Regional Flash Warnings of Severe Weather

These warnings are issued when severe weather is expected to cause disruption to traffic etc. over the next few hours. See the guide below for more details.

For information on any Regional Flash Warnings currently in force visit the Met Office's web site

UK Advanced Warnings of Severe Weather

These warnings are issued when severe weather is expected to cause widespread disruption to traffic etc. over the next few days. See the guide below for more details.

For information on any Advanced Warnings currently in force visit the Met Office's web site

Guide to Weather Warnings

Regional flash warnings of severe weather and UK advance warnings of severe weather are issued when the following conditions are expected:

• Severe gales
• Heavy snow
• Heavy rain
• Dense fog
• Freezing rain/widespread icy roads

These warnings are classified as exceptionally severe when the following conditions are expected:

• Severe gales/storms
• Very heavy snowfall, blizzards or drifting snow

Term Used	Meaning
Severe Gales	Gusts of 70 m.p.h. or more.
Severe Gales/storms	Gusts of 80 m.p.h. or more.
Heavy Snow	Snow falling at a rate of approx. 2 cm/hour or more expected for at least two hours.
Blizzards/drifting snow	Moderate or heavy snow accompanied by winds of 30 m.p.h. or more with visibility reduced to 200 m or less, or drifting snow giving rise to similar conditions.
Very heavy snowfall, blizzards or drifting snow	Expected to give depths of 15 cm or more potentially resulting in widespread dislocation of communications. Blizzards are severe when visibility is reduced to near zero.
Heavy rain	Expected to persist for at least two hours and to give at least 15 mm within a three-hour period, or a period of rainfall of sufficient intensity to cause flooding on already saturated ground (includes snow-melt), i.e. around 25 mm/day.
Dense Fog	Visibility generally less than 50 m.
Freezing rain/widespread icy roads	Generally occurs when rain freezes on contact with road surfaces.

Further information from the Met Office on weather warnings

Advice from the Met Office on what to do in severe weather