Your World Weather RadarWeather guides
Short, practical and sourced from the National Weather Service and NOAA.
How to read weather radar
A plain-English guide to weather radar: what the colors (dBZ) mean, how to spot heavy rain, hail and rotation, and the limits of radar.
Watch vs. warning
What a National Weather Service watch, warning and advisory mean, and what to do for each.
Hurricane preparedness
The Saffir-Simpson scale, hurricane watch vs. warning timing, storm surge, and a practical preparedness checklist from NOAA and Ready.gov.
Lightning safety
NWS lightning safety facts: why there's no safe place outside in a thunderstorm, the 30-minute rule, and what to do if you're caught outdoors.
Barometric pressure
What barometric pressure is, standard sea-level pressure in inHg and hPa, and how pressure trends connect to fair and stormy weather.
Off-grid emergency weather
How to get weather warnings and send for help when you're outside cell coverage: NOAA Weather Radio, satellite messaging, and a simple plan.
Flood safety
Why floodwater is so dangerous, how little moving water it takes to sweep away a person or a car, and what NWS says to do.
Severe thunderstorm safety
What makes a thunderstorm 'severe' by NWS criteria, the dangers of straight-line wind and hail, and how to stay safe.
Tornado safety
What a tornado watch and a tornado warning mean, and the safest places to shelter at home, in a mobile home or on the road.
Emergency kit
Ready.gov's basic emergency kit checklist for storms and power outages: water, food, radio, light, first aid and more.