The BOM wants everyone to stop referring to them as the BOM.

The Bureau has asked media outlets to now refer to the organisation by its full name: the Bureau of Meteorology.

“With an ever-increasing number of severe weather events, it is more crucial than ever that the Bureau of Meteorology’s insights, wisdom, data and information are shared, understood and acted upon,” a statement read.

“To support this need, the Bureau of Meteorology asks that media outlets update editorial style to ensure references to the organisation are by its full name, the Bureau of Meteorology, or the Bureau for short, and not BOM or the Weather Bureau. This aligns with the Meteorology Act 1955.”

Referring to the BOM as the BOM isn’t just one, easy-to-say syllable which their entire app and website is named, no no, thing is, there’s actually no confusion here – we all know what it is.

What is also going to be a headache is their intention to change their Twitter handles to reflect this move, such as @TheBureau_NSW, @TheBureau_ACT (you get the idea), but it seems they haven’t checked to see if those handles are even available:

Shortening names is also a cultural institution in Australia. The BOM nickname had become so popular, so prevalent, among us Aussies that the organisation, again, adopted it for its official app and website. (Even McDonald’s in Australia has fully embraced ‘Macca’s’). This doesn’t necessarily make the organisation less ‘understood’.

And, particularly after writing this, this is also highly relatable…

BOM twitter