AuctionsPlus is pleased to introduce Karl Lijnders from Weather Matters as its new weatherman, bringing decades of experience and insight to our national farming audience.
Formally trained in meteorology, Mr Lijnders has built a diverse career spanning media, forecasting and private consultancy. You may recognise him from his work as a weather presenter and chief meteorologist with Prime7 News before moving into independent forecasting and eventually founding Weather Matters in 2021. Today, the business services more than 3,500 clients across Australia, with a strong focus on agriculture.
Unlike traditional forecasting services, Mr Lijnders emphasises a hands-on, highly engaged approach. “I’m somebody that doesn’t just sit behind a computer and tell you what the weather is going to be and go off with my day,” he said. “I work seven days a week. I work farmer hours too.”
He describes his forecasting style as “old school”, blending modern modelling with instinct and pattern recognition developed over decades. “Every chart that I produce, every analysis is not AI, it is a human, and that’s the point of difference,” he said. “It’s about reading the patterns … sometimes you have to be a bit of a model whisperer.”
For AuctionsPlus users, Mr Lijnders’ weekly column will go beyond standard forecasts, focusing on practical, decision-ready insights tailored to farming operations. His aim is to translate complex weather data into clear, actionable information.
Readers can expect coverage of both short-term conditions and broader climate drivers, with particular attention to subtle but important signals often missed in mainstream forecasts. “My trained view is to pick out things of interest that are sometimes missed and give you great lead time,” he said. “When I mention something, it is because it’s of importance.”
Looking ahead, Mr Lijnders flagged a significant shift in seasonal conditions, with early indications pointing toward a strengthening El Niño pattern. “It’s going to be a substantial event, at least a moderate El Niño by winter, possibly becoming a major event,” he said. “That means it’s going to be dry, it’s going to be very warm and we are looking at below average rainfall.”
With the potential for additional climate drivers, including a positive Indian Ocean phase, he warned conditions could intensify. “That’s a double whammy for dry across Australia. In the back half of the year, if you end up with seasonal rainfall, buy yourself a lottery ticket.”
Mr Lijnders’ weekly column will commence next week, delivering timely, practical and highly targeted weather intelligence to help AuctionsPlus users stay ahead of the conditions shaping their operations.
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