Drysdale and Clifton Springs have been added to EPA Victoria’s air quality monitoring sites.
EPV Victoria is approaching the bushfire season with its biggest ever network of air quality monitors across the state, twice daily forecasts on Twitter, and the AirWatch website offering live data 24 hours a day.
With the recent addition of 49 new regionally based air quality sensors, EPA’s Chief Environmental Scientist Mark Patrick Taylor says AirWatch now offers live air quality data from 90 stations in Melbourne, Geelong, the Latrobe Valley and broader Victoria, including these in the South West region:
Ararat
Bacchus Marsh
Ballarat
Camperdown
Cobden
Colac
Daylesford/Hepburn Springs
Drysdale/Clifton Springs
Geelong
Hamilton
Heywood
Horsham
Lorne
Melton
Portland
Stawell
Torquay/Jan Juc
Warrnambool
“Each summer carries with it the risk of bushfires and AirWatch is designed to equip Victorians to take action to protect their health,” Prof Taylor said.
“AirWatch tweets twice daily forecasts for each region, and offers actions you can take to reduce the effects of smoke on your home, your health and your family,” he said.
AirWatch is at epa.vic.gov.au/for-community/airwatch – search on your location or scroll down and click on the map.
“The scientists in EPA’s forecast team use a range of tools including weather forecasts, satellite imagery and smoke modelling, backed up by valuable on-the-ground information from the AirWatch network,” Prof Taylor said.
AirWatch offers Victorians hourly air quality data from each sensor in an easy-to-read format that shows levels of smoke and other fine particles.
