Bureau of Meteorology apologises for confusion after sending false ...

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says there is no tsunami headed to Australia after sending a false warning to half the country earlier today.

The warning was sent via push notification to the BOM app, third-party weather apps, and the social media website X.

It was marked "test" and included tsunami watch warnings for Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland.

A BOM spokesperson said the notifications were part of a transition to new software and were cancelled immediately after they were sent.

"There is no tsunami threat to Australia," the spokesperson said.

"The Bureau acknowledges and apologises for any confusion that this test may have caused."

Queensland state disaster coordinator Shane Chelepy said the alert was "unfortunate" and should never have been sent.

"It did include the words that it was a test, but it was not as clear as it could have been," he said.

"Within 20 minutes of that alert going out, I'm advised BOM issued another alert advising that it was in fact a test and that there was no threat to the community.

"At times it is necessary, as we lead into our high-risk weather systems, that all of our alert systems are ready to go."

The warning said no tsunami was observed, but if one did form it would start in the Tasman Sea and could sweep through the bottom half of Australia.

Under the hypothetical scenario, the tsunami would reach Tasmania by midday, Victoria and NSW at around 12.15pm and Brisbane by 1.15pm before terminating around Moreton Island.

The placid Brisbane River is not due for a tsunami today.  (ABC Radio Brisbane: Kenji Sato)

ABC Radio Brisbane listener Cain, who asked for only his first name to be used, was surprised to receive the push notification about midday.

Cain said he did not realise at first that the tsunami watch warning was marked "test" at the top and bottom of the notification.

"It's given me a good practice run for if something does happen."

A BOM spokesperson said tests were important to help prepare for "real tsunami threats". 

"The Bureau is part of the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (JATWC) and this is operated 24 hours a day to detect, monitor, verify and warn of any tsunami threats to the coastline of Australia and its offshore territories."