteorology.
Research and developments
Whitaker is partly credited with the initial development of precipitationPrecipitation (meteorology)
In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation In meteorology, precipitation (also known as one of the classes of hydrometeors, which are atmospheric water phenomena is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravity. The main forms of precipitation...
charts for the Australian mass media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
. Such charts are now used throughout print
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
and electronic media
Electronic media
Electronic media are media that use electronics or electromechanical energy for the end-user to access the content. This is in contrast to static media , which today are most often created electronically, but don't require electronics to be accessed by the end-user in the printed form...
to convey data about present and future rainfall in graphical form.
In his second year at the Bureau of Meteorology
Bureau of Meteorology
The Bureau of Meteorology is an Executive Agency of the Australian Government responsible for providing weather services to Australia and surrounding areas. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act, and brought together the state meteorological services that existed before then...
, 1972, he developed and authored a manual for aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
forecasting in the state of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, still used today. Whitaker also researched the correlation
Correlation
In statistics, dependence refers to any statistical relationship between two random variables or two sets of data. Correlation refers to any of a broad class of statistical relationships involving dependence....
between sea surface temperatures in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and rainfall in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, which is now used as a routine consideration in the production of seasonal rainfall outlooks.
Publications and media
Whitaker is now the senior meteorologist on The Weather ChannelThe Weather Channel (Australia)
The Weather Channel is an Australian 24 hour cable and satellite channel that broadcasts weather news and information. The Weather Channel is available on Foxtel, Austar and Optus Television.-History:...
which is found on channel 603 on AUSTAR and FOXTEL, having joined the station in 2004. On air, his first name is abbreviated to "Dick". He also presents numerous radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
weather crosses to a selection of stations around Australia on a daily basis. Whitaker has authored or co-authored several books about weather and historical topics, having a particular interest in natural disasters
Natural disaster
A natural disaster is the effect of a natural hazard . It leads to financial, environmental or human losses...
.