Japan weather alert names unified for flooding, heavy rain, landslides, storm surges

Operation of a new system of "disaster prevention weather information" reorganizing warnings and advisories for hazards in Japan began May 28. From now on, the government will use unified names and risk levels from 1 to 5 for four types of disasters: river flooding, heavy rain, landslides and storm surges.

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Under the new system, level 5 for each type of disaster will be an "Emergency Warning," level 4 will be a newly created "Urgent Warning," level 3 will be a "Warning" and level 2 will be an "Advisory." Level 1 will be an "Early Advisory" issued when a warning-level phenomenon is forecast within the next five days. The numerical scale from 1 to 5 corresponds to the indicators local governments use when issuing evacuation information. 

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One feature of the new information system is that "landslides," which had previously been included under "heavy rain," will now stand alone, with warnings and advisories issued specifically for them. Landslide alert information will become a "level 4 landslide urgent warning."

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Naoya Sekiya, a University of Tokyo graduate school professor specializing in disaster information, emphasized: "The levels and names issued by the government have now been unified, but that does not mean the way residents should evacuate has changed. So that people can respond in the best possible way during a disaster, I want them to understand the risks around their homes using hazard maps and to check evacuation sites and routes."

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