Bureau of Meteorology changes website warning, rain radar and weather map after user backlash over $96m spend

The Bureau of Meteorology has updated its rain radar and weather map in a bid to make it easier for users to navigate after backlash over its $96.5 million new website spend.

The bureau’s website is one of the most visited in Australia. But after spending almost $100 million on upgrading it, BOM faced a backlash from users who found it was no longer user-friendly, nor did it properly indicate the severity of local storms.

BOM announced on Wednesday it had refined its warnings, rain radar and weather map to address some of the criticism.

Bureau of Meteorology chief executive Stuart Minchin said some of the updates to the website were planned while others were a direct response to complaints.

“We’ve heard a significant amount of feedback about the new rain radar and weather map,” he said.

“In response to that feedback, we have added a quick link button from the homepage, increased the visibility of the map location pin and made it easier to customise the map.”

The update also includes warning icons now displayed as yellow for active alerts and grey for cancelled ones, as well as more daily temperature highs and lows.

Dr Minchin said the website had received more than 400,000 feedback responses since its launch.

“Website development and improvements are guided by user feedback, analysis, user research and business needs,” he said.

“We have an expert and highly dedicated workforce committed to providing the best possible service to the Australian community every day.”

BOM spent $96.5 million on the new website — the original price tag of the change was $4.1 million.

Dr Minchin said the website redesign was part of a broader $866 million security and technology upgrade at the bureau dating back to 2015, with cost blowouts blamed on COVID and inflation.