Basic Product Set

The Bureau of Meteorology's "Basic Product Set" (BPS) is the list of Bureau services that are available free of charge to the community through the mass media and on the Bureau's web site. The concept stemmed from recommendations of the 1997 (Slatyer II) study titled "Capturing Opportunities in the Provision of Meteorological Services".

The original BPS released in August 2000 was defined in terms of a set of generic products that included:

• Qualitative reports of present and expected weather;
• Quantitative observations and forecasts of specific elements for a number of days ahead;
• Warnings of severe weather conditions likely to give rise to the potential for loss of life;
• A variety of graphical images such as routine synoptic analysis, satellite imagery, and RADAR imagery; and
• A range of climate-related products

The Basic Product Set has been enhanced since its implementation in response to changing community needs and through improvements in technology and scientific knowledge.