BoM acting CEO Dr Peter Stone called for community feedback on the new BoM website following a meeting with Environment Minister Murray Watt. Photo: Screenshot BoM.
The Bureau of Meteorology has called for feedback from Australians following the launch of an update of its popular weather website and app.
The call comes after criticism from several quarters over the 22 October switchover to the new website and app with little warning, which saw regular users having to navigate confusing pages and additional steps, and being given rain radar information with lower resolution than the previous version.
The criticism culminated on Tuesday afternoon (28 October) with Environment Minister Senator Murray Watt meeting with acting BoM CEO Dr Peter Stone over the concerns raised.
“It’s clear that the new BoM website is not meeting many users’ expectations, with a significant range of feedback provided to the bureau in recent days,” Senator Watt said.
“In the meeting, I made clear my expectations that the BoM needed to consider this feedback and, where appropriate, adjust the website’s settings as soon as possible. This includes urgent consideration of improvements to the website’s functionality and useability.
“The acting CEO confirmed that the BoM is considering this feedback and what adjustments can be made, while preserving the website’s reliability,” he added.
“I strongly encourage Australians to continue to provide feedback to the BoM, to ensure changes can be made where needed.”
The minister’s tempered call follows more pointed criticism from Queensland Premier David Crisafulli and Nationals leader David Littleproud, both of whom expressed concern over the website revamp after a massive hailstorm smashed into areas around Brisbane on Sunday.
Dr Stone said forecasts, warnings and public safety information had not been compromised by the rollout of the new website, but he acknowledged the concerns raised by the community and recognised the significance of the change.
“We didn’t make the change lightly and we appreciate that it will take time for some to adjust. I sincerely apologise for the challenges the change has caused,” he said in a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon.
“It’s clear we need to do more to help people through the change, both by making adjustments to the website and by helping users to understand its new features.”
Weather watchers and community organisations alike have used the BoM weather radar to track storms, heatwaves and other weather events in near real-time. The BoM said the website hadn’t changed much over the past decade, and received millions of daily visitors by people who relied on the website and app to help plan ahead.
Old (left) versus new. Gone are the radar reflections from the Lake George wind turbines, and the ability to scale in to 64 km, or out to 256 km. Photos: BoM.
“The safety of Australians is our primary concern. We want to reiterate that observations, forecasts, warnings and severe weather updates continue to be readily available on our website, the app and our social media channels,” Dr Stone said.
“The new site has been specifically designed to enhance access to public safety information. The bureau’s forecasts and warnings are now more prominent, easily accessible and relevant to your location.
“There has been significant feedback about the radar on the new website,” he added.
“It’s important to note that the website radar provides one view of the current weather situation. It is not intended to replicate or replace the bureau’s weather warnings which are created by our expert meteorologists and issued ahead of a severe weather event.
“We are listening and welcome your feedback on the new site – it’s part of delivering a reliable service that every sector of the community can trust and rely on.
“We are moving quickly to act on the feedback received, and I am confident the community will start to see more improvements in the coming weeks,” he said.
The BoM said new content, features and upgrades would continue to be rolled out through regular releases, based on community feedback.
It said it would continue to work closely with emergency management agencies at all levels in preparation for the severe weather season, and would continue to support the community by providing resources via the news and media section on the website and social media channels.
Original Article published by Andrew McLaughlin on PS News.
