Meaning & use
storm warning
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Meanings
nouncountable
An official announcement that a dangerous storm is coming or is already happening in an area.
Grammar: Countable: a storm warning, several storm warnings. Often used with the verbs issue, give, or lift.
Patterns
- issue a storm warning
- a storm warning for somewhere
- a storm warning is in force
The coast guard issued a storm warning for the whole coastline.
A storm warning is in force until midnight, so please stay indoors.
They lifted the storm warning once the winds had dropped.
nouncountablefigurative
A clear sign that serious trouble is about to happen.
Grammar: Figurative and countable; usually singular and often followed by of.
Patterns
- a storm warning of something
- serve as a storm warning
The sudden drop in sales was a storm warning of worse times ahead.
Analysts treated the report as a storm warning for the whole industry.
Word forms
| plural | storm warnings |
|---|
Common combinations
- issue a storm warning
- Meteorologists issued a storm warning before the hurricane reached land.
- a storm warning for + place
- There is a storm warning for the northern islands tonight.
- a severe storm warning
- A severe storm warning means winds above 60 miles per hour.
- lift a storm warning
- The authorities lifted the storm warning at dawn.
- a storm warning is in force
- A storm warning is in force along the coast.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: storm warning or storm watch?
storm warning vs storm watch
A watch means conditions could produce a storm; a warning means a storm is expected or has already started.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'storm warning' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Give a storm warning to someone' is the natural pattern. 'Of' is wrong because the warning is not about the crew, and 'make' or 'do a warning' are not used in English.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “storm warning”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.