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Meaning & use

hurricane warning

noun·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˈhʌrɪkən ˌwɔːnɪŋ/
US/ˈhɜːrəkeɪn ˌwɔːrnɪŋ/

Meaning

  1. nouncountable

    An official announcement from weather authorities that a hurricane is expected to hit an area soon, telling people to prepare or leave.

    Grammar: Has a plural: hurricane warnings. Usually used with in effect, issue or under.

    Patterns

    • a hurricane warning for somewhere
    • under a hurricane warning
    • issue a hurricane warning

    A hurricane warning was issued for the entire coast on Tuesday.

    Residents boarded up their windows after the hurricane warning.

    The island has been under a hurricane warning since this morning.

Word forms

pluralhurricane warnings

Common combinations

issue a hurricane warning
Forecasters issued a hurricane warning for the Gulf Coast.
a hurricane warning is in effect
A hurricane warning is in effect until Friday.
lift a hurricane warning
Officials lifted the hurricane warning once the storm moved away.
under a hurricane warning
The whole county is under a hurricane warning.
hurricane warning and evacuation
A hurricane warning and evacuation order came on the same day.

Synonyms and how they differ

storm warning
Storm warning is a broader term covering any dangerous storm, while hurricane warning names one specific type.
hurricane alert
Hurricane alert is an informal phrase, whereas hurricane warning is the official term.
hurricane watch
A watch is weaker: it says hurricane conditions are possible, while a warning says they are expected.

Opposites

all clear

Word family

hurricane noun
a violent storm with very strong winds and heavy rain
warn verb
to tell someone about a danger
warning noun
a statement telling people about possible danger
hurricane-force adjective
as strong as the winds of a hurricane

Commonly confused: hurricane warning or hurricane watch?

hurricane warning vs hurricane watch

A hurricane watch means a hurricane is possible in the area, usually within about two days. A hurricane warning means it is expected soon, so people should act at once.

Practice

Meteorologists announced a ____, meaning hurricane conditions were expected within the next day.

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