More than 500 digital billboards across New Zealand will now display MetService’s real-time warning information, alongside safety messaging from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), during severe weather events.
MetService sales manager Kathryn Blackmore said New Zealanders already received information about severe weather warnings through MetService’s app and website, as well as through radio, TV and social media – and digital billboards were another way to get that messaging across to the general public.
“The digital billboards will help increase people’s awareness of our severe weather warnings and the messaging from NEMA means people have the information they need to stay safe,” she said.
Blackmore said the digital billboards could be targeted to a specific geographical area, similar to an Emergency Mobile Alert, which allowed NEMA to display safety information to areas forecast to be impacted.
NEMA civil defence and emergency management director John Price told RNZ warnings were more important than ever, as climate change would cause more frequent and severe weather events.
“What we want to do is mitigate the risk to human lives and to property, so the outcome of this is warning people before an event occurs, so they can take due diligence to look after themselves, their property, their whānau and keep themselves safe,” Price said.
“Why wouldn’t you do this? It’s simply about getting the right information out to the right people, at the right time, in a new way.”
rnz.co.nz
