Weather Alerts
Get your weather forecasts and alerts
- Directly through our mobile app WeatherCAN
- Online at Canada.ca/weather
- By Weatheradio receiver
- Over the phone with Hello Weather
Why we issue weather alerts
Our meteorologists are the authoritative source for weather information in Canada, any time, day or night. We issue weather alerts to let you know about noteworthy weather and how it can impact you.
A weather alert gives you information that helps you to take appropriate action to keep yourself, your loved ones, and your property safe.
Three types of weather alerts
We have three types of weather alerts depending on severity, timing, and how quickly you should act.
Warnings
- Act now to protect yourself from severe weather
- Urgent messages that severe weather is either happening or will happen
- Usually issued 6 to 24 hours in advance, but can be longer
- Some severe weather (for example, tornadoes) can occur rapidly, with less than 30 minutes’ notice
Advisories
- Act now to protect yourself from significant weather
- Issued for specific weather events that are less severe but still significant
- Issued for blowing snow, fog, freezing drizzle, and frost
Watches
- Get ready to protect yourself from potential severe weather
- Issued when conditions are favorable for the development of severe weather
- May be upgraded to a Warning when certainty increases
Marine Warnings and Watches
Marine Warnings and Watches are part of a separate alerting program, see the Canadian Marine Warning Program for marine conditions.
Canadian Hurricane Centre – Warnings and Watches
The Canadian Hurricane Centre is responsible for issuing Tropical Storm and Hurricane Warnings and Watches. Learn more about their forecast products.
What weather alerts look like
Always read the full weather alert text.
The title of a weather alert appears on the banner above the rest of the message, the title text includes the weather hazard and alert type. Sometimes the timing will follow, depending on where you are seeing the alert.
Figure 1: Freezing Rain Warning
Long description
Sample title of a weather alert: Freezing Rain Warning. Weather hazard (Freezing Rain) followed by the alert type (Warning).
The main text of the alert includes a description of:
- what the weather will be
- when it will happen
- where it will happen
- how it may impact you
- actions you can take to keep safe
Example of a weather alert on WeatherCAN.
Figure 2: Example of a weather alert on the WeatherCAN mobile application: Freezing Rain Warning
Long description
Screen shot of a weather alert displayed on the WeatherCAN mobile application.
Red square containing summary text:
Exclamation mark inside a triangle, with the title: Freezing Rain Warning
From: Now
To: 10:00 pm EDT (Eastern Daylight Time)
Tuesday 29 April 2025
Grey square containing details about the weather and impacts:
Freezing rain on tap
What: Up to 5 millimetres of ice accretion
When: Tuesday
Where: Abitibi, Matagami and Waskaganish.
Additional information:
Rainfall amounts of 10 to 20 millimetres are expected today. Later on, temperatures will drop very quickly near the freezing mark as a cold front moves in, and rain will change to freezing rain.
Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots may become icy and slippery.
Be prepared to adjust your driving with changing road conditions.
Freezing rain warnings are issue when rain falling in sub-zero temperatures creates ice build-up and icy surfaces.
Please continue to monitor alerts and forecasts issued by Environment Canada.
To report severe weather, send an email to QCstorm@ec.gc.ca or post reports on X using #QCStorm.
In effect for: Val d’Or – Louvicourt area
Weather statements
We also issue different types of weather statements, for extra detail about weather events.
We use weather statements to:
- let you know ahead of time when potentially significant weather may happen
- give you additional details about a weather event that is happening now or in the future
We issue four types of weather statements:
- Special Weather Statements
- Tropical Cyclone Information Statements
- Special Air Quality Statements
- Marine Weather Statements
Special Weather Statements
We issue Special Weather Statements for information only, they are not an alert.
We use Special Weather Statements to:
- let you know when weather conditions are unusual, inconvenient, or are cause for potential concern
- give you extra information about weather events beyond our usual forecasts or alerts
Tropical Cyclone Information Statements
The Canadian Hurricane Centre issues Tropical Cyclone Information Statements about tropical storms that are, or are predicted to be, in Canadian waters.
Special Air Quality Statements
We send Special Air Quality Statements about the Air Quality Health Index for more information on specific air quality situations.
Marine Weather Statements
Our marine weather meteorologists issue Marine Weather Statements for more information on specific marine conditions.
Alert Ready
Alert Ready is the public name of the National Public Alerting System (NPAS) designed to deliver critical and potentially life-saving alerts to Canadians. Its alerts are immediate—interrupting TV and radio programs, and sending notifications on mobile phones.
Alert Ready is a separate emergency alerting system used for a variety of safety scenarios.
We only issue Alert Ready alerts for specific weather hazards:
- tornado warnings
- severe thunderstorm warnings that meet the following criteria:
- wind gusts of 130 km/h or greater
- baseball or greater sized hail (7cm)
Learn more about Alert Ready.