‘Epic fail!’: Bureau of Meteorology website update sparks fury across Australia

A major upgrade to one of Australia’s most popular websites has left thousands across the nation infuriated.

The Bureau of Meteorology’s new weather website went live on Wednesday, with the platform now including “simpler language for users, improved navigation, and more customisation options”.

In a statement about the site upgrade, the Bureau’s CEO Dr Peter Stone explained the change would make it easier for the community to access weather information.

“We designed the website in consultation with the community to make sure it delivers the benefits people want and need,” he said.

“Like the popular BoM Weather app, the new website’s weather map allows you to customise your experience by saving a list of your favourite locations and selecting the type of weather information that you want to see.

“This is just the beginning of our journey to improve our online services.”

While well-intentioned, the site upgrades have sparked ire across the country as Aussies struggle to check radar maps and the forecast in their location.

The Bureau’s Facebook was quickly flooded with comments from disgruntled users who branded the updated site “disappointing” and “difficult to use”.

“Never thought I’d live to see the return of days when standing on my front porch, looking up at the sky would tell me more than the Australian Bureau of Meteorology website,” one upset Sydney-sider wrote.

Another commenter, based in Melbourne, summed their thoughts up in two words: “Epic fail”.

The South Australian Weather page on Facebook, which touts 72,000 followers, made a post lambasting the Bureau for the “very difficult” navigational features on the new website.

“You would think a once-admired organisation would do some thorough research and testing before opening a new website — it seems little or no public involvement was included,” the page wrote.

West Australians were among those slamming the updated site, with many users taking to social media to share their thoughts.

“It’s embarrassing how much functionality has been lost,” one Perth user shared on Reddit.

“The new site is an absolute shocker,” an X user from Perth wrote.

One Perth woman wrote she suspected the upgrade prioritised younger generations who lack experience in interpreting weather system maps — in turn, causing frustration among older generations who rely more on radars.

Even Melbourne newsreader David Armstrong from 3AW couldn’t stand the update, going on a rant on-air about how “filthy” he is at the “totally and absolutely unusable” site.

“I’m a simple man. I don’t like things to be difficult. I just want to know ‘What’s the temperature in Geelong?’”

In a statement to PerthNow, the Bureau of Meteorology said community feedback in the update’s testing phase was “overwhelmingly positive”.

“The Bureau of Meteorology serves every Australian every day and we take that commitment seriously. Millions of Australians use our website daily and the new website represents a change for all of them,” a spokesperson for the Bureau said.

“We conducted user research and testing to understand how people use the website and identified improvements based on this research and testing — during that time, the community feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.

“As we saw with the relaunch of the BOM Weather app in 2020, a dip in customer satisfaction is expected as customers familiarise themselves with the new website.

“We expect satisfaction to increase as customers become accustomed to the new website and discover its benefits.”

What are your thoughts on the new Bureau of Meteorology website update? Share them with us in the comments!