Weatherman finally gets in on the app act

THE Bureau of Meteorology is developing its own weather apps.

The Bureau of Meteorology weather web app will offer weather information, forecasts, warnings and rain radars.

THE Bureau of Meteorology is developing its own weather apps — years after the proliferation of third-party weather apps on ­mobile devices.

From today, smartphone users can visit m.bom.gov.au to view a web-based version of the bureau’s new mobile site. Users soon will be able to download Apple iOS and Microsoft Windows apps currently under development.

“The bureau is releasing a preview of the mobile website today for public testing and feedback, before formally releasing the site,” said Simon Birmingham, parliamentary secretary for the environment.

He said the mobile site would offer weather information, forecasts, warnings and rain radars. The web app could be saved to the desktop as a bookmark.

While there are plenty of weather apps with similar information, Senator Birmingham said the bureau would offer forecasts sooner, and with greater ­accuracy for the user’s location.

He said the mobile weather website was the bureau’s first ­mobile product offering.

“The bureau’s mobile weather website is the only mobile weather service that provides pinpointed weather forecasts using a six-kilometre grid, providing users with the most accurate and localised information as they move around.

“You can get seven-day forecasts, rainfall information and wind information for pretty much any town across the country on the mobile platform.”

He said warnings relevant to the protection of life and property would be updated instantly as they were issued by the bureau.

“I was a tad concerned when coming to government late last year that they didn’t have a ­mobile-friendly site and I was concerned they don’t have apps on the ground.

“Certainly I have put great priority in my discussions with the bureau on the importance of them taking their retail technology platform to consumers to a new level.

“While they’re a leading-edge organisation in their research and forecasting, and do a great job getting information out to the public, they’ve probably been a tad behind in the development of these technologies.”

Senator Birmingham said the iOS and Windows apps would be available later this year. An Android app also would be developed, but “notH on the same timeline”.

“Certainly my encouragement to the bureau is to work through these things as fast as their ­resources allow them.”

He said the bureau also had responded to demand for further engagement with the public through its use of social media channels, such as Facebook. The bureau’s website had received more than 471 million visits last ­financial year and was the No 1 government site and the No 1 site for weather information, he said.

Senator Birmingham said the app wouldn’t offer users an option for SMS weather warnings as this was undertaken by local emergency services authorities. “The foremost outlet for proactive distribution of weather alerts and warnings remains the very strong engagement the bureau has with traditional media sources.”