Crane Weather Forecast: Wind Speeds for Lifting in Melbourne
Use this free crane weather forecast before you book or start a lift. It shows hourly wind and gust speeds for Melbourne and regional Victoria, estimates how much stronger the wind will be at your boom tip, and rates each hour good to lift, caution or too windy against your crane’s wind limit. Pick the nearest suburb, set the boom height and check the next 48 hours and the 7-day outlook. Need help reading it? Call 0457 000 637.
Today
Loading the crane weather forecast…
Best lifting windows (6am–6pm)
7-day crane wind outlook (daytime peak) Tap a day for its hour-by-hour forecast
Hour by hour
Forecasts more than about two days ahead come in 6-hour steps; rain is the total for each 6-hour block.
| Time | Sky | Temp | Wind 10 m | Gust 10 m | Gust at 20 m | Rain | Status |
|---|
Forecast data: MET Norway (Norwegian Meteorological Institute), licensed under CC BY 4.0. “Now” shows the forecast for the current hour, not a weather-station reading. Wind at boom height is estimated from the 10 m forecast; where the forecast has no gust figure, gusts are estimated at 1.4 times the average wind. A planning guide only – on the day, the crane operator decides using the crane’s anemometer and load chart.
A planning guide, not a lift approval. On the day, the crane operator and lift supervisor decide whether a lift goes ahead using the crane’s own wind gauge (anemometer), its load chart and the conditions on site. Weather can change faster than any forecast.
How to Read the Crane Wind Forecast
Weather forecasts give the wind speed 10 metres above the ground. A crane works higher than that, and the wind usually gets stronger with height because there is less drag from buildings, trees and the ground. At a 30 m boom tip the wind is often 15–20% stronger than the 10 m figure, and more on open, exposed sites.
The forecast tool takes the 10 m forecast, estimates the wind at the boom tip height you choose using a standard wind-profile formula, and compares the gust at that height with the wind limit you enter:
- Good to lift – gusts below 80% of your limit.
- Caution – gusts between 80% and 100% of your limit, or heavy rain. Expect pauses and keep large, light loads on the ground until it settles.
- Too windy / Storm – gusts above your limit, or thunderstorms in the forecast. Plan the lift for another window.
The lifting windows show the runs of “good to lift” hours between 6am and 6pm today and tomorrow, so you can line up deliveries, traffic control and trades around them. The 7-day outlook shows each day’s daytime peak gust, which is the number to watch when you book.
What Wind Speed Is Too High for a Crane Lift?
There is no single number. The maximum wind speed is set by the crane manufacturer for each configuration and is printed in the crane’s load chart and operator’s manual. Many mobile crane load charts use about 9.8 m/s (around 35 km/h) at the boom tip as the standard limit, which is why the tool starts at 35 km/h. Long booms, fly jibs and some configurations have lower limits, and smaller machines such as spider cranes and Franna pick-and-carry cranes have their own. Change the setting to match the crane you are hiring, or ask us.
The load matters as much as the crane. Anything with a big flat surface catches the wind like a sail, swings and becomes hard to control: precast panels, glass, roof sheets and trusses, signs, shipping containers, pools and rooftop air conditioning units. For these lifts the safe wind limit is often well below the crane’s chart limit and is set in the lift plan. See how we handle precast concrete panel lifting, glass lifting and air conditioning crane lifting.
| Wind speed | What you’ll notice | Typical effect on crane lifts |
|---|---|---|
| 0–19 km/h | Leaves and small twigs moving | Fine for most lifts |
| 20–28 km/h | Dust and loose paper lifting, small branches moving | Large flat loads start to swing; tag lines needed |
| 29–38 km/h | Small trees sway | Around many load chart limits; panels, glass and AC units often stopped |
| 39–49 km/h | Large branches moving, umbrellas hard to use | Most crane lifts stopped |
| 50 km/h and over | Whole trees moving | No lifting; crane secured |
General guide based on the Beaufort wind scale. Your crane’s load chart and lift plan always take priority.
Other Weather That Can Stop a Crane Lift
Thunderstorms and lightning
A crane boom is the tallest thing on most sites. Lifts stop when a storm is approaching and don’t restart until it has well passed. The tool marks any hour with thunder in the forecast as “Storm – stop”. On storm days, also check the Bureau of Meteorology’s Victorian weather warnings.
Rain and poor visibility
Light rain rarely stops a lift on its own, but heavy rain cuts visibility between the operator, the dogman and the load, makes slings and loads slippery, and can damage some loads. Fog has the same effect on blind lifts. If the operator can’t see the load or get clear signals from the dogman, the lift waits.
Wet or soft ground
After heavy rain, soft ground can sink under outriggers or crawler tracks. Tell us if the set-up area is grass, fill or a new slab so we can bring larger outrigger pads or plan a different position. For heavy or complex lifts, our engineered lift planning checks ground bearing before the crane arrives.
Hot, gusty afternoons
Heat rarely stops the crane, but it affects the crew, and Melbourne’s hot northerly days often turn gusty in the afternoon before a cool change. If the forecast shows a change coming through, plan wind-sensitive lifts for the morning.
Planning Your Crane Hire Around the Weather
- Check two or three days out. Look at the 7-day outlook when you book, then the hourly forecast the day before.
- Book mornings for wind-sensitive lifts. The wind in Melbourne often picks up through the afternoon, so panels, glass, trusses and AC units are best lifted early.
- Have a back-up date. If the forecast is marginal, agree a second window with us and your trades early.
- Size the crane with wind in mind. Check capacity at your radius with the crane calculator, then map out the set-up with the crane lift planner.
- Street lifts need permits and traffic control booked ahead. If the weather moves your lift, those dates may need changing too. See our guide to crane permits in Melbourne and our traffic management service.
Talk to us about the forecast when you book. Call 0457 000 637, check our crane hire rates or send us your lift details for a quote.
Crane Weather Forecast FAQs
What wind speed stops a crane?
It depends on the crane and how it is set up. The limit is in the crane’s load chart; many mobile crane charts use about 9.8 m/s (around 35 km/h) at the boom tip, with lower limits for long booms, jibs and loads with a large surface area. On the day, the operator stops when the crane’s anemometer reads above the limit.
Do crane operators go by average wind or gusts?
Gusts. A boom and a suspended load react to sudden gusts, not the average, so the tool rates each hour on the gust at your boom tip height.
Is the wind stronger at the top of the boom?
Usually, yes. Wind speed increases with height above the ground. As a rough guide, a 30 km/h gust at 10 m is around 35 km/h at 30 m on open ground. The tool works this out for the height you choose.
Can a crane lift in the rain?
Usually, in light rain. Heavy rain, fog or anything that stops the operator seeing the load or the dogman’s signals will pause the lift, and some loads shouldn’t be lifted wet. Thunderstorms stop lifting altogether.
Where does the forecast come from?
The data comes from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MET Norway), refreshed about every hour and shown in Melbourne time. It is a model forecast for the point you choose, so local effects such as tall buildings, hills or the bay can make conditions on site different. For official weather warnings, use the Bureau of Meteorology.
Is this forecast enough to approve a lift?
No. It helps you plan and book, but the decision on the day belongs to the crane operator and lift supervisor, using the crane’s anemometer, its load chart and what they can see on site.
Which areas can I check?
The list covers Melbourne CBD, Melbourne’s west and north-west (Bacchus Marsh, Melton, Caroline Springs, Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Truganina, Laverton North, Altona, Sunshine, Footscray, St Albans, Sunbury, Tullamarine, Craigieburn), Box Hill, Dandenong, Frankston, Geelong, Ballan and Ballarat. Tap “Use my location” to check anywhere else in Victoria.