Marine Warning changes on metservice.com

Improvements to the display of Marine Warnings on metservice.com

In March 2025, MetService, in partnership with Maritime NZ, made key improvements to how boating forecasts and warnings are displayed on metservice.com. These changes are designed to make it easier for users to understand when warning conditions are expected, and how severe they might be.

What's changed so far?

  • Forecast text is now more prominent on boating forecasts.

  • Warnings are clearly highlighted alongside relevant forecasts, making them easier to spot.

What’s next?

We have expanded this across the website so that warnings are shown per day, rather than over the entire short-range forecast period. This means you’ll now be able to see exactly which day a warning applies to, helping you plan your time on the water more safely.

Note: These improvements currently apply to the MetService website only.

Our marine app and other platforms will continue to show a single warning indicator based on the most severe warning expected in the short-term period.

What does the change look like?

Before:

A warning icon would appear alongside a forecast, indicating a warning sometime during the short-range period (either today or the next two days, depending on the time of day).

Now:

Warnings are now broken down per day, showing exactly which day the warning applies to. This gives you a clearer picture of what to expect and when.

  • We now display marine warnings per day on boating forecasts, making it clearer when specific hazardous conditions are expected. Warnings also appear more prominently in the forecast text.

  • No, the way warnings are issued has not changed - only the display format on metservice.com has been improved.

  • You can view the updated display by visiting any marine or boating forecast on metservice.com. Warnings will now be linked directly to the relevant day in the forecast.

  • At this stage, the update only applies to the MetService website. The marine app and other systems will continue to show a single warning indicator reflecting the most severe warning expected during the short-range forecast period.

  • This update helps you:

    • Plan trips more accurately, with a better sense of which day the warning applies to.

    • Avoid confusion around general warning periods.

    • Stay safer by knowing exactly when to expect severe weather conditions.

  • Yes, we’re always looking to improve.

    We aim to roll out similar updates to our marine app and other services once this new system is proven effective on the website.We aim to roll out similar updates to our marine app and other services once this new system is proven effective on the website.