The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) has faced a backlash over its new website, which launched a week ago to widespread criticism from users, farmers, and politicians. Complaints include missing features and a confusing layout, prompting the federal environment minister, Murray Watt, to order changes.
The old site, last updated under Kevin Rudd's prime ministership, was described as 'beloved' by BoM officials. However, the agency said the $4.1m upgrade was necessary after a 2015 cyber intrusion exposed vulnerabilities. The new site was built from scratch to improve accessibility and mobile-friendliness, with beta testing over 16 months.
Nationals leader David Littleproud criticised the lack of farmer consultation, while users reported issues such as the inability to search by GPS coordinates. The BoM noted that latitude and longitude searches remain available via MetEye. Acting chief executive Dr Peter Stone apologised and promised improvements in the coming weeks.
The timing of the launch, during severe weather in south-east Australia, also drew criticism. The BoM highlighted that its 2020 app relaunch initially saw user satisfaction drop but later recovered. For now, the old site remains accessible, and the BoM is welcoming feedback as it transitions features.
