I'd like to stick up for the BoM - I think they do a great job, including at Sydney. What I see in the original rant is some 'Monday morning quarterbacking' of a weather forecast (how dare the weather not do precisely as expected?!), a profound misunderstanding of the data on offer and then a consequent tilt at windmills.
A TAF is an
AERODROME forecast. Since some people don't seem to get it, from AIP:
Aerodrome forecasts (TAF) are a statement of meteorological
conditions expected for a specified period in the airspace within a
radius of five (5) nautical miles of the aerodrome reference point.
Note also that it is 5
NAUTICAL MILES from the AD, not 5km as someone consistently and incorrectly states. If the storm cells were at BOOGI they would affect arrivals into SY. Should they be on the YSSY TAF? If the storm cells were at BIK they would affect arrivals into SY. Should they be on the YSSY TAF? If the storm cells were at
YBBN they would affect arrivals into SY. Should they be on the YSSY TAF?
It seems to me that the BoM information was PRECISELY WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE on this given morning, but because you don't like the information and think they should be providing something above and beyond the scope of a TAF, you bollock them?! Geez, Louise!
As other people have said, look at ALL the appropriate weather info (TS were quoted that morning had you looked in the right places), use some nous (PRM might have been a hint?), and carry the appropriate fuel. Fairly simple.
Adamastor
P.S. TAAATS, agree that SY should always be amber on that silly site.