New Meteoalarm presents weather warnings in 650 European areas

This month www.meteoalarm.eu, the official website of weather warnings by the public European weather services, will present its new Europe of areas map on the homepage. In one overview this European map presents the status of all weather warnings with up-to-date reports in about 650 areas in 30 countries. The warnings for10 weather parameters are provided by National Weather Services, ranging for time periods from 24 up to 48 hours. These warnings can now also be subscribed via RSS feeds and therefore be easily integrated in other media channels.

Since Meteoalarm has been fully operational the website has generated enormous public interest. More than 1 billion hits have been recorded since its start in 2007. Meteoalarm is a unique initiative by Eumetnet, the public European weather services network within the World Meteorological Organization.

"Estonian weather service (EMHI) has observed online Meteoalarm.eu from it's public start. And now after testing period EMHI is happy to join the new and more detailed Meteoalarm. It is important, that our warnings will be also online for all European community. We expect a better cooperation with the public, the media and crisis management for weather related warning questions in Estonia", says Mr. Jaan Saar, Director General of EMHI.

The website offers a universally understood system using symbols and colour-coded maps with the latest warnings of expected severe weather over most of Europe for the next 24 and 48 hours. Wherever you are in Europe, clear, concise information will help you plan your travel, or any activity vulnerable to severe weather. Where, for example, might severe thunder and heavy rain cause flooding; what is the risk of an avalanche; might fog delay flights; and will hot, dry weather increase the risk of forest fires? Each area in the various countries is colour-coded on the map to represent four levels of warning: red to indicate exceptional risk from dangerous weather conditions, down through orange and yellow to green, indicating that severe weather is not expected. The site offers also a greyscale map for colour-blind people.

Meteoalarm is also a portal to the national warning systems: click on the logo of individual national meteorological weather services to visit their websites for additional regional information.

Eumetnet is developing close cooperation with Hydro experts for the further development of early warnings of flooding and heavy rain. At the end of June the meteorologists of Meteoalarm will meet Hydro experts from all over Europe at a Conference in Lelystad on hydrometeorology at Rijkswaterstaat National Water Management Centre, part of the Netherlands’ Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water Management.

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