Press release 2017-02-01 at 12:04
Press release of the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the Finnish Environment Institute
Photo: Stig Hägglund/Vastavalo.fi
The Finnish Meteorological Institute FMI provides a larger amount of more accurate information in its warnings by introducing 5-day warning maps. The longer warning period makes better preparation for dangerous weather situations possible and increases the safety of citizens. Flood warnings from the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE have been added to the service as a new warning type.
FMI’s previous warning period of 24 hours is extended to five days. The validity period of the warning is now more accurately visible for each warning type. “Traffic light” colour codes are used in the warnings throughout the warning period. Green means that there are no warnings in effect and red indicates a very dangerous phenomenon.
With this reform, separate advance warnings for the next 2–5 days ahead are discontinued. “I believe these changes will increase safety as citizens will be able to anticipate dangerous or harmful phenomena more accurately than before,” says Anssi Vähämäki, Head of Unit of the Weather and Safety Centre of the FMI.
The service now also includes the watershed and flood warnings from SYKE
With the help of the warning service, it is now possible to also follow the watershed and flood warnings produced by SYKE. The only flood warnings shown on the warning map are dangerous and very dangerous flood situations, in other words the orange and red warning levels. “Watershed and flood warnings are based on the real-time water situation service of SYKE,” explains Markku Maunula, Head of Expert Services at the Freshwater Centre of SYKE.
Improvements in the renewing warning service
In the warning service on the website, the user can examine the warnings on the selected day one by one. In addition, it is possible to choose which warning types to examine on the warning map. The map can also be zoomed. The central parts and features of the service are available on all terminal devices from smartphones to desktop computers.
The new warning service issues warnings in text form for each region. In addition, information about the possible impacts of the phenomenon in the warning are also provided in the warning service. “For instance, if a wind warning at a yellow level is issued for Satakunta, information will also be also provided on the common impacts of this kind of wind. It may be forecast that the wind will cause individual trees to fall in widespread areas and cause brief electricity outages,” says Ari-Juhani Punkka, Head of Group of Safety Weather Services of the FMI.
The redesigned warning service will first be introduced on the FMI’s website and in the FMI’s services tailored to customers. The new warning map will also be added to the FMI’s Weather application during the spring. Additionally, Flood Centre, a joint service of the FMI and SYKE, will provide its own version of the warning service on the www.tulvakeskus.fi website, which will only show the flood-related warnings.
More information
Head of Group of Safety Weather Services Ari-Juhani Punkka, Finnish Meteorological Institute
tel. +358 29 539 3630, firstname.lastname@fmi.fi
Head of Expert Services Markku Maunula, Finnish Environment Institute
tel. +358 29 525 1420, firstname.lastname@ymparisto.fi
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