Every day the TV-meteorologist forecasts the weather in the news show at NRK. A detailed map of the different regions in Norway is shown and the TV-meteorologist has the opportunity to put warning symbols on these maps, in addition to the standard weather symbols. When MET Norway has issued a red or an orange warning the TV-meteorologist will need more time to cover the weather situations. Then, there is an opportunity to elaborate and show more data, f.ex. a map layer with precipitation or wind. If there is an extreme event then the meteorologist is used as an expert in the studio. It is important to communicate what is happening, when the dangerous weather occurs, how you prepare and what actions are needed. Since the TV-meteorologist is well known and has great credibility, the audience appreciates advice from the TV-meteorologist.
The news also covers a severe weather event with local journalists in the field.
In Norway we use a color system to explain the warning; from yellow to orange and red. Existing literature and studies shows that the color system used in warning services are intuitive for people. For example, people associate the color red with a high level of danger. However, colors alone do not provide an intuitive understanding of what to do when you see a warning. To help people understand how to respond to a dangerous situation, weather warnings typically include additional information, such as about possible consequences of the weather conditions and instructions on what to do. This appears to be helpful information to assess the meaning of a weather warning. Nevertheless, including consequences and instructions is not always enough to trigger an action. One challenge - the one we focus on here - is that understanding the language and meaning of weather warnings is not straightforward to everyone. For example, the inclusion of professional jargon can make the message precise, but can also make it more demanding for non-meteorologists, people with low literacy, or people who are not native speakers of the language in which the warning is communicated.
In an ongoing attempt to make the warnings more actionable, we have worked to improve communication from a plain language perspective. In this process, we moved from a focus on fixing single words and expressions, to a focus on structuring the warning with relevant and content-bearing headings and subheadings. For example, we replaced the subheading “Instruction” with the subheading “Difficult driving conditions” to help readers to understand and use the warning. The new and thematic headings and text modules are not yet implemented. However, they were generally well received in tests among various user groups. Early testing shows that the revised warnings provide the key messages, and give a quick situational awareness. Even though the focus in the project was not on TV, we think it is potential to re-use similar headings also there, to strengthen the warning communication.
- Indicates paper has been withdrawn from meeting
- Indicates an Award Winner