Press release 5.4.2011

Selection of warnings widened

In early April, the selection of weather warnings was expanded and the period covered by warnings grew considerably longer.
Finnish Meteorological Institute

In April, the Finnish Meteorological Institute extended the selection of warnings issued for the next 24 hours. Warnings can now be given of the sea water level, waves, hot weather periods and severe frost. All of the new warnings have three severity grades, making it easier to assess the risks involved in each situation.

At the same time as the range of warnings was broadened, the Meteorological Institute introduced a new warning service: advance warnings that provide information on hazardous weather 24 to 72 (or even 120) hours before the threatening situation. The advance warnings encompass thunder squalls, high winds at sea, wave height, sea water level, heavy rains, hot weather periods, severe frost, or very bad driving conditions.

“It was considered necessary to revise the warnings because society has become increasingly sensitive to weather. Advance warnings give society more time to prepare. The accuracy of advance warnings is not good as that of the 24-hour warnings. Users should therefore update their own information often, since the warnings increase in accuracy as time passes,” says Juhani Damski, Director of the Weather and Safety Division.

Up-to-date warnings can be found on the Meteorological Institute’s website.

Emergency bulletins and other official bulletins as the ultimate warnings

Further warnings, such as emergency bulletins and other official bulletins, complement the warnings by giving more specific information on the intensity and location of the expected event. Official bulletins are issued very rarely. They carry more weight than the Meteorological Institute’s normal forecasts and are issued when there is the risk that the event poses a threat to human life. The most urgent official bulletin is the emergency bulletin, which is issued when a situation causes an immediate threat to human life. Last summer the Meteorological Institute issued nine official bulletins concerning dangerous thunderstorms. None of them was an emergency bulletin.

Additional information:

Director Juhani Damski, tel. +358 50 347 1500, juhani.damski@fmi.fiSenior Meteorologist Ari-Juhani Punkka, tel. +358 40 724 2547, ari-juhani.punkka@fmi.fi

Map of warnings:http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/warningsMore information on warnings:http://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/information-on-warnings