The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) is an Australian Government agency responsible for providing weather forecasts and meteorological services to Australia and its neighboring countries. It is the National Meteorological Service for Australia, with its headquarters traditionally located in Melbourne. The Bureau was established on 1 January 1908, following the passage of the Meteorology Act 1906, to consolidate the separate meteorological services that existed in the Australian colonies before Federation. This solved the problem of fragmented weather recording by creating a single national authority.
The Bureau's legal foundation rests on the Meteorology Act 1955 (Cth), which repealed the 1906 Act and established the Commonwealth Bureau of Meteorology and the office of the Director of Meteorology. Section 6 of the Meteorology Act 1955 outlines the Bureau's core functions, which include taking and recording meteorological observations, forecasting weather, issuing warnings for conditions like gales, storms, floods, or bushfires, and promoting the advancement of meteorological science. The Bureau performs these functions in the public interest, specifically for the Defence Force, navigation and shipping, civil aviation, and assisting primary production, industry, trade, and commerce.
A significant expansion of its mandate occurred under the Water Act 2007 (Cth), which gave the Bureau additional functions and powers related to water information. Under Part 7 of the Water Act 2007, the Bureau became the custodian of the nation's water information, with responsibilities including collecting, interpreting, and disseminating water information, conducting regular national water resources assessments, and publishing an annual National Water Account. The Water Regulations 2008 specify the persons and organizations that must provide water information to the Bureau. The Bureau is also connected to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), having become an inaugural member in 1950, and its functions are aligned with international obligations. Recently, the Bureau has faced public scrutiny over a costly and unpopular redesign of its website, which was the first major update since 2013.