Ag industry leaders on the weather experts they trust

Many across the agricultural industry have slammed the bureau for "fear mongering", after the Category Three system was less severe than predicted, and the absence of a predicted El Nino over the summer.

GDL livestock territory manager Tony Dwyer gets his weather advice from L&K Mackay Severe Weather and Chris Nitso from Weather IQ - OCC.

"L&K are based in the Whitsundays at Proserpine...they're not qualified weather people but they put out what they think will happen and (Nitso) is a bloke up in Townsville who is often on CFM with Dave and Jay in the morning," Mr Dwyer said.

"They're pretty well accurate. L&K is pretty accurate. I'll follow them with our sales...and also BoM (the Bureau of Meteorology). That's usually the three I follow."

Mr Dwyer said he had taken heed of weather advice this week in preparation for recent sales - choosing to cancel the upcoming Prime and Store Sale at Sarina due to impending storm and heatwave activity.

"It was a number of factors. BoM is saying there's going to be storms again in the afternoon (of January 31) around places and there's...extreme heat around," he said.

"I didn't want to stand the cattle in the front yards there because it's way too hot...it's about animal welfare and trying to do what's best for the clients."

Pace Pineapples grower Stephen Pace said while he also goes to Mr Nitso for weather advice, he understands how tough it can be for organisations to predict 100 per cent accurately.

"We certainly monitor BoM's website and what they put out. My wife subscribes to the Weather IQ guy in Townsville. He used to be a cyclone chaser and puts out a report at least once a week," he said.

"He's reasonably accurate, as much as you can be with the weather...certainly in drier months. In the wet season, you're dealing with lows and monsoon troughs - anything can happen."

Reflecting on the recent ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily, Mr Pace said while many were "up in arms" about the Category Three predictions by BoM, he knew the organisation was only going off their weather station information.

"It's better to be prepared than not...they're damned if they do and damned if they don't," he said.

"The cyclone came and it wasn't as bad as it was forecast but people should be thankful for that, not finding someone to criticise.

"A lot is being said of cattle people not being happy with BoM predicting there was an El Nino...you can listen to all the advice but ultimately it's your call.

"I cannot see the weather ever being reported 100 per cent accurately. There are so many variables and I think there is some very harsh criticism of BoM."

Mr Pace said dealing with tough times was was part and parcel of being within the primary production industry.

"You shouldn't be in it if you're not prepared to roll with the punches and nature," he said.

"It's not very nice dealing with it sometimes, but you have to deal with whatever weather you cop."

Mr Pace said he had received 75mm in the past week, including 40mm in a storm overnight on January 30.

"Not a lot of rain but the heat and humidity over the last few days has just been terrible. Thankfully there's not much going on at the farm but it's a concern for our crop coming on in a few months' time," he said.

"The sun will really burn up the little flowers that emerge from the heart of the pineapple plant.

"Planting runs from soon as it's dry enough...We harvest from March to the second week of January."

Ayr cane farm manager Francesco Delacruz gets his weather advice from Elders and Wally's Weather, and says he finds the Facebook page "quite accurate".

"I'm always checking the weather because I work on a farm. Everyday I check it," he said.

"I discovered (Wally's Weather) when I moved up here (from Mackay)."

Mr Delacruz said his cane farm's crops were doing well despite the recent impact by ex-Tropical Cyclone Kirrily.

"The crops are good but a bit damaged from the wind from the cyclone. We had some snap...lost a fair bit, but it was only the top and the leaves, not at the bottom of the stalk," he said.

"It's been really hot - not really sunny but really humid. I've been here for six or seven years and it's the most humid it's been since I've been here.

"I've never sweated like this before. I take a shower three or four times a day...changing my work clothes."

Mount Isa livestock agent Sunny Seimer said he paid attention to old stockmen tales when it came to weather predictions.

"I've heard stockmen talk about ants and changes in the breeze and I think there is a lot of merit coming from those," Mr Seimer said.

"When the ants come in thick and fast and sometimes you'll get a lot of ants across a road that'll be about an inch wide. It is believed that they become busy and build their nests up because there is something in them that knows rain is coming.

"Also if you see two or three echidnas in a day on the move.

"And when the dragonflies come out that's a sign of the end of the wet, because they are a dry season fly."

Gilberton Station manager Lyn French said nature was the best forecaster of weather.

"We look at nature and history," she said.

"The animals tend to tell us what is happening, better then the weather bureau.

"We do use Oz Runways for my helicopter and I think they get their information from Windy, so we look at that a bit.

In Gilberton's 154 year history, Ms French said she has noticed a 10 year weather cycle, which was also accurate in predicting what the season would be like.

"We have the rainfall records since 1870," she said.

"It is a very distinct chart that we've got and it clearly shows a 10 year weather cycle, so we work off of that too."

Herbertvale Station manager Clint Hawkins said he only looked at the weather forecasts from November to May.

"I only look at it when the chance of rain increases for the wet season," Mr Hawkins said.

"I have subscribed to Higgins before, but I use the GFS (Global Forecast System) seven day outlook, and it's probably the one I look at the most when there is weather around.

"I also look at the 10 day AgNet weather outlook, and I don't take much notice of the second 14 days in it. I look at the Weather Matters and sometimes I look at the BoM but they're the most conservative and seem to have a drier outlook, but I look at a variety."