Bureau of Meteorology's $100 Million Website Upgrade Fails During Critical South Australian Weather Event
The Bureau of Meteorology's recently upgraded website, which cost taxpayers nearly $100 million to implement, experienced a catastrophic failure on Saturday precisely when South Australians needed it most during severe weather conditions. A message displayed on the bureau's official website stated: 'Some observation and forecasting information is unavailable. Bureau technicians are currently working on a resolution.'
Website Crash During Critical Rainfall Monitoring Period
Technical reports indicate the website completely crashed and failed to record rainfall data from approximately 5:30 AM until technicians managed to restore functionality later that evening. This system failure occurred as meteorological authorities issued urgent warnings about impending deluges and severe thunderstorms across South Australia. Forecasters specifically cautioned that the extreme weather patterns could trigger dangerous flash flooding throughout northern, western, and southeastern regions of the state.
South Australian residents expressed significant frustration through communications with The Advertiser newspaper, with one reader awarding the malfunctioning webpage a 'big fat zero' rating. Another concerned citizen remarked: 'Unbelievable. The day it rains and we need to check rainfalls for safety when traveling, the BOM website is not recording rainfall levels.' A third commentator highlighted the substantial financial investment: 'Isn't it amazing that after spending $96 million, the BOM cannot show me how much rain we had overnight? Thank heavens for the old rain gauge.'
Revelations About the $96 Million Website Redesign
Documents released in November last year disclosed that the comprehensive redesign and launch of the Bureau of Meteorology's website ultimately cost taxpayers $96 million. This staggering figure substantially exceeded the originally declared budget of $4.1 million. Investigations revealed the initial estimate excluded a substantial $78 million website design contract awarded to Accenture Australia for 'private consultation' services.
A bureau spokesperson addressed the technical difficulties late Saturday, confirming: 'All forecasts, warnings, and observation information are now showing on the BOM App and Bureau website. Bureau technicians were made aware of a fault that has now been resolved.'
Severe Weather Warnings and Government Response
South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas issued urgent warnings for residents to prepare for significant weather risks. 'When we start to see rain events north of 50, 60, 80 milliliters, that starts to represent the sort of conditions where we will see flash flooding,' Malinauskas stated. 'If we see that volume of rain in a short period of time, then we should anticipate flash-flooding events throughout the state.'
Meteorological authorities have issued severe weather warnings for heavy and locally intense rainfall across extensive areas including Adelaide, Mount Lofty Ranges, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Eastern Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Flinders, Mid North, Kangaroo Island, Riverland, Murraylands, Upper South East, Lower South East, North East Pastoral and sections of West Coast and North West Pastoral districts.
Unusual Weather System Movement and Flood Predictions
Senior Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Jon Fischer described the slow-moving tropical low pressure system hovering over the Simpson Desert in southeast Northern Territory as highly unusual. 'We have all seen images of roads being washed away, impacts to the rail line and usually dry creeks turning into torrents,' Fischer observed.
The weather system is forecast to move southeast throughout the weekend, prompting flood watch alerts for all catchments across South Australia. Adelaide metropolitan areas expected to experience effects late Sunday into Monday morning. Flood warnings remain active for substantial portions of central Australia, with significant water volumes flowing toward Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre.
