Realtime Climate
Each alert provides links to science-based analyses and visualizations—including locality-specific, high-quality graphics—that can help explain events in the context of climate change. The alerts help journalists, meteorologists, NGOs, governments, businesses, educators, and others identify and communicate climate linkages to their audiences and stakeholders.
Frequently asked questions
Alerts are emailed from Climate Central staff.
Depending on the topic, alerts may include local conditions or a forecast, a related graphic, a key statistic or fact, and links to more materials and deeper background.
They are different. Realtime Climate alerts complement our weekly Climate Matters program, often drawing from Climate Matters graphics and analyses as applicable to local conditions. Some types of alerts contain other Climate Central materials, such as coastal-flood maps from our Program on Sea Level Rise, or updated graphics that are automatically generated as new data become available.
Because alerts are based on local conditions, they won’t be sent regularly and they may be infrequent. Recipients may see multiple alerts during extended events, Recipients can select the maximum frequency of alerts they receive by setting or changing their user preferences.
Alerts are sent when particular conditions occur or are forecast to occur in the next few days. Examples include:
- Unusual heat (single day and multi-day)
- Heat Index
- Unusual Rainfall
- Coastal Flooding
- Air Quality
- Allergies
- Seasonal shifts (spring leaf-out, etc.)
- Ice/snow cover (Great Lakes)
- Cicadas
- High local or regional production of solar or wind energy
- More conditions will be added soon, including:
- Drought
- Wildfire
- and many more
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