National severe weather warning service
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The National Severe Weather Warning Service (shortened NSWWS) is a service produced by the UK Met Office which informs the public of the United Kingdom of severe weather which may damage transport infrastructure and endanger lives. The NSWWS is required for two main reasons; to inform the Ministry of Defence and civil emergency authorities to trigger plans to help protect the public; and to alert the public to make necessary preparations for the weather event.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Types of warnings
There can be different types of warnings, depending on the severity of the event. Early warnings are warnings of severe or extreme weather that may occur in the next 5 days. Flash warnings are warnings of severe or extreme weather that may occur in the next few hours. The new tier of alert, the Advisory, is associated with the colour yellow and just indicates that the public should be aware of potential severe weather by ensuring they have access to the latest weather forecast.
[edit] Improvements
As of March 2008, the service improved its warning system by adding an extra stage of warning, an 'Advisory'. They have also provided more colours for different stages of warnings to try and make the system clearer for the public.
Severe weather
Green = No warnings issued
Yellow = Moderate risk of severe weather; moderate risk of disruption
Amber (Early) = High risk of severe weather; high risk of disruption
Amber (Flash) = Severe weather is imminent or occurring; very high risk of disruption
Extreme weather
Green = No warnings issued
Yellow = Low risk of extreme weather; low risk of major disruption
Amber = Moderate risk of extreme weather; moderate risk of major disruption
Red (Early) = High risk of extreme weather; high risk of major disruption
Red (Flash) = Extreme weather is imminent or occurring; very high risk of major disruption and Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms may be involved[2]
