Information on warnings

Warnings increase public safety. The Finnish Meteorological Institute monitors the weather in Finland and in the world round the clock. Depending on the situation, people are warned of dangerous or adverse events. The warnings usually cover the next 24 hours and indicate the worst situation, for instance the strongest wind, during that period. Moreover, early warnings on some events are issued 2 to 5 days in advance.

Many warnings use colour codes to indicate the severity of the risk: yellow, orange and red. The three grades are a better indication of the risks involved than a warning that is either on or off.

The standard times for updating warnings are 5:00, 7:00, 9:30, 12:15, 15:00, 18:30 and 21:15. If necessary, warnings can also be updated even more frequently. Information is disseminated in connection with weather forecasts, for instance, via the website, on the radio and on TV.

Early warnings are updated daily by 4:00 a.m and 3:00 p.m. They are given in text form on the warnings page but not shown on the map.

Some warnings are issued the year round, while some others are in use only for part of the year.