Current severe weather warnings and watches for New Zealand, issued by the Meteorological Service of New Zealand (MetService). This page updates hourly. If there are no active warnings, the page will show that too.
How MetService Classifies Warnings
MetService issues four kinds of severe weather notifications. From lowest to highest severity: Advisory (weather may be hazardous if you are exposed), Watch (severe weather may develop), Orange Warning (severe weather is expected), and Red Warning (dangerous and extreme weather is expected and will disrupt daily life). Each category triggers different response expectations from emergency management, councils, and the public.
What Counts as Severe Weather
MetService issues warnings for heavy rain, heavy snow, severe gales, thunderstorms, and coastal hazards including swell and storm surge. Criteria vary by region; for example, heavy rain for the West Coast requires a higher threshold than heavy rain for Auckland because the West Coast gets far more rain in normal conditions. Each warning specifies which areas are affected and the expected duration.
What to Do When There Is a Warning
Warnings are advice to change what you are doing in anticipation of expected weather. An Orange Heavy Rain Warning might prompt you to delay a long drive, bring in outdoor furniture, check your drains, and avoid walking or cycling near rivers. A Red Warning typically means staying home, avoiding all unnecessary travel, and being ready to evacuate if local Civil Defence directs. The National Emergency Management Agency publishes detailed guidance on preparing for each type of severe weather event.
About the Data
Warnings on this page are sourced directly from MetService’s Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) feed, the same feed used by Civil Defence and emergency broadcasters. The feed is updated by MetService every time a warning is issued, updated, or cancelled. This page refreshes hourly to pick up new warnings. During rapidly evolving weather events, check MetService directly at metservice.com/warnings for real-time updates.
Data © Meteorological Service of New Zealand Limited. Licensed under Creative Commons BY 4.0.