New Siri doesn't understand simple questions that old Siri handled

Grant has given a useful insight. New Siri currently needs more detail. If I ask "What is the weather?" it answers "I'm sorry I don't understand". It might be more accurate to say "I can't answer that for the whole world, you have to say where you want to know the weather", or "I'm sorry I've only just woken up and I don't know where I am". You can get a weather report if Siri has some context for location. Try asking "What is the weather forecast for London?". I asked Siri if it had access to Location Services, and it claimed it did, but seemed to me that it was uncertain of the location context for the weather forecast request

Try

...asking Siri for the weather "TODAY" and "HERE".

...or tell it to explicitly use the Weather App to find today's weather here.

Denis ~ What device / model?

And what OS version is it running?

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I'm asking for a local weather forecast. I could make it more specific by telling Siri the time, time zone and location, but surely these things are known to my phone. Old Siri didn't expect me to tell it the time and the location. I do respect your advice here on the need to narrow the question for a more capable Siri. If it was a dedicated weather forecast device it could have a single button with no need for intelligent interpretation. In the specific example of a weather forecast I can only think of two factors that need to be known, time and location. Both of these things a monitored with precision by the phone OS. I have now taken my phone back to the bedside and tried again. It answered the first time. It's almost as if Siri, when first woken from sleep, doesn't know what time or where it is, even though the device is monitoring these things.

for what time period?

in what location?

try making your request more specific, and you may get better results.

I am suggesting you ask Siri for the weather "TODAY" and "HERE".

New Siri is vastly more capable than old Siri.

Because it can do so much more, you need to narrow your request down from the entire universe of what it could do for you.

The way you do that is by making your request more specific.

Denis Stanton (author)

Perhaps best consider Siri as very young and needs taught most basic things now.

Input by the 'main user': Choose all selections appropriate; for this learning interval

to be a better second attempt @ the Siri school of basic to intermediate learning.

iPhone 16 Pro Manuals and Downloads - Apple Support

//support.apple.com/en-us/docs/iphone/301047

•iPhone User Guide

•iPhone 16 Pro - Info

•iPhone 16 Pro Repair Manual

.The 'user manual' maybe be spread across a primary iOS device; re: iPhone model

[or macOS] depends on whichever one you may consider first-choice. While I note

mention of an iPhone is of sufficient capacity to best initially train/handle Siri.

..User Guide now considers all iPhone 16 Pro models to be using iOS 27 or Higher..

But there's a Selector User Guide page to 'Select' older-versions iOS than 27.

Most everything across various iOS settings and Hardware controls are within Guide.

See this link to reveal a complete User Guide 'Table of Contents' often for iOS27.x

iPhone User Guide (Table of Contents: iOS27.x) - Apple Support

//support.apple.com/guide/iphone/toc/27

Also note the 'Features' of each step upDate; past first upGrade: can add improvement

and/or different ones ~ than you may have initially experienced with iPhone hardware.

.My own iPhone(s) are NOT new, yet am extremely careful of their status & prior owners.

Siri

Get started with Siri AI

Turn on and activate Siri

Find out what Siri can do

Find info and get things done

Use Siri in your car

Use Siri to get answers from ChatGPT

Siri AI: Use the Siri app

Siri AI: Write with Siri

Siri AI: Use Siri mode in Camera

Siri AI: Ask Siri about what’s on your screen

Change Siri settings

(these examples = copy/paste: from User Guide T.O.C)

Another area to study & find to research might be to Learn

how to Manage Settings within Accessibility, Continuity, &

Assistive Touch, etc. ~ See more in: Table of Contents.

In this particulate case I was using Siri on an iPhone 16 Pro running iOS 27.0.1. I am surprised this is relevant. The behaviour changed with the update from iOS 26 to iOS 27, on the same device. I have now tried on a HomePod and an iPad mini (A17 Pro) running iPadOS 27.0.1. Both of these answered appropriately the first time, so I guess the device can make a difference. The iPhone 16 Pro had been on StandBy overnight. I wake by saying "Siri, good morning" which turns on some lights. Then I ask for the weather and it replies "Sorry I don't understand"

Every day at roughly 6:00 am in Auckland New Zealand. (9:00am Pacific). I'm not sure why this is relevant, unless you have access to Siri logs. If so I would be happy to note the exact time the next time I try

I have the exact same issue. On iphone 16 Max Pro, worked fine, updates to iOS 27 and no weather report?

I ask Siri what time is it, get correct reply

I ask Siri how’s the weather, ohh I am having trouble!

So annoying

Thank you. I thought you were asking me when and where, to help with diagnosing the problem. It wasn't immediately obvious you were suggesting I add this information the the question put to Siri