Early warning, monitoring and control systems

In order to launch an effective emergency response to e.g. cloudbursts and elevated water levels, local government and utilities need early warning. The Danish Meteorological Institute alerts the Danish National Police, the Danish Emergency Management Agency and its operative units in the event of upcoming hurricanes, storms, heavy rain, elevated water levels, thunderstorms, snow storms, heavy snow, glaze ice/black ice, and heavy fog. These warnings are submitted for eight warning areas. The warnings are in the form of brief text messages, which usually state a time and date of onset and cessation of the event, as well as the warning areas covered by the warning. A warning about elevated water levels will be submitted to the Danish Emergency Management Agency in the form of a brief text message identifying the coastline and coastal areas likely to be affected. Furthermore, the local authorities may have supplementary warning systems to provide them with more precise forecasts. Such systems may include weather radars, rain gauges, flowmeters, mathematical models, hydraulic models, etc.

The more accurate the warnings, the better the authorities can prepare to:

• empty existing basins, channels, watercourses and lakes to make sure there will be capacity available where it is most likely to be needed;
• warn relevant staff to get ready to carry out contingency plans;
• review grates, outflows, and non-return flaps to ensure that everything is in order before the rain arrives;
• warn inhabitants in areas that are particularly exposed.