Australia spent $62M on weather website redesign. It backfired spectacularly
27 Nov 2025

Australia's Bureau of Meteorology (BOM), a government agency known for its weather forecasting services, has been hit by a wave of criticism after launching a major redesign of its website.

The update went live on October 22, more than a decade after the last update.

However, instead of being welcomed with open arms, it was met with an avalanche of complaints from users across the country.

User complaints flood in after BOM's website redesign
User backlash

The new look and feel of the BOM website, which was supposed to be an upgrade, has left many users unhappy.

Complaints have ranged from issues with the color scheme of the rain radar to missing features like GPS coordinates for specific location forecasts.

Farmers and fishermen, who heavily rely on these services, were particularly vocal about their dissatisfaction with the changes.

BOM's website redesign cost 20 times more than estimated
Cost controversy

Adding fuel to the fire, it was revealed that the BOM's website redesign had cost around A$96.5 million ($62.3 million), 20 times more than the previously disclosed A$4.1 million.

Psychologist Joel Pearson weighed in on the public outrage by saying, "First you violate expectations by making something worse, then you compound the injury by revealing the violation was both expensive and avoidable."

BOM's website redesign has been criticized for poor usability
Usability issues

The timing of the redesign has also been criticized as it was launched on a day when severe weather warnings were in place.

Many users have taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction with the new site, calling it "awful" and not user-friendly.

Some even mocked BOM's attempt to help users navigate the new site by posting tips online.

BOM's website redesign was prompted by a major cybersecurity breach
Security concerns

The BOM has defended the website redesign, saying it was prompted by a major cybersecurity breach in 2015.

The agency claimed the refresh was aimed at improving stability, security, and accessibility.

However, these explanations have done little to quell public outrage over the changes and their usability issues.