Bureau of Meteorology: Severe Weather Warnings

Severe weather warnings have been recently introduced to replace a number of miscellaneous warnings that are associated with severe weather. These provide a single type of warning that will advise the community on the threat of severe weather that is not covered by bushfire, cyclone or severe thunderstorm warning services.  In some significant events, this allows one warning to cover a multitude of phenomena caused by one weather pattern, thus consolidating the information into one useful package.

Severe weather warnings have been progressively trialled in some states, with the new format going nationwide in November 2004. Details of the changes can be found here

Check the Education Material page.

• A Severe Weather Warning is issued when severe weather is expected to affect land-based communities within 6-24 hours; and
• it is not directly the result of severe thunderstorms; and
• it is not covered by tropical cyclone or fire weather warnings.

Warnings services may be more limited for remote and unpopulated areas where data may not be available for effective monitoring and prediction.  Also some phenomena, like storm tide and dangerous surf warnings, are only be issued for limited parts of the coastline, due to lack of effective monitoring or the remoteness of some areas. Also, in the Southernmost states, where large surf is common, specific warnings are generally not issued except for extreme events. 

Typical weather patterns that can cause severe weather:

• Recently decayed tropical cyclones moving inland or into southern regions - sometimes interacting with cold fronts
• Monsoon lows producing widespread gales and/or rain in the tropics
• "East coast lows": Deep low pressure systems that can form in the Tasman Sea and affect the east coast of Australia
• Vigorous squally cold fronts
• Strong pressure gradients, often due to cold fronts, causing land gales - particularly in exposed alpine regions
• Distant tropical cyclones or deep southern low pressure systems that can produce ocean swells that reach the Australian shores causing dangerous surf
• Locally intense rainfall, particularly in susceptible areas (like the eastern slopes of the dividing range) that can cause flash flooding

While the threat remains, a severe weather warning will usually be issued every six hours, however the more frequent warnings may be issued in some serious circumstances.

Severe Weather Warnings can contain the following information:

• Standard Emergency Warning Signal (SEWS) - sounded only for the most serious events
• List of severe weather phenomena expected in the warning area
• Threat area
• Warning issue time
• (Usually) Description of weather pattern, including forecast developments of significant weather systems
• Description of the threat
• Action statements
• Advice of next issue time

All land-based communities in the threat zone.
Note that mariners, including those sailing near the coast, should refer to marine warnings.

Severe Weather Warnings are issued by Regional Offices of the Bureau of Meteorology in the capital city of the affected State/Territory, with the exception that warnings for the ACT are issued from Sydney.

Severe Weather Warning
Graphical Severe Weather Warnings in South Australia

Severe Thunderstorm Warning
Superseded Warnings (Warnings replaced in the warnings restructure of 16 Nov 2004)
Education Material

Note that other specialised products are provided to key stakeholders - like emergency service organisations. These generally provide detailed technical information to assist these organisations in planning disaster mitigation strategies.

Return to Main Warnings Information Page

Last updated November 2004