Why did the Bureau of Meteorology website fail during severe weather in South Australia?

The Bureau of Meteorology website experienced a technical fault that made observation and forecasting information unavailable to users.

How much did the Bureau of Meteorology's website upgrade cost?

The major redesign and launch of the Bureau of Meteorology's website cost taxpayers $96 million.

What are the current weather concerns in South Australia?

South Australia is facing risks of flash flooding due to heavy and locally intense rainfall, with a tropical low moving south from the Northern Territory.

Home / Weather / Costly BOM Website Crashes During Critical Weather

Costly BOM Website Crashes During Critical Weather

28 Feb

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Summary

Bureau of Meteorology's website failed during severe weather in South Australia.
The website upgrade cost taxpayers $96 million, significantly exceeding initial estimates.
Residents expressed frustration online, questioning the website's reliability during emergencies.

Costly BOM Website Crashes During Critical Weather

The Bureau of Meteorology's (BOM) recently upgraded website experienced a critical failure on Saturday, leaving South Australians without essential observation and forecasting data during severe weather. The outage began around 5:30 AM and persisted into the evening, coinciding with warnings of heavy rainfall and potential flash flooding across the state.

This technical issue emerged just as residents were urged to prepare for dangerous conditions, including torrential downpours and thunderstorms. Many expressed their dismay online, criticizing the website's performance, especially given its substantial cost. The taxpayer-funded upgrade, costing $96 million, far surpassed the initial $4.1 million projection.