A rare kind of weather warning was issued in Florida, thanks to Hurricane Irma

3 DAYS AGO

When it comes to weather alerts, we’ve all seen the colorful boxes plastered on TV screens, and alerting to our phones, before. Most people can tell the difference between a Tornado or Severe Thunderstorm Warning, and know what actions to take if they’re under the gun. But when a brand new shade was displayed on Florida Weather maps Sunday afternoon, many folks were probably left scratching their heads.

At 12:25 p.m. ET, the National Weather Service office in Miami issued their first-ever Extreme Wind Warning (EWW) for areas between Naples and Marco Island. This is an extremely rare type of warning issued by the NWS for the “imminent onset of, or occurring, tropical cyclone-related sustained surface winds, greater than or equal to 100 knots (115 mph).” Most people have never even heard of the Extreme Wind Warning, although it certainly sounds dire. After all, it’s reserved for the most exceptional of all wind events.