Bureau of Meteorology Issues Apology After False Tsunami Warning

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has issued an apology following the dissemination of a false tsunami warning that affected the lower half of Australia on Wednesday, September 25, 2024. The erroneous alert was generated as part of a transition to new early warning software, according to the BOM.

The test notification indicated that a hypothetical tsunami could impact Tasmania, Victoria, and New South Wales. However, BOM later confirmed there was no real tsunami threat. The alert, which was marked as a “test,” was sent via push notifications to the BOM app, third-party weather apps, and the social media platform X.

A spokesperson for the Bureau stated, “There is no tsunami threat to Australia,” and acknowledged the potential confusion caused by the test, “The Bureau acknowledges and apologises for any confusion that this test may have caused.”

Queensland State Disaster Coordinator Shane Chelepy labeled the alert as “unfortunate,” emphasizing that it should not have been disseminated. He noted, “It did include the words that it was a test, but it was not as clear as it could have been,” and added that BOM issued a follow-up alert within 20 minutes to clarify the situation.

The original warning suggested that, under the hypothetical scenario, a tsunami could originate in the Tasman Sea, affecting Tasmania by midday, reaching Victoria and New South Wales approximately at 12:15 PM, and reaching Brisbane by 1:15 PM before ending around Moreton Island.

Listeners of ABC Radio Brisbane, such as Cain, experienced surprise upon receiving the push notification. Cain said, “It’s given me a good practice run for if something does happen,” indicating that he initially did not notice the “test” markings on the notification.

A BOM spokesperson reiterated the importance of such tests for preparation against “real tsunami threats.” The Bureau is part of the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC), which operates continuously to detect, monitor, verify, and warn of potential tsunami threats along Australia’s coastline and its offshore territories.