Australians woke up to soaring spring temperatures on 22 October — Sydney was set to hit a blistering 39°C, while New South Wales had just recorded its hottest day in more than a century. But the real heat that week wasn’t just in the weather. It was directed at the Bureau of Meteorology.
Known fondly as “the Bom,” the national weather agency rolled out its long-promised website redesign — the first major upgrade in over ten years. What was meant to be a modern revamp quickly turned into a nationwide uproar.
Within hours, social media erupted under the viral hashtag #changeitback. Users slammed the new layout, calling it confusing, less functional, and stripped of essential tools. Farmers and fishermen were especially furious, complaining they could no longer enter GPS coordinates to get accurate forecasts for their exact location. Others criticised the new rain radar colours, saying they were harder to read.
Then came the bombshell: the project hadn’t cost A$4.1m as previously stated — it had ballooned to A$96.5m, sparking even more outrage. Psychologist Joel Pearson compared it to paying for a mansion but receiving a house that “functions worse than before.”
Despite a handful of users praising the cleaner homepage, the majority of Australians were unimpressed. Less than 48 hours after launch, the Bom published “how-to” tips to help users navigate the new site — which only triggered more ridicule.
The agency defended the redesign, stating it was necessary after a 2015 cybersecurity breach and was meant to improve speed, security, and accessibility. But angry users weren’t convinced. Many described the update as unintuitive and impractical, especially during severe weather.
For now, millions of Australians are reluctantly adjusting to the new system — even if they feel like they’re playing a frustrating game of “hide and seek” with essential weather information
#AustraliaNews #BOM #WeatherUpdate #TechFail #WebsiteRedesign #DigitalUX #AUSWeather
