Bureau of Meteorology#High performance computing

{{Short description|Australian government agency responsible for providing meteorology services}}

{{Infobox government agency

| agency_name = Bureau of Meteorology

| nativename =

| nativename_a =

| nativename_r =

| logo = The Bureau of Meteorology - 2022.svg

| logo_width = 241px

| formed = {{start date and age|1908|01|01|df=y}}

| preceding1 =

| preceding2 =

| dissolved =

| superseding =

| jurisdiction = Government of Australia

| headquarters = Melbourne

| employees = 1,500{{cite web |title=About the Bureau |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/careers/about.shtml |website=bom.gov.au |access-date=29 September 2021 |archive-date=20 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210320050224/http://www.bom.gov.au/careers/about.shtml |url-status=live }}

| budget = {{AUD|420.6M|link=yes}} total, {{AUD|335.2M}} of that coming from the government,{{which |date=April 2025}} and {{AUD|85.4M}} from sales of goods and rendering of services. (2022–23){{cite web |title=Portfolio budget statements 2022-23 budget related paper no. 1.3 |url=https://www.transparency.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-23_pbs_climate_change_energy_the_environment_water.pdf |website=Transparency.gov.au |publisher=Australian Government |access-date=21 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230421074548/https://www.transparency.gov.au/sites/default/files/2022-23_pbs_climate_change_energy_the_environment_water.pdf |archive-date=21 April 2023}}

| minister1_name = Senator The Hon Murray Watt

| minister1_pfo = Minister for the Environment and Water

| minister2_name =

| minister2_pfo =

| chief1_name = Andrew Johnson

| chief1_position = CEO and Director of Meteorology

| chief2_name =

| chief2_position =

| parent_department = Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

| parent_agency =

| child1_agency =

| child2_agency =

| website = {{official URL}}

| footnotes =

}}

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or BoM) is an executive agency of the Australian Government that is responsible for providing weather forecasts and meteorological services to Australia and neighbouring countries. It was established in 1906 under the Meteorology Act (Cth), and brought together the state meteorological services that existed before then.{{cite book|author=|date=August 2001|chapter=Meteorology in the 20th Century|chapter-url=http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/1600.html|title=Federation and Meteorology|url=http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/fam.html|location=University of Melbourne|publisher=Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre|page=1600|access-date=28 March 2019|archive-date=14 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190314003027/http://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/fam.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite book |last=Day |first=David |title=The Weather Watchers |publisher=Melbourne University Publishing |year=2007 |isbn=9780522852752}} The states officially transferred their weather recording responsibilities to the Bureau of Meteorology on 1 January 1908.{{cite news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/01/01/2129737.htm |title=BOM celebrates 100 years |newspaper=ABC News |date=31 December 2007 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=1 January 2008 |archive-date=5 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105152147/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-01-01/bom-celebrates-100-years/1000082 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |title=Collections in Perth: 20. Meteorology |publisher=National Archives of Australia |url=http://www.naa.gov.au/naaresources/Publications/research_guides/guides/perth/chapter20.htm |access-date=24 May 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212210812/http://www.naa.gov.au/naaresources/Publications/research_guides/guides/perth/chapter20.htm|archive-date=12 February 2012}}

History

The Bureau of Meteorology was established on 1 January 1908 following the passage of the Meteorology Act 1906.{{cite news|url=https://media.bom.gov.au/social/blog/10/a-short-history-of-the-bureau-of-meteorology/|title=A short history of the Bureau of Meteorology|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|date=24 August 2011|access-date=24 July 2021|archive-date=24 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724124131/https://media.bom.gov.au/social/blog/10/a-short-history-of-the-bureau-of-meteorology/|url-status=live}} Prior to Federation in 1901, each colony had had its own meteorological service, with all but two colonies also having a subsection devoted to astronomy. In August 1905, federal home affairs minister Littleton Groom surveyed state governments for their willingness to cede control, finding South Australia and Victoria unwilling. However, at a ministerial conference in April 1906, the state governments agreed to transfer responsibility for meteorology and astronomy to the federal government. Groom rejected a takeover of astronomy due to its connection to universities, which relied on state legislation for their authority.{{cite thesis|url=https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/112133/4/b12930623_Carment_David_Sulman.pdf|title=Australian liberal: a political biography of Sir Littleton Groom, 1867-1936|first=David|last=Carment|year=1975|publisher=Australian National University|type=PhD thesis|pages=54–55|access-date=24 July 2021|archive-date=24 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724122632/https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/112133/4/b12930623_Carment_David_Sulman.pdf|url-status=live}}

Henry Ambrose Hunt was appointed as the first Commonwealth Meteorologist in November 1906. Initially, the Bureau had few staff and issued a single daily forecast for each state, transmitted by Morse code to country areas. Radio forecasts were introduced in 1924. The Bureau received additional funding from the late 1930s, in the lead-up to World War II, and it was incorporated into the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) from 1941 until after the conclusion of the war. It became an inaugural member of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in 1950. Televised weather forecasts were introduced in 1956.{{cite news|url=https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article91988?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1301.0&issue=1988&num=&view=|title=Meteorology in Australia|publisher=Australian Bureau of Statistics|work=Year Book Australia, 1988|access-date=24 July 2021|archive-date=24 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724122820/https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Previousproducts/1301.0Feature%20Article91988?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=1301.0&issue=1988&num=&view=|url-status=live}}

The 1906 act governing the Bureau was repealed and replaced by the Meteorology Act 1955, which brought its functions in line with the expectations of the WMO and allowed for a significant reorganisation of its structure. At this time, the Bureau came under the Department of the Interior. In 1957, partly as a response to the 1955 Hunter Valley floods, the Bureau added a hydrometeorological service.{{cite news|url=https://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/1604.html|title=The Meteorology Act 1955|publisher=Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre|year=2001|access-date=24 July 2021|archive-date=24 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724123758/https://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/1604.html|url-status=live}} In 1964, the federal government agreed to establish one of the three World Meteorological Centres in Melbourne, as part of the WMO's World Weather Watch scheme.{{cite news|url=https://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/1605.html#7972|title=World Meteorological Centre, Melbourne|publisher=Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre|year=2001|access-date=24 July 2021|archive-date=24 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724123758/https://www.austehc.unimelb.edu.au/fam/1605.html#7972|url-status=live}} The Bureau also gained additional responsibilities under the Water Act 2007 as the custodian of the nation's water information{{Cite web |title=Water Act 2007 |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/water/regulations/waterAct2007AuxNav.shtml |access-date=29 April 2025 |website=Bureau of Meteorology}}.

In October 2022, the Bureau requested media organisations and outlets to update their style guides so that the agency was to be referred to as the "Bureau of Meteorology" in the first instance and "the Bureau" in subsequent professional references, in line with other governmental agencies and the Meteorology Act 1955. {{Cite news |date=18 October 2022 |title=Bureau of Meteorology asks to stop being called 'BOM' |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-18/bureau-of-meteorology-asks-to-stop-being-called-bom/101546866 |access-date=18 October 2022}} The decision was reversed that week.{{cite news|url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-20/the-bureau-of-meteorology-rebrand-derided-by-former-bom-staff/101555504|title='The Bureau of Management': Former staff say cultural issues behind Bureau of Meteorology's 'nonsense' rebrand|publisher=ABC News|date=20 October 2022|access-date=20 October 2022}} During this period, the media cycle on this story led to death threats sent from the public to the organisation and were received by general staff, scientists, meteorologists, and other specialists within the organisation, those of which had no input or were a part of the request. Some Bureau employees at the time requested not to have their name used during live media crosses as a safety precaution.{{Cite news |date=2022-10-28 |title=BOM boss apologises for confusion surrounding its 'brand refresh' |language=en-AU |work=ABC News |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-28/bom-ceo-apologises-for-name-controversy/101586088 |access-date=2023-09-26}} The style guide change requested was directed at professional news organisations and media outlets, but was misconstrued and the general public, who colloquially refer to the Bureau as "the BOM", believed it was referring to them.

Services and structure

File:Mildura weather radar image.jpg radar © Bureau of Meteorology]]

The Bureau of Meteorology is the main provider of weather forecasts, warnings and observations to the Australian public.

The Bureau's head office had traditionally been in Melbourne since its creation in 1908. Since 2020, the Bureau has restructured its operations and moved to a more distributed staffing arrangement with functions spread over its capital city offices. The current Melbourne office at 700 Collins Street in Melbourne Docklands{{cite web |title=Bureau of Meteorology Head Office 700 Collins Street |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/new_accom/700-Collins.shtml |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411052726/http://www.bom.gov.au/inside/new_accom/700-Collins.shtml |archive-date=11 April 2020 |access-date=24 May 2008 |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology}} was established in 2004 and remains its largest staffed office.

Offices are located in each state and territory capital as well as offices in Cairns and Townsville. Specialist functions such as Regional Forecasting Centres (RFCs), Flood Warning Centres, the National Tidal Centre, the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre, the Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (Analysis), Bureau National Operations Centre (BNOC) and the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres have been reorganised and distributed across the Bureau's offices with a major concentration of forecasting operations in Brisbane and Melbourne Docklands.

File:Norfolk Island Meteorological Office.jpg office © Bureau of Meteorology]]

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology issues tropical cyclone advices[http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/cyclone/about/warnings/WarningsInformation_TC_Advice.shtml Tropical Cyclone Advices] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311141224/http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/cyclone/about/warnings/WarningsInformation_TC_Advice.shtml |date=11 March 2009 }}, Bureau of Meteorology, 2009 and developed the Standard Emergency Warning Signal used for warnings. The Bureau is responsible for tropical cyclone naming for storms in waters surrounding Australia. Three lists of names used to be maintained, one for each of the western, northern and eastern Australian regions. However, as of the start of the 2008–09 Tropical Cyclone Year these lists have been rolled into one main national list of tropical cyclone names.{{cite web|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/about/names.shtml|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|title=Tropical Cyclone Names|access-date=8 August 2008|archive-date=11 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411120956/http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/about/names.shtml|url-status=live}}

The Bureau maintained a network of field offices across the continent but has generally de-staffed these facilities,{{Cite news |date=2017-06-01 |title=BOM's last outback Queensland weather bureau closes |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-02/bom-last-country-queensland-weather-station-destaffed/8580278 |access-date=2025-04-29 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} except at capital city airports, Giles Meteorological Station,{{Cite news |date=2023-07-08 |title=Just how isolated this weather station is takes some explaining. But that's not what makes it unique |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-09/giles-weather-station-bureau-of-meteorology-bom-staff-wa/102546754 |access-date=2025-05-12 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}} on remote overseas islands, and in Antarctica. Capital city airport offices are scheduled for automation by 2027.{{Cite web |title=Automation of Aerodrome Observations |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/aviation/Aerodrome/index.shtml#:~:text=At%20present,%20manual%20observations%20continue,of%20Capital%20City%20Airports%20project. |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250123184540/http://www.bom.gov.au/aviation/Aerodrome/index.shtml |archive-date=2025-01-23 |access-date=2025-05-12 |website=www.bom.gov.au |language=en}} In 2011 there was also a network of some 300 paid co-operative observers and approximately 6,000 voluntary rainfall observers,{{Cite web |title=A short history of the Bureau of Meteorology - Social Media Blog - Bureau of Meteorology |url=https://media.bom.gov.au/social/blog/10/a-short-history-of-the-bureau-of-meteorology/ |access-date=2025-04-29 |website=media.bom.gov.au |language=en}} though this number is expected to have reduced over time with increased automation. In 2022 the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) produced an audit report entitled "Bureau of Meteorology's Management of Assets in its Observing Network".{{Cite web |date=29 April 2025 |title=Bureau of Meteorology's Management of Assets in its Observing Network, Auditor-General Report No.21 of 2024-25 |url=https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/bureau-of-meteorologys-management-of-assets-its-observing-network |website=Australian National Audit Office}}

The Bureau of Meteorology has been accused of being influenced by oil and gas giants such as Santos, Chevron and Woodside to downplay the effects of climate change to "please their leaders". Sentences in the Bureau's report on the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season were censored and/or modified to remove references to climate change and long-term warming trends.{{Cite web|date=6 December 2020|title=Undue Influence: oil and gas giants infiltrate Australia's Bureau of Meteorology|url=https://www.michaelwest.com.au/undue-influence-oil-and-gas-giants-infiltrate-australias-bureau-of-meteorology/|access-date=25 November 2021|website=Michael West Media|language=en-US|archive-date=20 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020032144/https://www.michaelwest.com.au/undue-influence-oil-and-gas-giants-infiltrate-australias-bureau-of-meteorology/|url-status=live}}{{Undue weight inline|date=September 2024|reason=Likely gives undue weight to the opinions of a single journalist.}} Additionally, staff time and supercomputer modelling resources{{cite web |last1=Hall |first1=Bradley |title=Use of ensembles in the energy and resource sector forecasts |url=http://www.bom.gov.au/research/publications/researchreports/BRR-030.pdf |website=Bureau of Meteorology |publisher=Bureau of Meteorology |access-date=11 July 2025}} were regularly directed from core services to supporting commercial offshore oil and gas ventures outside of appropriate commercial fee-for-service arrangements{{cite web |last1=Morton |first1=Rick |title=Exclusive: BoM staff redirected to work for fossil fuel companies |url=https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/environment/2024/06/29/exclusive-bom-staff-redirected-work-fossil-fuel-companies |publisher=The Saturday Paper |access-date=11 July 2025}} at below-cost, given the significant expense{{cite web |last1=Hendry |first1=Justin |title=BOM buys $49m disaster recovery HPC system from HPE |url=https://www.itnews.com.au/news/bom-buys-49m-disaster-recovery-hpc-system-from-hpe-583828 |website=IT News |publisher=www.itnews.com.au |access-date=11 July 2025}} of running the resources.

In March 2025, research from Pollster DemosAU identified the Bureau of Meteorology as Australia's most trusted national institution, ahead of the CSIRO, the Australian Electoral Commission and others.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-12 |title=Australia's Most Trusted Institutions: BoM, CSIRO, AEC |url=https://demosau.com/news/australias-most-trusted-institution/ |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=demosau.com |language=en-US}}

Directors

The following people have been directors of the Bureau of Meteorology:

{{timeline-event |event=Henry Ambrose Hunt |date=1908 |end_date=1931 }}
{{timeline-event |event=William S Watt |date=1931 |end_date=1940 }}
{{timeline-event |event=H. Norman Warren |date=1940 |end_date=1950 }}
{{timeline-event |event=Edward W Timcke |date=1950 |end_date=1955 }}
{{timeline-event |event=Leonard J Dwyer |date=1955 |end_date=1962 }}
{{timeline-event |event=William J Gibbs |date=1962 |end_date=1978 }}
{{timeline-event |event=John Zillman |date=1978 |end_date=2003 }}
{{timeline-event |event=Geoff Love |date=2003 |end_date=2008 }}
{{timeline-event |event=Neville Smith (Acting Director) |date=2008 |end_date=2009 }}
{{timeline-event |event=Greg Ayers{{cite web|url=http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/farrell/2012/mr20120220.html|title=Government thanks outgoing Bureau of Meteorology director, Dr Greg Ayers|publisher=Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities|date=20 February 2012|access-date=23 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120227182431/http://www.environment.gov.au/minister/farrell/2012/mr20120220.html|archive-date=27 February 2012}} |date=2009 |end_date=2012 }}
{{timeline-event |event=Rob Vertessy{{cite web |url=http://www.smh.com.au/environment/perilous-bureau-of-meteorology-boss-rob-vertessy-exits-with-climate-warning-20160429-gohwu6.html |title='Perilous': Bureau of Meteorology boss Rob Vertessy exits with climate warning |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=30 April 2016 |access-date=30 May 2016 |archive-date=4 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604005631/http://www.smh.com.au/environment/perilous-bureau-of-meteorology-boss-rob-vertessy-exits-with-climate-warning-20160429-gohwu6.html |url-status=live }} |date=2012 |end_date=2016 }}
{{timeline-event |event=Andrew Johnson{{cite web|url=http://media.bom.gov.au/releases/282/dr-andrew-johnson-appointed-as-director-of-meteorology/|title=Dr Andrew Johnson appointed as Director of Meteorology|publisher=Bureau of Meteorology|date=5 September 2016|access-date=22 September 2016|archive-date=23 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160923024809/http://media.bom.gov.au/releases/282/dr-andrew-johnson-appointed-as-director-of-meteorology/|url-status=live}} |date=2016 |end_date=present }}

High performance computing

On 30 June 2016, a new Cray XC40 supercomputer was put into service by the Bureau. It was named Australis and it was expected to be 16 times faster than the existing High Performance Computer (HPC) with a total of 1.6 petaflops of computational power,{{cite web |last1=Hendry |first1=Justin |title=BOM buys $49m disaster recovery HPC system from HPE |url=https://www.itnews.com.au/news/bom-buys-49m-disaster-recovery-hpc-system-from-hpe-583828 |website=iTnews |access-date=21 April 2023}} providing the operational computing capability for weather, climate, ocean and wave numerical prediction and simulation. The Bureau performs numerical weather prediction with the Unified Model software.

The Bureau decommissioned their old Oracle system in October 2016. In 2020, the Bureau decommissioned the central computing facility, which had previously been relocated to the Melbourne office in 2004, and was first commissioned in 1974. In April 2020, the Bureau received Australis II, a 4.0 petaflop Cray XC50 and CS500 system, which was expected to be operational in August 2024 after several lengthy delays.{{cite web |last1=Morton |first1=Rick |title= Inside the Bureau of Meteorology's forecast failings |url=https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/environment/2024/06/08/inside-the-boms-failings-they-will-straight-tell-you-black-white |website=The_Saturday_Paper |date=8 June 2024 |access-date=23 August 2024 |archive-date=23 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240823000000/https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/environment/2024/06/08/inside-the-boms-failings-they-will-straight-tell-you-black-white}} [https://12ft.io/https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/environment/2024/06/08/inside-the-boms-failings-they-will-straight-tell-you-black-white#hrd Alt URL]{{Update inline |date=June 2024}}

Two years later, the Bureau bought a disaster recovery (DR) HPC system to improve the resilience of the supercomputer used to predict Australia’s weather events. Hewlett Packard Enterprise will supply the DR HPC system under a three-year contract worth {{AUD|49.3{{nbsp}}million}}, supplementing the existing Australis II.{{cite web |last1=Hendry |first1=Justin |title= Bureau of Meteorology shuts oldest data centre after 46 years |url=https://www.itnews.com.au/news/bureau-of-meteorology-shuts-oldest-data-centre-after-46-years-555081 |website=iTnews |access-date=21 April 2023}}{{Update inline|date=December 2023}}