Bureau of Meteorology apologises for new website and promises changes after ‘flawed’ update | Australia weather

The Bureau of Meteorology apologized for the unwelcome changes to its website and said “adjustments” would be made after senior officials were appointed by the environment minister following negative public feedback.

Changes to the website’s design and accessibility were criticized by many online users; Minister Murray Watt said the website “failed to meet the expectations of many users” and the federal opposition said it was affecting Queenslanders’ ability to prepare for recent rain events.

BoM CEO Dr. Peter Stone said he realized the changes were unpopular.

“We have not taken the change lightly and appreciate that it will take time for some to adjust. I sincerely apologize for any difficulties the change has caused.” he said in a statement on Wednesday.

“It’s clear we need to do more to help people with this change, both by making adjustments to the website and helping users understand the site’s new features.”

Stone said forecasts, warnings and public safety information were not affected by the distribution, and argued that the changes make that data more visible and easier to find. However, he acknowledged that updates will be made.

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“We are listening to and welcoming your feedback on the new site… We are acting quickly on the feedback received and I am confident the community will begin to see further improvements in the coming weeks,” he said.

“New content, features, and upgrades will continue to be released in regular releases based on feedback.”

Watt said Tuesday that he met with Stone following public concerns about the website.

“It is clear that the new BOM website has not met the expectations of many users, given the significant feedback provided to the Bureau in recent days,” he said in a statement.

“I have made clear my expectations that the BoM should take this feedback into account and, where appropriate, adjust the website’s settings as soon as possible.”

Watt said Stone is taking the feedback into account and that if users are dissatisfied, the minister’s office will look into the matter.

“Australians deserve to have confidence in these important services… I strongly encourage Australians to continue to provide feedback to the BoM to ensure changes can be made where necessary.”

Queensland premier David Crisafulli took aim on Tuesday at the new website’s failure to allow residents in Brisbane and surrounding areas to prepare for last weekend’s storms. Speaking at the state legislature Tuesday morning, Trump called the $4 million upgrade “flawed” and said “preparedness is crucial” to reduce damage from natural disasters.

“The changes made to the federally run Bureau of Meteorology website are not good enough. The changes made to the website do not make sense. The website is flawed. Easy access to individual radars has been removed,” Crisafulli said.

“The color scheme we are used to has changed and Canberra stereotypes will not serve Queenslanders.”

The state’s treasurer, David Janetzki, confirmed he had written to Watt to raise “significant concerns” about the revision.

Federal National Leader David Littleproud voiced similar concerns, saying voters in rural Queensland were “not being given the information they needed following the recent rain event”. He said Wednesday that voters reported that the website was difficult to navigate and that the radar function was difficult to find. He asked for a review of the new site and requested improvements in service.

“I have heard from many locals that the new platform no longer allows them to enter GPS coordinates for specific property locations, limiting searches to towns or postcodes,” Littleproud said.

“As a result, families, businesses and farmers are unable to access vital local data such as river heights and rainfall information.

“Given the critical importance of accurate and accessible weather and water data, particularly as we approach the wet season and following the devastating floods in April this year, I have asked Minister Watt to review the functionality of the updated BoM website and consider restoring the essential tools that farmers and rural communities rely on.”

According to Andrea Peace, the Bureau’s senior meteorologist, the site’s first redesign in 12 years raised the ire of some users; Users took to social media to tell the bureau what they thought of the change, describing it as confusing, cumbersome and “really, really bad.”

Rainfall radars, weather maps, MetEye, industry pages, custom forecasts and historical data can be found via tabs and buttons on the home page; some of these link to the old site while the pages are still migrated.

Chris Bowen, the climate change and energy minister, was asked why it had been received so poorly by the public after the Bureau announced it had received positive feedback following 18 months of consultation.

“Minister Watt has made it clear that this does not satisfy him as the responsible minister,” Bowen told the ABC’s RN Breakfast on Wednesday.

“The Bureau has a lot to do about the community’s loss of trust in the new website.”