Early Warning Color Code Meanings

    Thus far for 2020, the Trinidad & Tobago Meteorological Service has issued no less than 15 Adverse Weather Yellow Alerts for Trinidad and Tobago.

A typical Adverse Weather Alert from the MET Office looks like this:

    What do these warnings mean and how should we respond to these warnings?

    Well, a Yellow Alert is part of the MET Office Hydrometeorological (Hydro-Met) Warning System that alerts the public of potential hazards and recommends the necessary action to be taken to protect life and property.

    Hydrometeorological hazards are of atmospheric, hydrological or oceanographic origin. Examples are hurricanes,  floods, flash floods; drought; heatwaves and cold spells; and coastal storm surges.

    Therefore early warning alerts can be issued for rough seas, riverine flooding and even for the effects localised thunderstorms.

    These alerts are published in advance of the expected hazard via traditional media, social media, Short Message Service (SMS) and even via community loud hailer systems as in the case in south-west Tobago.

The Early Warning Colour Code System employed by the MET Office is shown below:

Click on the chart above for further information.

Early Warning

 

Early Warning For Disasters

 

     Twin Tropical Cyclones                     Piparo Mud Volcano

     Kick em Jenny                                        Floods

Bush Fires

It is  a known fact that disasters cost lives and livelihoods. However, one way of reducing the impact disasters, especially for those who reside in disaster prone areas is to have a system of early warning.

Early warning can be described as a combination of tools and processes embedded within institutions and coordinated national, regional or international agencies.

Early warning focusses on four main areas:


1. Knowledge of the risk,

2. Technical monitoring and warning service,

3. Dissemination of meaningful warnings to vulnerable people, and

4. Public awareness and preparedness to act.

Warning services are central to the early warning system and are expected to be always available and reliable.

Early warning systems improve a society's resilience to disasters by:

a. reducing loss of life

b. providing early notification of a hazzard that could lead to a disaster

c. allows orderly disruption of social and economic facilities

d. improves traffic control and,

e. reduces stress on the general population




Early Warning Systems in Trinidad and Tobago

River data collection systems

      The Water and Sewerage Authority has a data collection system comprises a monitoring network of gauges which measures and reports rainfall, streamflow, groundwater, evaporation and water quality parameters at strategically located sites throughout Trinidad and Tobago. This information is provided to the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) and the Trinidad & Tobago Meteorological Service (MET Office) especially during times of heavy, prolonged rainfall so that early warning can be communicated on rising river levels that could lead to flooding.

Satellite tracking of weather systems, seasonal climate outlook and weather forecasting

The MET office provides real time satellite monitoring of weather systems and issues public bulletins mostly via electronic media. Its disseminates information via its web page, printed media, social media and electronic media on the sea state and provides daily weather forecasts for Trinidad and Tobago and the Lesser Antilles. 

Additionally, technology allows for a number of smart phone applications to provide accurate weather monitoring and forecasting services from trusted sources such as AccuWeather, The Weather Channel, NOOA Weather and TT Met Office.


Tsunami Warning System

The TT Met Office acting on advice from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, is in charge of issuing tsunami messages. When these messages are received, the Office of Disaster Preparedness and Management (ODPM) coordinates relevant stakeholder agencies to produce an appropriate response to the tsunami hazard. This is considered to be the most safety critical of all warning mechanisms as it must rapidly disseminate any occurrence of undersea activity that is likely to produce a tsunami.