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Plain guides to official alerts: what the levels mean, who issues them, and where to find the original. Official warnings and local authorities always come first.
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Weather
Watch vs. warning vs. advisory: what NWS alert levels mean
A watch means a hazard is possible, a warning means it’s happening or likely, and an advisory means take care. What each NWS level means and what to do.
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Air quality
What the AQI numbers and colors mean
The US Air Quality Index runs from 0 to 500 in six colors. What each level means, PM2.5 vs. ozone, who counts as sensitive, and what Action Days are.
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Weather · Japan
Japan’s weather warning levels explained: 注意報, 警報, 特別警報
JMA’s advisories, warnings and emergency warnings, the new Level 4 Urgent Warning from May 2026, and how they line up with Japan’s 5-level alert system.
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Earthquakes
Earthquake magnitude vs. intensity, and why “felt” differs from “recorded”
Magnitude measures an earthquake’s size; intensity describes shaking in one place. How USGS magnitude, Mercalli and JMA shindo differ, in plain words.
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Hurricanes · Weather
Hurricane season: the official sources worth following
The Atlantic hurricane season runs to 30 November. Where official forecasts, cones, watches and warnings come from, and what each one tells you.
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Wildfires · Air quality
Wildfire maps: where official fire data comes from
Fire maps mix perimeters, satellite hotspots and incident reports. Where each comes from (NIFC, InciWeb, NASA FIRMS, state agencies) and how to read them.
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Regional guides · Hurricanes
Hurricane alerts in Florida
Which agencies issue hurricane and storm surge alerts in Florida, what each alert means, and how to get them, from WEA and AlertFlorida to your county.
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Regional guides · Earthquakes
Earthquake alerts in California
How earthquake early warning and earthquake reports work in California, from ShakeAlert, MyShake and phone alerts to USGS, and what each can do.
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Regional guides · Wildfires
Wildfire alerts in California
Who issues wildfire alerts and evacuation orders in California, what Evacuation Warning and Order mean, and how to get county alerts, WEA and fire updates.
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Regional guides · Weather
Weather warnings in the UK and Europe (MeteoAlarm)
How weather warnings work across Europe and the UK, from MeteoAlarm colours and Met Office warnings to flood warnings and phone alerts.