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Holton Weather Forecasting Pty Ltd commenced business in March 1997 and has clients throughout the agricultural areas of southern Australia. The company was established as an aid to crop growers, graziers, irrigators, viticulturists & horticulturists by providing accurate long and short range weather forecasts to meet their needs.

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Ian Holton (Director & Forecaster) worked for twenty seven years at the Bureau of Meteorology. He worked for various periods in Queensland and Victoria early in his career. In his last twenty years with the Bureau he worked as a weather forecaster in South Australia.

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It was during this time at the Weather Bureau in Adelaide that he noticed a lack of accurate long-range forecasting for agriculturalists. In 1996 he was granted a 6 month research grant from the Lands and Water Research Development Corporation which enabled him to pursue new methods of long-range crop and rainfall forecasting for southern Australia. He has published several papers in scientific journals on long-range crop and rainfall forecasting, and also many articles on downslope winds in Australia.

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Long-range forecasts in Australia are generally prepared using data from the El-Nino related Southern Oscillation Index. This is a reasonable forecasting tool for Queensland and areas of the eastern sea-board. However, it does not forecast with any real sufficient accuracy in the Southern Australian areas & many other Inland & Coastal Areas of Australia.

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After encouragement from farmers and agricultural groups, Ian Holton left the Bureau in 1997 to set up the company. He has since with extensive research developed greatly improved long-range & short-range weather forecasting methods for all Australian areas.

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Since leaving the Weather Bureau, Ian Holton has done further comprehensive research into what affects Australian Rainfall and Weather. He has developed his computer forecasting models and other forecasting methods up to a high accuracy for the 14 Day Weather Forecast Short Range period & for the 12 months ahead Long Range forecast period.

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Forecasts have a general accuracy of between 80% to 85% for the first 9 forecast months, and a general accuracy of 70% to 80% for the 10 to 12 months ahead period for all Australian Holton Weather forecast areas. Refining of the computer models continues constantly to help attain even higher accuracy levels. Notably, the 2004 hot and dry Spring finish was forecast by Holton Weather in the early months of 2004.......The 2005 reasonably good Growing Season was forecast by Holton Weather at the start of the 2005 year, when conditions were quite dry in most areas.......While the 2006 bad drought year was forecast by Holton Weather in February 2006, well before the drought event occurred.

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Major research into the Southern and Northern Hemisphere Oceans and Pressure Signals in the Near Australian Area, during Ian Holton in late 2006 and early 2007 period, has now enabled Holton Weather to produce weather & rainfall forecasts of even higher reliability & accuracy standards.

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Holton Weather do make use of the latest available super computer model ocean forecasts from Australia, USA, Japan and Overseas Countries. However, almost all the scientific input ocean and atmosphere measurements and the scientific computer models used by Holton Weather are quite ***unique and different to those used by the Weather Bureau and other Public & Private Forecasting Services in Australia.

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Many farmers, irrigators, horticulturists, graziers, vineyards, and agricultural consultants and agricultural business across Australia rely on Holton Weather forecasts to make their daily, weekly, seasonal and yearly planning decisions.

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***Holton Weather use a variety of detailed climatic input indicators (many known only to Ian Holton from his extensive experience and private research) to forecast the weather for all Australian Areas. These computer model input climatic variables include Sea Surface Temperature Anomolies, Gradients and Trends across Northern & Southern Hemisphere, including Tropical, Indian, Southern & Pacific Oceans (from Africa to South America & from Asia to North America), Surface Pressure & SOI Measurements, MJO & ER Tropical Waves and Upper Level Rossby Waves, etc.

LATEST CLIENT COMMENTS ON HOLTON WEATHER FORECASTING SERVICES:

"I would have to say that your Long Range Forecasts have pretty well been spot on for our area for the year 2008 so far." Client North Wimmera, Victoria, 5th November 2008

"I did not put on the extra urea as you were forecasting a dry Spring, and it made a difference, we have reasonable crops, whereas the neighbours have mainly cut their crops for hay. " Client North Yorke Peninsula, SA, 28th October 2008

"We followed your valuable advice on the dry predicted Spring and did not put any urea on the crops. They will still have reasonable crop yields, whereas many neighbours and other folk around the district put on urea, and theit crops have died or have had to be cut for hay." Client Mid North, SA, 23rd October 2008

"We were hoping that you may been a little wrong about the very dry Spring for this year, and that we may have had a few decent showers, but your forecast was correct. again" Client West Wimmera, VIC, 23rd October 2008

"Our crops looked great in July and August , but the very dry spell in September to October, as you have correctly forecast since early in the year really sent the crops backwards". (Client Mallee, SA, 20th October 2008)

"Sowing our crops, based on your Long Range forecasts issued in early Autumn 2008, has saved us a large sum of money. On your forecast we cut back the area, sowed only our good paddocks with wheat , and put no inputs on the crops." (Client, East Riverina, NSW, NSW, 8th October 2008)

"We have saved a large amount of money, by following your forecasts this year. They have proved very correct for our area." ( Client NE Wimmera, VIC, 8th October 2008)

"Your Long Range forecasts have been pretty well spot on this year." (Client NE Victoria, 7th October 2008)

"Your Long Range forecasts for 2008 have been remarkably correct all through the year so far. ..And when I was talking to you early in the year, and you said that we looked like having another would have a dry year over here. Well, it has turned out just that way, much as in 2002, with only 8 and a half inches for the year so far." (Client, NE Wimmera, Victoria, 22nd September 2008)

" We have found your weather forecasts a big help this year especially, as you forwarned us of a tough year up here and we made the appropriate arrangements, such as de-stocking and agistment of sheep. It is the worst year here in 58 years and it is a big help to be forewarned and to plan ahead of the weather." (Client, North Riverina, New South Wales: 28th August 2008)

" We have planned on your dry long range forecast prediction for this year in our area,...and, here in the West Riverina it is as bad as anyone has ever seen it, so far this year!" (Client, West Riverina, New South Wales: 8th August 2008)

"July (2008) turned out just the way your predicted.......We have confidence in your short & long range weather forecasts and rely on them for all our planning on the farm." (Client, West Coast, Victoria: 6th August 2008)

" We de-stocked early on your Long Range Forecast, and it has come in very dry here, and we have little feed at all." (Client, North Western Plains, New South Wales, 2nd August 2008)

"We really do appreciate your weather forecasting service. .... and I have come to rely on your forecasts" (Client North Mallee: South Australia: 18th February 2008)

"Thanks for the excellent service...and replying to all my questions" (Client South Mallee: South Australia: 7th February 2008)

"I joined after hearing from others in the area that your forecasts were very accurate...And since I joined in January 2008, you have been pretty well spot on with your call of every rain event that we have had!" (Client Near Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, 11th May 2008)

"I was looking back at your January 2008 Long range Forecast yesterday, & I noted that you have been spot on with your rainfall forecast for every month from January to May 2008 for our area." (Client Lower North, Victoria, 26th May 2008)