MetService app now delivers Extreme Fire Danger and Severe Weather Warnings

Live local Fire Danger and Fire Season information have been available on the MetService app and website for over two years, and from January, MetService app users are now able to opt in to receive real-time Extreme Fire Danger and Severe Weather Warning notifications.

Through the Communicating Wildfire Risk research project (as part of Te Pae Tata Programme(external link)) we found that the public’s preferred channel for Fire Danger information is on the MetService app, and that they are receptive to Fire Danger notifications, provided they are opt-in and customisable. Our forestry partners have also been encouraging us to establish Fire Danger app notifications to the public for some time.

Users can choose which notification they wish to receive - Extreme Fire Danger, Severe Weather Warning, or both, and which location they wish to set the notifications for – their current location, home location, or both.

Tapping the notification on their device, users can then find out more information – the specific location, the local fire season, how long the Extreme Fire Danger is predicted to last, as well as a prompt to visit checkitsalright.nz for relevant safety advice. 

With the wildfire season in full swing, being able to ‘push’ warnings to the public via this new app feature is a useful tool in our toolbox to help keep our communities safe at times of increased risk. A big thanks to everyone involved in the project. 

Download the MetService app today and encourage your communities to do the same.

Available on Google Play and iOS App Store.