MetService asking public for feedback on new website

Wednesday, 14 August 2019

MetService has also updated its own website this year to provide extra town forecasts, an interactive map of severe weather watches, and new marine, rural and mountain forecast sections.

One of New Zealand's most important and popular websites has undergone a $1.7 million revamp based on the scrutiny of more than 1000 people.

MetService launched the beta version of its new site on Thursday and is encouraging feedback over the next few months on changes which include new marine, rural and mountain forecast sections, extra town forecasts, and an interactive map of severe weather watches and warnings.

Residents of Picton, Waikanae and Wairoa are the new ones to now have their own town forecasts and observation sites.

Picton residents have their own town forecasts and observation sites on the new MetService site, along with Waikanae and Wairoa. (file photo)

During the past two years, user surveys and focus groups have provided feedback on the existing site, last refreshed on a smaller scale in 2012.

**READ MORE:

The new site has an interactive map of severe weather watches and warnings, such as the wild weather that ripped through New Plymouth this week.

* MetService introduces a red warning for life-threatening weather

* Cyclone Gita: New Zealand braces for storm, huge seas expected

* Government report reveals MetService considering new hot weather warnings**

MetService.com is in the top five of most visited New Zealand-operated websites, with about 300,000 unique daily browsers and more than 1 million page views a day, according to Nielsen Online Ranking.

One of the marine forecast pages on the new MetService website.

Spokeswoman Andrea Tandy told Stuff Cyclone Gita and its associated severe weather warnings generated the busiest day of traffic for the site to date. On February 20, 2018, there were more than 1 million unique browsers and the site had peak hourly visits by more than 85,000 users.

In the past year, the site had been fully operational 99.8 per cent of the time, with a back-up site, www2.metservice.com, in case it was needed for essential safety information.

The home page of the new MetService website, which is in beta testing format for several months.

MetService chief executive Peter Lennox said weather forecasting was not a static science.

'We're always looking at how we can enhance the vital information we provide New Zealanders. This upgrade also provides us with a more flexible web platform, which allows us to be more adaptable as the future of forecasting evolves.'

Product manager, digital, Stephanie Raill, said the revamp had been a 'big project'.

'The website is complex, given the vast amount of data it holds, the frequency with which data updates and the multiple layers of information we present for a really diverse audience.'

The main new features included the ability to favourite forecast and observation information visitors used regularly, and to get the same information no matter which device was used.

It also grouped all information about a region together, which would help those unsure of exactly which location or forecast they needed to access, Raill said.

The beta and current websites would run in tandem during the next few months and she encouraged visitors to email any feedback.

'We want this to be the website that takes us through the next five, seven, beyond, years.'

The refreshed website is a finalist in this year's Design Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards.