Issued: Tuesday 25 June 2024
Australians can now see their local weather information on the new Bureau of Meteorology test website.
The 'beta' test website gives the community the opportunity to experience improved features and provide feedback on the site.
Beta.bom.gov.au will exist alongside the current Bureau website bom.gov.au, which will remain the primary website during the testing phase.
The Bureau's services are critical to national infrastructure and we take the security and reliability of those services seriously.
On average around 1.8 million Australians use the Bureau website every day to inform their decision making, and during severe weather this can increase to 5.7 million.
The new website features enhanced security and accessibility and is part of a large program of work helping to make the Bureau more resilient and secure.
Bureau customers and the community currently access vital information through more than 72,000 unique web pages. Updates and improvements will continue to be published to the test site.
Initially, not all information will be available on the test site and the community should still use bom.gov.au for critical warning information, climate data and sector-specific weather services.
Bureau of Meteorology Chief Customer Officer Dr Peter Stone said the Bureau's website is one of the most visited Australian government websites.
"Millions of Australians use the Bureau of Meteorology website every day to make decisions about their lives and their livelihoods," Dr Stone said.
"It's important to get it right, which is why we're taking the time to seek feedback and ensure our test website meets the needs and expectations of those who rely on it every day. "
"The test website has been designed in consultation with the community to make sure it delivers the information they need in a user-friendly way, making it easier to use and to find weather information," he said.
Key enhancements include:
- improved navigation and accessibility
- ease of finding local weather information
- customisation with a new interactive weather map and location favourites
- greater security and resilience
- a better mobile experience.
It is secure and mobile friendly. It can be customised by location, like the BOM Weather app.
The current website will be retired once the new website meets user needs and expectations.
