In Australia the Bureau of Meterology (BoM) will continue to record, on its website, rain data which is at odds with the experience of Dubbo residents, until such time that the bureau’s data is proven inaccurate.

Yesterday it was reported the BoM had recorded only several millimetres of rainfall last Friday from its weather station at Dubbo airport.

One reader signing their name as ‘airport manager’ on the Daily Liberal’s website wrote the airport’s manual rain gauge had recorded 150mm over the same period.

After the Daily Liberal contacted the BoM on Monday, a spokesperson said was nothing unusual about the disparity.

Later in the day another spokesperson admitted it was likely that there was a fault with its instrument at the airport. The spokesperson said the fault would be investigated and the data removed from the website.

That didn’t happen and yesterday ‘raingate’ continued with the BoM publishing rainfall in Dubbo as measuring 0.6mm for the 24 hours to 9am Tuesday.

This was despite the city receiving a downpour on Monday afternoon.

One resident said their rain gauge had received 13mm in the same period.

“The data probably won’t be removed until somebody gets out there and checks to see it if (the gauge) is inaccurate,” a BoM spokesperson said yesterday.

“We don’t have people all over the country to go to these sites.”

“Not good enough” said Parkes MP Mark Coulton.

The MP said inaccurate measurements could have a number of follow-on consequences.

“It is important to have accurate data not only for drought information but also so as not to create a false impression of the place,” he said.

“While it does seem like a minor thing it is important to have accurate data for a range of reasons.”

However the BoM spokesperson said there was no need to worry because the bureau had “quality control” procedures.

He said data was flagged, investigated and checked against other data before being entered into a database each month.

“What you are looking at is real time data,” he said.