‘Danger warning’ must be entered? Major revision of Japan’s disaster weather information planned,
TOKYO, June 18 (News On Japan) – The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) is set to overhaul its disaster weather information, with experts proposing the introduction of a new ‘Danger Alert’ between the existing ‘Special Warning’ and ‘Special Warning’. Warning’ categories. The final report of this investigation was drawn up on Tuesday.
Currently, the JMA’s disaster information, described as ‘complex and confusing’, includes warnings of linear precipitation bands, typhoons and heavy guerrilla rain. As Japan enters its peak rainy season, major discussions are underway to revamp the ‘Disaster Weather Information’ system, which highlights the risk of natural disasters through various warnings and advisories.
The current system is criticized for its complexity. For example, both flood and landslide warnings are classified under ‘Warning Information’, but flood warnings are level 3, while landslide warnings are level 4. This discrepancy means that, despite similar names, the required safety actions differ.
After more than two years of discussions, experts have completed a report addressing these issues. The proposal standardizes disaster-related information into four categories, such as ‘flood’ and ‘landslide’, and adjusts alert levels accordingly. For example, flood information would be uniformly categorized under ‘flood’, with common terminology at all levels, such as ‘level 5 special warning’ and ‘level 2 advisory’.
In addition, the proposal introduces a new ‘Hazard Warning’ at Level 4, which was previously inconsistent.
Katsuya Yamori, chairman of the review committee, said: โWe have achieved a uniform expression format. This is an important step towards simpler and more understandable expressions.’
However, some meteorologists have expressed concerns. Akira Mori, a meteorologist, noted: ‘The term ‘Hazard Warning’ may not be immediately apparent to the public. It seems inappropriate.โ He further warned that creating a new alert level above ‘Warning’ could weaken the sense of urgency associated with the current warnings.
Mori explains: ‘Warnings are issued when there is a risk of a major disaster. They’re serious enough already. โIf you add another level higher, people may think it’s just a warning and not take it seriously.โ
The JMA is committed to implementing these changes to ensure clearer communication about impending hazards and appropriate safety actions. They plan to implement the revised system in two years, based on today’s report.
Source: TBS
