Almost a year after the launch of a new website that drew what the ABC describes as a torrent of criticism, the Bureau of Meteorology has made major upgrades to the rain radar on its site.
The new-look website was launched in October last year during wild weather, and the look and usability of its rain radar quickly became one of the main complaints — the backlash was strong enough that the bureau swiftly changed the colour scheme of the tool.
The cost of the revamp came under scrutiny too, later revealed in ABC reporting to have cost taxpayers $96.5 million. Bureau executives were grilled in Senate questioning over the site, and in August this year chief executive Stuart Minchin announced an independent review into it.
The latest round of changes went live this week, covering the rain radar and weather map. "This update includes the addition of radar locations, radar quick links [and] changes to how rainfall is displayed," the bureau said in a statement. "Radar range rings [also] provide a visual measurement guide to how far rainfall is from familiar landmarks and locations."
Clickable radar icons have been added as well, and the bureau says rain is "now better detected and more accurately displayed on the weather map, with higher definition and detail when very light to moderate rainfall is observed and when data from overlapping radars is used".
Dr Minchin said the update was a response to what users had been telling the bureau. "We know how much value the community places on their local rain radar," he said. "We've listened to feedback and made these updates to help you get to your local radar faster and estimate how far away rain is."
More updates are planned for later this year, including some changes to Australian places with dual names. "We encourage the community to continue to share their website feedback," Dr Minchin said, "and we will respond with enhancements and adjustments."
While the new site still looks broadly similar to how it did at launch, this is one of several rounds of updates the bureau has made since — and the refreshed radar and weather map are live now at bom.gov.au.