How to plan for bad weather?

Weather warnings from your national meteorological services

Most often, the well-known technique for forecasting bad weather is to rely on the national weather service: Your national meteorological service depending on where you live Their weather warning system is generally quite effective and reliable. If your area is under an orange or red alert for storms, thunderstorms, or rain, you know it's best to stay at home and make arrangements.
These warnings should be taken very seriously as they signal the arrival of a dangerous weather phenomenon. Getting caught in floods can be deadly, and the risks of very strong winds are very real.
Your national meteorological services’ aim behind this alert system is simple: it is to warn citizens and professionals of the risk of bad weather and other weather phenomena.
However, it is not only national meteorological services: private companies specialising in weather prevention are also involved in providing weather warning services.
These private companies and organisations therefore also offer a service for warnings against bad weather and extreme events. But their purpose is sometimes slightly different: rather than simply alerting the population, they help professionals (but also private individuals) to prepare themselves as well as possible for the bad weather forecast.

Weather alerts from specialised companies to help you prepare for bad weather

Some private organisations go further than national meteorological services. If your professional or personal activity is intrinsically tied to the weather and its risks, it is better to be safe than sorry.
These weather warning systems work simply by giving you several possible settings: cumulative snowfall or precipitation in mm for the snow alert and the rain alert, the risks of thunderstorms and storms, hail, fog or ice on a scale from 0 to 5, the wind alert according to the gust speed in km/h, or temperature thresholds for this type of weather alert.
With this type of service, snow, rain, wind, floods, and storm risks will no longer be (almost) random. You will have your weather forecast! Here are some of the functions offered:

• Receive alerts directly on your smartphone via push notification, SMS, or email;
• Precise alert thresholds (wind speed, rainfall amount, snow height, storm strength, temperature level, etc.) You will be alert and know why the weather is so bad!
• The possibility to indicate several locations.

National meteorological services also offer services to forecast bad weather, but many private companies go further in their weather warning systems. However, it is not free and as always, it will depend on your needs: if you want to protect your business from flooding, it is important. If it is just to go hiking and avoid rain or to enjoy the sunshine then it may be less necessary to pay for a weather alert service. It's up to you!

Car dealers, construction companies, event organisers, farmers… who is particularly sensitive to bad weather?

Private individuals can of course be vulnerable during a storm, flood, or snow event. But for some professionals in the UK, their entire economic activity depends on it. One extreme weather event and a lot of money can be lost quickly.
This is particularly true of car dealerships, who anticipate bad weather (especially the unforgiving hailstorm) by protecting their vehicles.
They are also the professionals of the building sector: they must not miss any alert from national meteorological services at the risk of finding themselves in danger, as they are often directly exposed to rain, wind, and snow.
The entertainment industry is also directly linked to the weather. In the event of an orange alert for heavy rain, for example, many events are simply cancelled or postponed. It is inconceivable to put participants at risk and if there are risks on the day of the event, it is better not to take them and wait for the weather to get better.
Insurance companies also have a vested interest in supporting their policyholders in preventing weather-related risks. If not, a lot of money could be lost.
Finally, let's not forget the farmers who depend on the weather. An orange or red alert means that crops susceptible to rain, snow, frost or storms must be protected. National meteorological services are their greatest ally in the fight against bad weather and the destruction of their crops.

Due to climate change, bad weather is more frequent, but we still get a lot of sunshine! Floods are hitting more and more localities, rainfall is sometimes very heavy, snow is becoming rarer but also more uncertain, winds that accompany a storm are becoming more violent, etc. One thing is certain, it will be better to anticipate the risks of bad weather and the vagaries of the weather to protect oneself from it.