Stay informed during an emergency
Weather warnings are constantly being upgraded to keep communities safe through reliable, accessible public messaging and advanced warning systems. Here’s a look at how these systems work to keep everyone safe and informed:
The Bureau provides warnings for severe weather events. The Bureau’s responsibilities include forecasting, monitoring weather patterns, issuing alerts for natural hazards, and supporting emergency management efforts to help prepare communities for and respond to extreme weather events.
The Australian Warning System (AWS) was established in 2021 to provide consistent warnings for emergencies like bushfire, flood, storm, extreme heat and severe weather.
The three warning levels are:
- Advice: An incident has started. There is no immediate danger. Stay up to date in case the situation changes.
- Watch and Act: There is a heightened level of threat. Conditions are changing and you need to start taking action now to protect you and your family.
- Emergency Warning: An Emergency Warning is the highest level of warning. You may be in danger and need to take action immediately. Any delay now puts your life at risk.
The Australian Fire Danger Rating System uses four easy-to-recognise rating levels, each with a message to encourage you to take action to protect yourself and others in the face of bushfire risk. The fire danger rating levels are:
- Moderate: Plan and prepare
- High: Prepare to act
- Extreme: Take action now to protect your life and property.
- Catastrophic: For your survival, leave bushfire risk areas.
The white bar under Moderate indicates No Rating for days where no proactive action is required by a community. This does not mean that fires cannot happen, but that any fires that start are not likely to move or act in a way that threatens the safety of the community.
These systems provide essential public messaging and guidance, helping communities stay safe, informed, and prepared during the higher-risk weather season.
Live Traffic
Check road and traffic conditions with Live Traffic NSW
Live Traffic NSW provides real-time information about roads and changed traffic conditions that affect your journey on roads throughout NSW.
- To check for roadworks, water levels and hazards, enter your origin and destination points when you plan a trip within NSW
- You can view a list of current incidents by region or check hazards closed in the past 24 hours when you check traffic incidents
Interstate traffic conditions
You can check other state and territory websites:
What to do during an emergency
Listen
Up-to-date information about bushfires, storms, flooding, and other emergencies from around Australia, along with advice to protect you and your property.
Alternatively, download or print the national or state radio frequency guides to find your favourite ABC radio station frequency when travelling.
You can also find all your favourite ABC stations playing live on the ABC Listen app.
Download
- Hazards Near Me NSW - Stay updated with current information about local emergencies.
- Live Traffic NSW - Real-time information about roads and changed traffic conditions.
- ABC listen - listen for information during an emergency.