This hub explains how the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) issues severe weather warnings, what each level means for transport, schools, and power, and where to check live whenever a weather event is brewing. Coverage spans rain, wind, thunderstorm, hail, snow, frost, heatwave, bushfire, tropical cyclone, and tsunami warnings. Primary source: BoM warnings pages and state emergency services.

BoM warning categories: what they actually mean

BoM issues several categories of severe weather notification, depending on the threat:

  • Severe Weather Warning: issued for damaging winds, heavy rainfall, abnormally high tides, or large hail outside the thunderstorm-warning system. Issued for general severe weather not covered by the bushfire or cyclone tracks.
  • Severe Thunderstorm Warning: issued for thunderstorms producing damaging or destructive winds, large hail, intense rainfall, or tornadoes. Covers shorter time windows than severe weather warnings.
  • Tropical Cyclone Watch: issued when a cyclone may bring gales to the coastal area within 48 hours.
  • Tropical Cyclone Warning: issued when a cyclone is expected to bring gales within 24 hours. Includes the predicted track, intensity (Category 1 to 5), and impact area.
  • Bushfire warning levels (state-managed, BoM provides fire-weather inputs): Advice, Watch and Act, Emergency Warning. The Emergency Warning level means take action now to protect life.
  • Heatwave Warning: issued when prolonged unusually high temperatures are forecast, particularly during summer.
  • Tsunami Warning: issued by the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre (BoM and Geoscience Australia).

What a warning typically triggers

  • Trains and trams: Sydney Trains, Metro Trains Melbourne, Yarra Trams, Queensland Rail, and other operators impose blanket speed restrictions during severe weather warnings, particularly for high winds and lightning. Cyclone-affected lines (Far North Queensland, North-West WA) close ahead of cyclone landfall.
  • Roads: state authorities (Transport for NSW, VicRoads, Department of Transport and Main Roads QLD, Main Roads WA) close exposed bridges and flood-prone roads on severe warnings. The Bruce Highway (QLD) and the Great Northern Highway (WA) are commonly affected during cyclone season.
  • Schools: closures are decided by state education departments and individual schools. Most close during Emergency Warning bushfire days and Category 3+ cyclone landfall.
  • Power: the network operators (Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy, Essential Energy, Powercor, AusNet, Energex, Ergon, Western Power, SA Power Networks, TasNetworks) pre-position crews ahead of severe weather. Use the live outage map for your state.
  • Health: state health departments issue heatwave health advice for vulnerable groups (over 65s, under 5s, people with long-term conditions) during BoM heatwave warnings.

Cyclone, bushfire, and storm seasons

  • Tropical cyclone season: 1 November to 30 April across the northern Australian coast. Late April 2026 is the tail end of the 2025/26 season; the 2026/27 outlook is published by BoM in October.
  • Northern wet season: November to April. Heavy rainfall and flash flooding are most common in this window across the Top End and northern Queensland.
  • Southern bushfire season: typically November to April for southeast Australia, longer in Western Australia. The exact start and end vary by state and are published by each state's fire authority.
  • Severe thunderstorms: peak from October to March, particularly across southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales.

How to check warnings live and register for alerts

  • BoM warnings page: BoM Australian warnings summary covers every active warning across the country.
  • Emergency+ app: the official Emergency+ app (Triple Zero, AFAC, BoM) shows live warnings and lets you call 000 with your GPS location attached. Free on iOS and Android.
  • State emergency apps: NSW (Hazards Near Me), QLD (QFES alerts), VIC (VicEmergency), WA (Emergency WA), SA (CFS Alerts), TAS (TasALERT), NT (SecureNT), ACT (ACT ESA). Each combines BoM warnings with state-specific bushfire and flood alerts.
  • Standard Emergency Warning Signal (SEWS): the rising-falling siren broadcast on radio and TV before urgent emergency information. Stop and listen.

What to do during an Emergency Warning

  1. Follow the specific instructions in the warning. They are tailored to the threat and area (evacuate / shelter in place / close all openings / leave now).
  2. Charge your phone and keep it on. Emergency+ and state apps push critical updates.
  3. If evacuating, take essentials only (medication, ID, phone charger, pets, important documents). Use designated evacuation routes.
  4. If sheltering in place, follow the BoM and state guidance specific to the threat. For cyclone, the safest room is typically a small windowless interior room. For bushfire, sealed and well-prepared dwellings are safer than evacuating late.
  5. Listen to ABC Local Radio. ABC is the official emergency broadcaster.

Where to read the official sources