Understand warning levels
There are three levels within the AWS - Advice, Watch and Act and Emergency Warning. For each level, there are a series of clear action statements to guide positive action by the community. These include ‘stay informed’, ‘prepare to evacuate’ and ‘move to higher ground’.
Warnings provide point-in-time information about a hazard that is impacting or is expected to impact communities.
The NSW SES uses forecasts and flood warnings from the Bureau of Meteorology, flood plans, historical impact data and community-sourced input to develop warning products for NSW communities likely to be impacted by floods, storms, and tsunami.
There is a heightened level of threat. Stay up to date as the situation changes.
Conditions are changing and you need to start taking action now to protect you and your family. NSW SES does not issue a Watch and Act level warning for tsunami.
The highest level of warning. You may be in danger and need to take action immediately.
How to read a warning message
NSW SES warnings have three core elements
The location and the type of hazard impacting the community.
For each warning level there are a range of action statements to guide protective action by the community. These statements evolve as the warning level increases in severity. (E.g. “Stay informed” at the Advice level, to “Evacuate now” at the Emergency Warning level. As the threat is reduced, the level of warning will decrease accordingly.
The severity of the natural hazard event based on the consequence to the community.
Accessing the NSW SES warnings
Hazards Near Me shows current information about local emergencies, including flood, storm, tsunami and bushfire, and advice on what to do to stay safe.
HazardWatch allows the community to view warnings on a responsive map and list view. It can be accessed via the NSW SES website or directly from the HazardWatch website.
NSW SES warnings are automatically disseminated on relevant regional and local social media pages including Facebook / X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
Emergency Alert is an additional tool providing information by text and voice messaging to landlines and mobile phones.
Contact the Warnings team
NSW SES Warnings must always be republished in full without any form of alteration. For direct access to the NSW SES API data feed, organisations and community networks should contact the Warnings Team at warnings.capability@ses.nsw.gov.au.
