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Separate Severe Weather Warnings to be issued for coastal hazards
Scheduled Release Date: 18 November 2021
From 18 November 2021 the Bureau will improve its severe weather services by issuing separate severe weather warnings for coastal hazards (abnormally high tides and/or damaging/dangerous surf) from those currently issued for meteorological hazards, such as damaging winds and heavy rainfall.
This simple change is part of a longer-term effort to improve the Bureau's coastal hazard services. It will result in more concise severe weather warnings and allow coastal hazards to be better distinguished from meteorological hazards and have greater relevance to affected coastal areas.
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Heatwave Service
Scheduled Release Date: 1 October 2021
The heatwave forecast starts on 1 October for the 2021-22 summer season. The forecast shows areas likely to be affected by heatwaves. A heatwave is three or more consecutive days that are unusually hot for the place and time of year. Heatwave forecasts are updated daily and cover a three-day period, with a forecast available for each of the next four days. For more information, please see the Heatwave Knowledge Centre.
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BOM Weather app
Scheduled Release Date: 21 June 2020
The BOM Weather app V2.2 (and all earlier versions) will be decommissioned on this date and any users are encouraged to upgrade to the most recent version via the app stores before this time. The latest version of the BOM Weather app is compatible with Android 6 and iOS 11 or later devices. If a user has a device that can not support these operating systems then the Bureau's other mobile-friendly weather service, www.weather.bom.gov.au, continues to remain accessible on any device.
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Website notification of change
Scheduled Release Date: 3 March 2021
A web application firewall policy has been implemented for www.bom.gov.au which will block screen scraping activity.
The Bureau is monitoring screen scraping activity on the site and will commence interrupting, and eventually blocking, this activity on www.bom.gov.au from Wednesday, 3 March 2021. This is aimed at protecting infrastructure, system access and security, intellectual property and server/service load.
Web or screen scraping is the act of copying information that shows on a digital display so it can be used for another purpose. This activity has always been at odds with the Bureau's terms and conditions.
We understand www.bom.gov.au contributes significantly to the work of many individuals and organisations and we are committed to continuing to provide access through our registered user’s channel.
For further information, or to discuss the ongoing use of our materials, please make contact with us via weatherquestions@bom.gov.au.
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Name change for Sydney Closed Waters (to Enclosed Waters)
Scheduled Release Date: Week of 16 November 2020
The name for the local waters area 'Sydney Closed Waters:Sydney Harbour, Pittwater and Botany Bay' will be changed in response to public feedback, and following consultation with key stakeholders. The name will change to 'Sydney Enclosed Waters: Sydney Harbour, Pittwater and Botany Bay' to reflect the naming convention used by state government regulations and local marine clubs and organisations. This change will be reflected across all forecast, wind warning summaries, and map products.
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Heatwave Service
Scheduled Release Date: 1 October 2020
The heatwave forecast service will be activated on 1 October for the 2020-21 summer. It will show regions affected by heatwave, severe heatwave and extreme heatwave. Heatwave forecasts for the three day period from the current day, and for the three day period from each of the next four days, will be produced each day.
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Use of Darwin Airport observations in displays of observations from Darwin Harbour weather station
Scheduled Release Date: 24 September 2020
Humidity and rainfall observations are not collected by the weather station at Darwin Harbour. From 24 September 2020, displays of Apparent Temperature, Dew Point, Relative Humidity, Delta-T and 'Rain since 9am' for this weather station will use observations from the Darwin Airport weather station.
This will allow users in central Darwin to view 'feels like' temperature and other key observations. The change will occur where Darwin Harbour observations are displayed, including on the Bureau website and BOM Weather app.
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Closure of Kent Town weather station
Scheduled Release Date: 31 July 2020
The Bureau of Meteorology will decommission the Kent Town weather station in Adelaide on 31 July 2020.
The area around the site at Kent Town is subject to several developments that will affect the reliability of weather data from the station. Anticipating this, a new station in West Terrace Adelaide was commissioned in 2017 and the two sites have been running in tandem to allow the Bureau to compare the data and identify differences for forecasts and long-term climate comparisons. The comparison period was completed in June 2020.
From 1 August 2020 all of the observation products and webpages for the Adelaide CBD will be from the West Terrace site only.
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Relocation of Sydney Observatory Hill weather station
Scheduled Release Date: August 2020
The Bureau of Meteorology's official weather observation station for Sydney is moving to a new location at Sydney Observatory Hill. The relocation is due to development plans for the original site.
A new station was commissioned in 2017 and the two sites have been running in tandem to allow the Bureau to compare the data and identify differences for forecasts and long-term climate comparisons.
In August 2020 the Bureau's observation products and webpages will be gradually switched over to the new site with a new station number (066214). The official name of the new station will remain Sydney Observatory Hill.
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BOM Weather app
Scheduled Release Date: June 2020
After a period of beta testing, the Bureau will release an updated version of the BOM Weather app via the App Store and Google Play. The BOM Weather app is free and available on mobile and tablet devices. The BOM Weather app provides weather information, forecasts, rain radar and warnings throughout Australia.
New features and enhancements in the updated version will include:
- hourly forecast details for 72 hours ahead
- localised weather warnings
- 'move with me' (current location weather wherever you are)
- pan and zoom rain radar (Australia wide)
- UV index and sun protection information 4 days ahead
- current wind in km/h and knots
- accessibility features
- widget on Android
- tablet-friendly design
Please be advised the existing BOM Weather app will be replaced when the user updates the app on their device. After an appropriate period, the existing BOM Weather app will be turned off and users will be required to update to the new version. The new BOM Weather app is compatible with Android 6 and iOS 11 or later devices.
The Bureau's other mobile-friendly weather service, www.weather.bom.gov.au, continues to remain accessible on any device.
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Upgrade to forecast wind maps (ACCESS model)
Scheduled Release Date: Week of 30 March 2020
Forecast wind maps for marine and agricultural services will be upgraded to incorporate the new ACCESS-G numerical weather prediction model.
The new model incorporates extensive scientific improvements, leading to an improvement in forecast skill of typically 6 to 12 hours relative to the previous version at forecast lead times of three or more days. The new ACCESS-G model also supersedes the existing ACCESS-R regional model.
The change will adjust the update schedule of the maps. The maps will be updated four times a day at approximately 7:10am, 11:30am, 7:10pm, and 11:10pm AEST. Note that the 6 hourly map products are only updated twice day at 7:30am and 7:10pm AEST.
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m.bom.gov.au
Scheduled Release Date: 14th February 2020
After a period of beta testing, the Bureau has released a new weather webpage www.weather.bom.gov.au which is accessible to anyone with a desktop computer, tablet, or smartphone.
The webpage includes the Bureau's weather warnings, forecasts and observations (all specific to the user's location) in a modern and accessible format. It also includes features such as:
- a completely new-look radar viewer, allowing users to pan and zoom between radars;
- regularly updated advice on whether it's likely to rain at a location (if radar coverage is available);
- three-hourly weather forecasts for the next 48-hours showing how the weather will change throughout the next two days; and
- metadata showing when the forecast was published, and where observation data are sourced.
Please be advised the existing m.bom.gov.au page will be decommissioned on the 30/04/2020 update all bookmarks and links to the new weather.bom.gov.au page.
The Bureau's other mobile-friendly weather service, the BOM Weather app, continues to be available for Apple and Android smartphone users.
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Water Data Online
Scheduled Release Date: 14th February 2020
The Environmental Information Explorer site has been decommissioned. The Environmental Information Explorer displayed a 'Water Resources Stations' catalogue that was last updated in 2009. Climate and water data can be accessed online from Climate Data Online, Water Data Online and Australia Rainfall and River Conditions. To receive a csv data file of the 2009 Environmental Information Explorer dataset contact water@bom.gov.au.
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Upgrade to Interactive Weather and Wave Charts
Scheduled Release Date: 3rd February 2020
Charts in the Interactive Weather and Wave Forecast Maps will be upgraded to incorporate the new ACCESS-G numerical weather prediction model.
The new model incorporates extensive scientific improvements, leading to an improvement in forecast skill of typically 6 to 12 hours relative to the previous version at forecast lead times of three or more days. The new ACCESS-G model also supersedes the existing ACCESS-R regional model. All charts will display data from ACCESS-G from the week commencing 3 February 2020.