Summary
Andrew Brown, a cybersecurity lecturer, runs a popular weather forecasting page on Facebook called "Wally's Weather" which provides updates for Queensland, Australia. This has highlighted a growing trend where individuals turn to social media for news and weather updates, as seen in the United States where 20% of adults do so.
Key Facts
- Andrew Brown runs the Facebook page "Wally's Weather", with 107,000 followers and 24 million monthly views.
- He posts regular updates on weather conditions in Queensland, Australia.
- During a record-breaking flood in Queensland, Brown shared frequent posts, advising his audience on the situation.
- This trend is also present elsewhere, with 20% of American adults getting their news and weather updates from social media.
- However, there is concern over 'weather influencers', as they can sometimes exaggerate conditions, causing fear among followers; this was observed with a different social media-based weather forecaster called Higgins Storm Chasing.
- Traditional authority on weather, like the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, is still considered most reliable by experts such as Prof Daniel Angus.
- Despite criticism, these social media weather forecasters are popular because they offer highly localized, real-time updates.
- According to a study by the Reuters Institute and University of Oxford, people pay equal attention to influencers on Facebook and mainstream media.
