Reaction to the new arrangements was, as would be expected, scathing in Perth with its long-standing dislike of all things from the East. On 8 January, Perth correspondent for The Age reported that "the new Federal arrangements under which the forecasts for the States are supplied from the Federal Bureau in Melbourne have elicited nothing but amusement and ridicule here. The forecast for any particular day is published in the following day's newspaper and is utterly valueless."

Mr Hunt replied to The Age on the following day, pointing out that the forecast in the paper is not for 'yesterday', and that resident officers in other States, including WA, are instructed to revise the forecast when local conditions warranted.

The Perth Morning Herald replied (according to The Age) by claiming that "the forecasts are delightfully indefinite. Whether a promise of fine weather is intended to apply to Perth or to Marble Bar is not stated, but it would be surprising if similar conditions prevailed over one-third of the continent."

The new Bureau soon faced its first public forecasting test when it had to deal with a heat wave. It took grip in southeastern Australia in the third week of January.

The temperature exceeded 39°C in Melbourne and Adelaide on six consecutive days, with no relief at night. Mildura, Swan Hill, Derniliquin and Hay had seven consecutive1days over 40°C. Naturally, Mr Hunt was besieged by the press wanting to know when a cool change could be expected. Despite the limited network, the Bureau got it right, forecasting continuing hot weather and successfully predicting the cool change.

Bureau of Meteorology