Warning levels explained
How the colour scale works, and what each level asks you to do.
The three levels
| Level | Colour | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 — Advisory | Yellow | Conditions are possible that could be hazardous for some users or activities | Be aware; monitor updates |
| 2 — Watch | Amber | Conditions are likely that could be hazardous for a broad population or area | Prepare; review plans |
| 3 — Warning | Red | Hazardous conditions are expected or are occurring; impacts are likely | Take protective action now |
Green is a level too
When no advisory, watch or warning is in effect, the tri-island state sits at green. Green does not mean nothing is happening — it means conditions are not expected to reach a level that changes what most people should do.
Ordinary showers, brisk trade winds and normal sea state all sit inside green.
Why a warning is not only about rainfall totals
A level is set from hazard likelihood and expected impact together, not from a meteorological threshold alone. The same 50 mm of rain can be a green day on open farmland and a red day over a saturated hillside above St. George's.
This is why two events with similar forecast numbers can carry different warning levels.