Perth Locals Left Frustrated After Weather Forecasts Fail to Predict Sudden Storms
Perth residents began their Thursday morning under a dark and thunderous sky, a stark contrast to the sunny conditions many had anticipated based on weather forecasts. The unexpected storms have sparked widespread disappointment and criticism, particularly towards the Bureau of Meteorology and Apple's weather application.
Forecast Promises Sunshine, Reality Delivers Thunder
Many West Australians were prepared to enjoy the final days of summer with clear skies, only to be greeted by heavy rainfall and lightning across the city. This gloomy weather directly contradicted the national forecast released by the Bureau of Meteorology on Wednesday, which highlighted "dry and sunny conditions" for Western Australia.
A senior meteorologist emphasized during the broadcast that the west coast trough would bring warm and dry weather, with no mention of rain for the state. While cooler conditions were noted for the Great Southern coastline, warnings for thunderstorms were issued only for New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Northern Territory, and parts of Victoria.
The Bureau's forecast for the Perth metropolitan area predicted a "partly cloudy" day with temperatures reaching 32°C, far from the dreary and wet conditions that unfolded.
Technology Giants Under Fire for Inaccurate Data
Adding to the frustration, tech giant Apple has faced backlash for its weather app, which displayed 0mm of rainfall for Perth on Thursday and projected no rain for the next ten days. Users took to social media to express their displeasure, questioning the accuracy of these predictions.
One Perth resident wrote, "I'm wondering how the BoM didn't see this coming? The site still said no rain as the forecast while it was pouring down." Another lamented, "Thunder but my weather app says fine and no chance of rain, huh..." while a third simply asked, "Aren't the weather people meant to give us a heads up?"
Late Updates and Ongoing Scrutiny
Some users noted that the Bureau did update its forecast late on Wednesday to include the impending storms, but this was seen as too little, too late. One person commented, "The forecast was updated but very late, which was disappointing," while another affirmed, "Rain in Perth was definitely forecast."
By 12pm on Thursday, the Bureau had revised its forecast for Perth to warn of "potential storms" with expected rainfall of just 1mm. This incident follows a challenging year for the government weather body, which faced public scrutiny in October 2025 over a $96 million website redevelopment that reportedly made it difficult for Australians to access rain radar information.
PerthNow has reached out to the Bureau of Meteorology for further comment on the forecasting blunder.
