🌦️ BoM’s New Website: Upgrade or Headache? Aussie Farmers React
The Bureau of Meteorology launched its brand-new website on October 22, 2025, promising faster access, better navigation, and a smoother experience on mobile.
It’s a big deal, especially for Australian farmers who depend on weather info to make time-critical decisions every single day.
The update brings real opportunities. But it’s also stirred up frustration. Let’s unpack what’s new, what works, and what’s not going down so well in the paddock.
The all new Bureau of Meteorology website.
Let’s unpack it. 👇
✅ What’s New and Actually Useful
The BoM says the new site is “secure, stable and resilient” and built to serve all Australians. But there are some standout benefits for the agriculture community.
🚜 Better Support for Farm Planning
BoM is building on its Agriculture Program, which links short-term weather and long-term climate outlooks to help with big decisions on planting, spraying, harvesting and more.
You’ll also find regional climate guides, giving farmers a clearer view of local weather patterns and risks.
Tools like My Climate View (a joint project with CSIRO) offer insights into past trends and future projections based on location.
This kind of info helps with everything from picking a crop variety to planning water and fertiliser use. That’s not just nice to have, it’s critical.
📱 Designed for Mobile, Built for Speed
You can now save your favourite locations and filter what types of weather you want to see.
The layout is more responsive across devices. Whether you’re on a phone, tablet or in the tractor cab with patchy reception, it should work better.
The map viewer is expected to hold up under pressure, even when traffic spikes during extreme weather.
No more endless pinching and zooming just to check the radar. That’s a win.
🧪 It Was Tested First
Before the big launch, a beta version ran for over a year. Some users gave feedback, and BoM says it helped them fine-tune the site.
That’s more than a cold turkey rollout. Still, the transition hasn’t been smooth for everyone.
❌ What’s Not Working (Especially for Farmers)
Since the launch, many users, including a fair few farmers, have hit snags trying to use the site.
🤯 Navigation is a Headache
Key tools like the rain radar and local observations now take more clicks to reach.
Some features still bounce users back to the old legacy site, which is confusing and breaks saved workflows.
“Took me 7 clicks to find the forecast I was looking for compared to the original 2 and they made it far harder to read. I understand change to make things better, but this didn’t make anything better. It made it far worse.”
- Reddit User
The new look rain radar map.
🔍 Specialist Content is Missing or Hard to Find
BoM admits that not everything has been moved across yet. Specialist pages are being added slowly.
If you had specific pages bookmarked, they might not work anymore.
Some tools still don’t exist in the new design, and workflows many farmers rely on are broken.
In a busy season, extra clicks or missing pages can be the difference between getting it done and missing a window.
💸 Priorities Questioned
The website redesign cost around $4.1 million, which is only a small slice of BoM’s massive $866 million “ROBUST” transformation program. Still, many in the ag sector are asking whether that money could have been better spent.
There’s also growing concern that some farmers are turning to international weather services, saying they’re more reliable. If people are walking away from BoM’s forecasts, the issue goes deeper than the look and feel of a website.
🧭 What to Keep an Eye On
Will specialist ag tools return? Right now, some are missing or buried.
Will the forecast accuracy improve? For many, that’s the biggest issue.
Will farmers adapt to the new setup? Or stick with third-party apps and workarounds?
BoM says they’re still building, improving, and migrating. It’s a work in progress.
💬 Final Word: Try It, Test It, Speak Up
If you haven’t already, take the new BoM site for a spin. Save your favourite locations, check the mobile view, and see how it fits your workflow.
At the same time, don’t be shy. If something’s missing or clunky, let BoM know. The more farmers speak up, the more likely they’ll get it right.
And for now? Don’t delete your old bookmarks just yet. Cross-check your go-to weather sources while BoM irons out the kinks.
Feel free to also check the weather centre on the weather station on our home page for detailed weather insights.
Website help can be found here.
From our patch to yours, see you next edition.
