GuideEnvironment and Climate Change Canada
Environment Canada's yellow, orange and red alerts
Environment and Climate Change Canada colours its weather alerts by expected impact: yellow, orange or red. In AreaZine's record since 7 Apr 2026, 1,059 alerts were yellow, 234 orange and 82 red; the most frequent were thunderstorm warning (236), air quality warning (182), thunderstorm watch (153), squall watch (140), wind warning (125), rainfall warning (124), squall warning (114), heat warning (108).
By AreaZine · Updated · written with AI tools and checked against the agencies' records (editorial policy)
The colours
| Colour | Expected impact | In AreaZine's record |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | moderate: hazardous weather that may cause damage or disruption | 1,059 |
| Orange | severe: likely to cause significant damage or disruption | 234 |
| Red | extreme: very likely to cause extreme damage, disruption or danger | 82 |
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, public weather alerts. Data as of record since 7 Apr 2026.
Warning, watch, advisory, statement
The colour is separate from the type. A warning means hazardous weather is occurring or imminent; a watch that conditions are favourable for it; an advisory covers specific events less severe than a warning (such as fog or frost); a special weather statement flags unusual weather that may still become a warning.
Where to follow an alert
The live source is weather.gc.ca and the WeatherCAN app; the most severe alerts are also broadcast through Alert Ready.