East Albury retiree Tony Opie alerted the bureau to the difference after recording an extra 80mm of rain at his home at the Murray Gardens Retirement Estate, less than 3km from the airport.

Mr Opie measured 530mm between January and the end of November, while the bureau collected just 450mm during the same period.

“I’ve got two or three other friends who keep them (rainfall figures) and they’re all about 530mm as well,” he said.

“And I spoke to the bureau people in Wagga and compared each month’s reading and, generally, every month my readings were higher than theirs.

“If there was one big difference just for one month then yes, OK, but every month it’s about 10 per cent out.

“During a drought period when you don’t get much rain, you don’t want to be thinking it’s worse than what it is.”

David Street barber Bill Strang has been measuring rainfall on his own gauge for the past 15 years and has also recorded 530mm for the year.

“I always get more than the airport, there’s got to be something wrong out there,” he said.

“I’m about two inches in front of them each year, it’s a joke.

“They must have it in a bad spot or something.

“And I know people in West Albury get a bit more than I do.

“Customers of mine come in and say what did you get and we’re always in front of the airport.”

Bureau of Meteorology spokeswoman Julie Evans said the bureau planned to look into the matter but would not comment further.

Mr Opie hoped the bureau fixed the problem sooner rather than later.

“I suppose they can’t correct the past errors but they could say we have had 530mm for the year,” he said.

“They could ask several people in Albury and if theirs is wrong then they could take what our measurement is.

“Obviously it’s something they would want to get right.”