Alerts now also come via the weather app
Swiss alerts are now also sent via the Meteo Swiss app. The application is considered one of the most used weather apps in Switzerland.
Alerts can so far be disseminated by the cantonal police forces and the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC). According to the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP), it is crucial for the authorities to reach the population as quickly and completely as possible. Until now, information and behavioral instructions have been disseminated via radio and the Alertswiss app. A new collaboration between the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP) and the Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology (Meteo Switzerland) allows for the expansion of alerts and also via the Meteo Swiss app. The new feature in the popular weather app includes a push notification when favored areas or one's location are affected by an alert.
According to the FOCP, only a few alarms are sent out each year, and mostly only locally, for example in the case of fire and smoke, so that residents of a neighborhood are warned of toxic substances in good time. The Meteo Swiss app is one of the most used apps in Switzerland and has been downloaded 20 million times so far. The new version of the Meteo Swiss app, which can receive Alertswiss alerts, is available on the App Store and Google Play Store.
Source: FOCP
