from the late 1800s. From June 1960 until August 2002, it observed and reported other weather elements such as temperature and wind speed. Since then it only reports rainfall. The current weather station for Narrabri is Narrabri Airport Automatic Weather Station (AWS), which began observations in 2001. Significant weather events On 4 January 1902 a severe thunderstorm, with large hail and destructive winds, struck the town, with many buildings either damaged or destroyed. The storm, which lasted only five minutes, was described as a 'cyclone'. One man died after being struck by lightning and another two people were injured by the storm. Damage caused by the storm was estimated to be around £3,000. Media Narrabri has a twice-weekly published newspaper, The Courier, one of the few remaining independent regional newspapers in Australia. A local volunteer-run community radio station, 2MAX FM services the area, broadcasting on 91.3 MHz FM, from the nearby Mt Dowe, and is able to cover a very large area due to this altitude. The station started in 2006. 2MAX FM has a focus on country music and older listeners. Transport Regional airline Link Airways operates scheduled flights to and from Brisbane and Sydney on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The town is also served by charter flights. It is almost equidistant from Brisbane and Sydney. Railway station Narrabri railway station is on the Mungindi line, from Sydney. The station opened in 1897 and is served by a single daily Xplorer diesel railmotor between Sydney and Moree. Narrabri is an important centre for rail freight, with considerable infrastructure improvements since the mid-1990s. Sports Teams The most popular sport in Narrabri by a considerable margin is Rugby league. The local team, the Narrabri Blues, were founded in 1921 and play at Collins Park. They currently compete in the Group 4 Rugby League competition, in which they have won five premierships, the last of which came in 1990. Other sports teams include the Narrabri Eagles AFC and Narrabri Blue Boars RUFC. Coal seam gas proposal A coal seam gas field has been proposed for the Narrabri area. It will extend west to Yarrie Lake, which will be surrounded by 450 gas well pads with 850 gas wells over the next 20 years if the project goes ahead. The project has been opposed by a coalition of rural residents and urban environmentalists. Popular culture Narrabri is referenced in the song Tucker's Daughter, by