Explore storm preparation

On 1 October 2026, the Met Office, Flood Forecasting Centre and UK's four hydrological agencies aligned their impact wording. This explainer was written on 30 October.

Under the published Met Office update, the four impact levels are Minor, Moderate, Significant and Extreme. Likelihood wording is also being standardised, with numerical ranges to support it.

Yellow, amber and red warning colours remain unchanged, as do the four-by-four matrix and underlying impacts. The wording applies to severe weather warnings and Flood Guidance Statements.

Read the colour with the confidence

The distinction matters when a yellow warning appears on your phone. The Met Office's explanation of warning colours says yellow can cover relatively limited disruption, or more severe effects that forecasters judge less likely. The colour alone cannot tell you which situation applies.

Amber points to a greater likelihood of disruptive effects and a need to consider changing plans. Red means dangerous conditions are expected and calls for action to stay safe. For any colour, the warning's own instructions matter more than an assumption based on yesterday's forecast.

What to open before making plans

The official warnings guide shows where to find the expected effects, safety advice and further forecast details. The impact-and-likelihood matrix appears in the further details section.

  1. Check the affected area and the period covered by the warning.
  2. Read the likely consequences, such as travel disruption or power loss.
  3. Look at the matrix to understand how confident the forecast is about those effects.
  4. Use the advice for the activity you have planned and check for updates before leaving.

Consider a school collection followed by a long drive. You need the warning's timing and route coverage as well as its colour. A screenshot shared in a family chat can omit those details, so send the official link with it.

Check any saved explanation

Check a saved warning chart against the current guide. The Met Office asks organisations using its data to review displayed wording and guidance, so community groups should check their posters too.

This terminology update is not itself a warning for your postcode. For the household planning questions behind a live warning, see our weather warning guide and storm preparation checklist.

Sources