PROGRAMME OF THE
EUROPEAN UNIONEMERGENCY WARNING SATELLITE SERVICECOMMON ALERT MESSAGE
FORMAT SPECIFICATION
Issue 1.0 | January 2024

#EUSpace

Forewords
The development of disaster risk reduction technologies is a global trend that follows the United
Nations’ objective under the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, to “substantially
increase the availability of and access to multi-hazard early warning systems and disaster risk
information and assessments to people by 2030”. The “Early Warnings for all Executive plan 20232027” unveiled at COP27 in November 2022, identifies actions and calls for investments to meet thistarget.
Since 2018, Japan and the European Union have initiated the development of satellite dissemination
capacity for alert message, as a complementary service to the corpus of existing early warning
systems. Such services are named “Emergency Warning Satellite Services (EWSS)”, and exploit theadvantages offered by satellite navigation systems.
With the objective to make EWSS a capacity that is useful to the greatest number of people, and thatcan be implemented in any satellite navigation system, EU and Japan joined efforts to create acommon message format. Such common format is easily re-usable by other providers willing to
introduce EWSS capacity in their system, thereby allowing service interoperability and harmonisationof implementation.
The proposed structure for the alert message will initially be implemented in the European global
navigation satellite system ‘Galileo’ and the Japanese regional navigation satellite system ‘QZSS’.
Other nations and satellite navigation providers are free to adopt the proposed common format andcontribute with their experience to the evolution of EWSS.
Of universal scope, EWSS are to be used to warn population threatened by a looming disaster,
contributing therefore to protecting people and properties from disasters. It is expected therefore
that the development of such services in other satellite navigation systems, their use for the benefitof other nations, the good practices for user adoption and the return of experience from the civil
protection community, will be discussed amongst interested parties worldwide.

Acknowledgements
The Common Alert Message Format was jointly developed by the European Commission1, the Cabinet
Office2 and the Advanced Institute for Industrial Technology3. It has been agreed in December 2022,
and successfully tested in field demonstrations in 2023, both on QZSS and Galileo.

1

https://defence-industry-space.ec.europa.eu/eu-space-policy/eu-space-programme_en
https://www.cao.go.jp/index-e.html
3
https://aiit.ac.jp/english/
2

Photo cover page, © EC/DG ECHO, Viktoria Jeras

2

Terms of Use and Disclaimers
Authorised Use and Scope of Use
The Common Alert Message Format (hereinafter referred to as CAMF) Issue 1.0 and the information
contained herein is made available to the public by the European Union (hereinafter referred to as
Publishing Authority) for information, standardisation, research and development and commercial
purposes for the benefit and the promotion of the Emergency Warning Satellite Service (EWSS) andaccording to terms and conditions specified thereafter. Before any use of CAMF, users should study
this document thoroughly.
Updates
The CAMF could be subject to modification, update and variations. The publication of updates will be
subject to the same terms as stated herein unless otherwise evidenced. Although the Publishing
Authority will deploy its efforts to give notice to the public for further updates of CAMF throughEuropean GNSS Service Centre website (https://www.gsc-europa.eu/), it does not assume any
obligation to advise on further developments and updates of the CAMF, nor to consider any inputs,
comments proposed by interested persons or entities, involved in the updating process.
Copyright
Copyright © European Union/Japan Cabinet Office, 2023. This document and the information
contained in it is subject to applicable copyright and other intellectual property rights. Third parties
may download, copy, print and provide the document in its entirety to other third parties provided
that there is no alteration of any part of it. Information contained in the document may be excerpted,
copied, printed and provided to third parties only under the condition that the source and copyrightowner is clearly stated as follows: “Source: Common Alert Message Format Specification. © European
Union/Japan Cabinet Office, 2023”. No part of this document, including any part of information
contained therein, in whichever format, whether digital or otherwise, may be altered, edited orchanged without the author’s prior express permission in writing to be requested via European Union
Agency for the Space Programme under https://www.euspa.europa.eu/about/contact, or Japan
Cabinet Office under https://qzss.go.jp/en/inquiry/, clearly stating the element (document and/or
information) and term of use requested. Should you become aware of any breach of the above terms
of use, please notify the European Union Agency for the Space Programme and/or Japan Cabinet
Office immediately, also through the above-mentioned contact site. Any breach of these terms of use
may be made subject to legal proceedings, seeking monetary damages and/or an injunction to stop
the unlawful use of the document and/or any information contained therein. By downloading,forwarding, and/or copying this document or any parts thereof, in whichever format, whether digitalor otherwise, the user acknowledges and accepts the above terms of use as applicable to him/her.
General Disclaimer of Liability
With respect to the CAMF and any information contained in the document, neither the EU as the
Publishing Authority, nor European Commission, Japan Cabinet Office, European Agency for the Space
Programme, the Advanced Institute for Industrial Technology or the generator of such information
make any warranty, express or implied, including the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, orassumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any
information hereby disclosed or for any product developed based on this information, or represents
that the use of this information would not cause damages or would not infringe any intellectual3

property rights. No liability is hereby assumed for any direct, indirect, incidental, special orconsequential damages, including but not limited to, damages for interruption of business, loss of
profits, goodwill or other intangible losses, resulting from the use of the CAMF or of the information
contained herein. Liability is excluded as well for consequences of the use and/or abuse of the CAMF
or the information contained herein. The user retains his responsibility to exercise a level of careappropriate with respect to the uses he intends to make of the CAMF, considering the considerations
outlined above.
Miscellaneous
No failure or delay in exercising any right in relation to the CAMF or the information contained thereinshall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single or partial exercise preclude any other or further
exercise of such rights. The disclaimers contained in this document apply to the extent permitted byapplicable law.

4Document Change Record
Reason for change

Issue

Revision

Date

Release by EC + AIIT, Prof.
K.Shimazu

Issue 1.0-

January 20245

Table of Content
Forewords…. ........................................................................................................................................... 2
Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................ 2
Terms of Use and Disclaimers ................................................................................................................ 3
Document Change Record...................................................................................................................... 5
1.

Introduction............................................................................................................................. 11
1.1.

Scope of the Document ....................................................................................................... 11

1.2.

Structure of the Document.................................................................................................. 11

1.3.

Overview of the Emergency Warning Satellite Service ....................................................... 11

1.3.1.

Service Description .............................................................................................................. 12

1.3.2.

Service Interoperability ....................................................................................................... 13

2.

The Common Alert Message Format ...................................................................................... 14
2.1.

Message Structure ............................................................................................................... 14

2.2.

Requirements from the Civil Protection Community .......................................................... 15

2.3.

Contribution of the User Segment ...................................................................................... 15

2.3.1.

Geo-Fencing ......................................................................................................................... 15

2.3.2.

EWM Libraries ..................................................................................................................... 16

2.3.3.

Language Versions ............................................................................................................... 16

2.4.

International Usage ............................................................................................................. 16

3.

CAMF Individual Fields ............................................................................................................ 17
3.1.

Message Identifier ............................................................................................................... 17

3.1.1.

Message Type (A1) .............................................................................................................. 17

3.1.2.

Country/Region Name (A2) ................................................................................................. 17

3.1.3.

Provider Identifier (A3) ........................................................................................................ 18

3.2.

Hazard .................................................................................................................................. 18

3.2.1.

Hazard Category and Type (A4) ........................................................................................... 19

3.2.2.

Severity (A5) ........................................................................................................................ 19

3.3.

Hazard Chronology .............................................................................................................. 20

3.3.1.

Hazard Onset: Week Number (A6) and Time of the Week (A7) .......................................... 20

3.3.2.

Hazard Duration (A8) ........................................................................................................... 21

3.4.

Alert Identifier ..................................................................................................................... 21

3.5.

Guidance to react ................................................................................................................ 22

3.5.1.

Selection of Library (A9) ...................................................................................................... 23

3.5.2.

Version of Library (A10) ....................................................................................................... 23

3.5.3.

Guidance to react library (A11) ........................................................................................... 24

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3.6.

Target Area .......................................................................................................................... 25

3.6.1.

Ellipse Centre Latitude (A12) ............................................................................................... 27

3.6.2.

Ellipse Centre Longitude (A13) ............................................................................................ 27

3.6.3.

Ellipse Semi-Major Axis (A14) .............................................................................................. 28

3.6.4.

Ellipse Semi-Minor Axis (A15) .............................................................................................. 29

3.6.5.

Ellipse Azimuth (A16)........................................................................................................... 29

3.7.

Main Subject for Specific Settings (A17) ............................................................................. 30

3.7.1.

Improved Resolution of Main Ellipse (B1) ........................................................................... 31

3.7.1.1. Refined Latitude of Centre of Main Ellipse (C1) .................................................................. 31
3.7.1.2. Refined Longitude of Centre of Main Ellipse (C2) ............................................................... 31
3.7.1.3. Refined Length of Semi-Major Axis (C3) .............................................................................. 32
3.7.1.4. Refined Length of Semi-Minor Axis (C4).............................................................................. 32
3.7.2.

Position of the Centre of the Hazard (B2) ........................................................................... 32

3.7.2.1. Delta-Latitude from Main Ellipse Centre (C5) ..................................................................... 33
3.7.2.2. Delta-Longitude from Main Ellipse Centre (C6)................................................................... 33
3.7.3.

Secondary Ellipse Definition (B3) ........................................................................................ 34

3.7.3.1. Shift of Second Ellipse Centre (C7) ...................................................................................... 37
3.7.3.2. Homothetic Factor of Second Ellipse (C8) ........................................................................... 37
3.7.3.3. Bearing Angle of Second Ellipse (C9) ................................................................................... 37
3.7.3.4. Guidance Library for Second Ellipse (C10) ........................................................................... 38
3.7.4.

Quantitative and detailed information about the Hazard (B4) ........................................... 39

Annex A.

Reference Documents .................................................................................................... 44

Annex B.

Acronyms and Notations ................................................................................................ 44

Annex C.

CAMF Detailed Field Information .................................................................................. 46

1.

A1 – Message Type .............................................................................................................. 46

2.

A2 – Country / Region Name Field ...................................................................................... 46

3.

A3 – Provider Identifier ....................................................................................................... 48

4.

A4 – Hazard Category and Type .......................................................................................... 49

5.

A5 – Severity ........................................................................................................................ 55

6.

A6 – Hazard Onset, Week Number...................................................................................... 55

7.

A7 – Hazard Onset, Time of the Week ................................................................................ 55

8.

A8 – Hazard Duration .......................................................................................................... 56

9.

A9 – Selection of Guidance Library...................................................................................... 56

10.

A10 – Version of Library ...................................................................................................... 57

11.

A11 – Guidance to React Library – List A and List B ............................................................ 57

12.

A12 – Ellipse Centre Latitude............................................................................................... 60

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13.

A13 – Ellipse Centre Longitude ............................................................................................ 61

14.

A14 – Ellipse Semi Major Axis .............................................................................................. 62

15.

A15 – Ellipse Semi Minor Axis.............................................................................................. 63

16.

A16 – Ellipse Azimuth Angle ................................................................................................ 64

17.

A17 –Selection of Main Subject for Specific Settings .......................................................... 65

18.

A18 – Specific Settings ......................................................................................................... 65

18.1.

B1 – Improved Resolution of Main Ellipse........................................................................... 65

18.1.1. C1 - Refined Ellipse Centre Location – Latitude................................................................... 66
18.1.2. C2 - Refined Ellipse Centre Location – Longitude ................................................................ 66
18.1.3. C3 - Refined Ellipse Semi-Major Axis Length ....................................................................... 67
18.1.4. C4 – Refined Ellipse Semi-Minor Axis Length ...................................................................... 67
18.2.

B2 - Position of the Centre of the Hazard............................................................................ 68

18.2.1. C5 - Delta-Latitude from Main Ellipse Centre ...................................................................... 68
18.2.2. C6 ––Delta-Longitude from Main Ellipse Centre ................................................................. 70
18.3.

B3 - Secondary Ellipse Definition ......................................................................................... 71

18.3.1. C7 – Shift of Second Ellipse Centre ...................................................................................... 72
18.3.2. C8 – Homothetic Factor of Second Ellipse........................................................................... 72
18.3.3. C9 – Bearing Angle of Second Ellipse................................................................................... 72
18.3.4. C10 –Guidance Library for Second Ellipse ........................................................................... 74
18.4.

B4 - Quantitative and Detailed Information related to Hazard Category and Type............ 75

18.4.1. A18 – B4 GEO - Earthquake ................................................................................................. 78
18.4.2. A18 – B4 GEO - Tsunami ...................................................................................................... 78
18.4.3. A18 – B4 MET – Cold Wave and Heat Wave........................................................................ 79
18.4.4. A18 – B4 MET – Tropical Cyclone (hurricane) ..................................................................... 79
18.4.5. A15 – B4 MET - Tropical Cyclone (typhoon) ........................................................................ 80
18.4.6. A15 – B4 MET - Tornado ...................................................................................................... 80
18.4.7. A15 – B4 MET - Storm or Thunderstorm ............................................................................. 81
18.4.8. A15 – B4 MET - Hail ............................................................................................................. 81
18.4.9. A15 – B4 MET - Rainfall ....................................................................................................... 82
18.4.10. A15 – B4 MET – Snowfall ..................................................................................................... 82
18.4.11. A15 – B4 MET - Flood .......................................................................................................... 83
18.4.12. A15 – B4 MET – Lightning .................................................................................................... 83
18.4.13. A15 – B4 MET - Wind Chill / Frost ....................................................................................... 84
18.4.14. A15 – B4 MET – Derecho ..................................................................................................... 84
18.4.15. A15 – B4 MET – Fog ............................................................................................................. 85
18.4.16. A15 – B4 MET – Snow Storm / blizzard ............................................................................... 858

18.4.17. A15 – B4 MET – Drought ..................................................................................................... 85
18.4.18. A15 – B4 GEO – Avalanche Risk ........................................................................................... 86
18.4.19. A15 – B4 GEO – Tidal Wave ................................................................................................. 86
18.4.20. A15 – B4 GEO – Ash Fall....................................................................................................... 87
18.4.21. A15 – B4 GEO – Wave/Wind/Storm Surge .......................................................................... 87
18.4.22. A15 – B4 GEO – Geomagnetic or Solar Storm ..................................................................... 88
18.4.23. A15 – B4 SECURITY - Terrorism ........................................................................................... 88
18.4.24. A15 – B4 FIRE– Forest Fire or Risk of Fire ............................................................................ 89
18.4.25. A15 – B4 ENVIRONMENT – Contaminated Drinking Water or Marine Pollution or River
Pollution…….. .................................................................................................................................... 89
18.4.26. A15 – B4 ENVIRONMENT – UV Radiation ............................................................................ 90
18.4.27. A15 – B4 HEALTH – Risk of Infection or Pandemic .............................................................. 90
18.4.28. A15 – B4 ENVIRONMENT – Noise Pollution ........................................................................ 90
18.4.29. A15 – B4 ENVIRONMENT – Air Pollution ............................................................................. 91
18.4.30. A15 – B4 INFRASTRUCTURE – Gas supply outage or Outage of IT systems or Power outage
or Emergency number outage or Telephone line outage ................................................................. 91
18.4.31. A15 – B4 CBRNE – Chemical Hazard .................................................................................... 92
18.4.32. A15 – B4 CBRNE – Radiological Hazard or Nuclear Hazard or Nuclear power station
accident……… .................................................................................................................................... 92
18.4.33. A15 – B4 CBRNE – Biological Hazard ................................................................................... 93
18.4.34. A15 – B4 CBRNE – Explosive Hazard .................................................................................... 93
18.4.35. B4 – Lower-Level Fields Tables ............................................................................................ 93
18.4.35.1.

D1 – Magnitude on Richter Scale................................................................................ 93

18.4.35.2.

D2 – Seismic Coefficient.............................................................................................. 94

18.4.35.3.

D3 – Azimuth from Centre of Main Ellipse to Epicentre ............................................. 94

18.4.35.4.

D4 – Vector Length between Centre of Main Ellipse and Epicentre .......................... 95

18.4.35.5.

D5 – Wave Height ....................................................................................................... 95

18.4.35.6.

D6 – Temperature Range ............................................................................................ 96

18.4.35.7.

D7 – Hurricane Categories .......................................................................................... 96

18.4.35.8.

D8 – Wind Speed......................................................................................................... 97

18.4.35.9.

D9 – Rainfall Amounts ................................................................................................ 98

18.4.35.10. D10 – Damage Category ............................................................................................. 98
18.4.35.11. D11 – Tornado Probability .......................................................................................... 99
18.4.35.12. D12 – Hail Scale......................................................................................................... 100
18.4.35.13. D13 – Visibility .......................................................................................................... 101
18.4.35.14. D14 – Snow Depth .................................................................................................... 101

9

18.4.35.15. D15 – Flood Severity ................................................................................................. 102
18.4.35.16. D16 – Lightning Intensity .......................................................................................... 103
18.4.35.17. D17 – Fog Level ......................................................................................................... 103
18.4.35.18. D18 – Drought Level ................................................................................................. 104
18.4.35.19. D19 – Avalanche Warning Level ............................................................................... 104
18.4.35.20. D20 – Ash Fall Amount and Impact .......................................................................... 105
18.4.35.21. D21 – Geomagnetic Scale ......................................................................................... 106
18.4.35.22. D22 – Terrorism Threat Level ................................................................................... 107
18.4.35.23. D23 – Fire Risk Level ................................................................................................. 107
18.4.35.24. D24 – Water Quality ................................................................................................. 108
18.4.35.25. D25 – UV Index ......................................................................................................... 108
18.4.35.26. D26 – Number of Cases per 100 000 Inhabitants ..................................................... 109
18.4.35.27. D27 – Noise Range .................................................................................................... 110
18.4.35.28. D28 – Air Quality Index ............................................................................................. 110
18.4.35.29. D29 – Outage Estimated Duration ............................................................................ 111
18.4.35.30. D30 – Nuclear Event Scale ........................................................................................ 111
18.4.35.31. D31 – Chemical Hazard Type .................................................................................... 112
18.4.35.32. D32 – Biohazard Level............................................................................................... 113
18.4.35.33. D33 – Biohazard Type ............................................................................................... 113
18.4.35.34. D34 – Explosive Hazard Type .................................................................................... 114
18.4.35.35. D35 – Infection Type ................................................................................................. 114
18.4.35.36. D36 – Typhoon Categories ........................................................................................ 116

List of Figures
Figure 1: EWSS Overview ...................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 2: High Level Structure of CAMF ................................................................................................ 14
Figure 3: The alert area as an ellipse, and its parameters {C0, LM, Lm, λ}. ............................................. 26
Figure 4: Ellipse area versus original target area.................................................................................. 26
Figure 5: Relation between resolution of the grid and minimum length of ellipse axis ...................... 29
Figure 6: Example of the coding of a secondary ellipse. ...................................................................... 35
Figure 7: Example of the coding of a secondary ellipse in ‘Vigilance’ configuration. .......................... 35
Figure 8: Example of the coding of a secondary ellipse in ‘Vigilance’ configuration. .......................... 36
Figure 9: Example of the coding of a secondary ellipse in ‘Evacuation’ configuration. ....................... 36

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1.

Introduction
1.1. Scope of the Document

This document provides the full specification of the common message format that can be
implemented in any satellite navigation systems to code and broadcast alert messages encapsulated
in the satellite navigation signals.
The document is intended for use by satellite navigation providers, satellite operators, civil protection
authorities and receiver manufacturers.
The format specification is described independently of any specific implementation or characteristicof satellite navigation systems (e.g. design, architecture, signal encapsulation, frequencies, repetition
rates, etc). Similarly, the document does not describe the implementation of the format on the sideof national civil protection systems.
As a complement to this document, receiver guidelines for the user segment implementation of EWSS
should be provided separately by satellite navigation providers, describing the steps to be followed byreceivers and user terminals to ensure coherent interpretation of the common alert format andexploit its full potential.

1.2. Structure of the Document
The document is structured as follows:--

Section 1 is the introduction, providing the scope of the document, an overview of theEmergency Warning Satellite Services and explaining the rationale for developing a common
alert message format;
Section 2 describes high-level structure of the common alert message;
Section 3 describes each individual field of the message format;
Annex A provides the list of reference documents;
Annex B provides the acronyms and notations;Annex C provides the full content of the CAMF fields.

1.3. Overview of the Emergency Warning Satellite Service
The use of satellite navigation capacity for disseminating alert to population is a novel approach withthe following features:•••

It offers to civil protection entities an additional distribution channel;
It allows people to receive the alert messages directly on their navigation devices or mobile
phones (typical navigation devices include smartphones, smartwatches, car navigator andmaritime receivers). In addition, widespread public warning systems (e.g. public signage,displays in buildings and sirens) could be adapted in the future to also relay the alert messages;
The alert service is independent of the mobile communication infrastructure, and remains
operational even when existing systems have been destroyed or are not available (e.g.
network saturation, or poor mobile network coverage on land or in open sea areas).

111.3.1. Service Description
An overview of the Emergency Warning Satellite Services is provided in Figure 1. The service concept
includes the following top-level functions:
1. Generate alert: The authorised civil protection authority generates a standard alert message
using the Common Alerting Protocol (CAP) format, indicating at least country, issuing civil
protection authority, event type and affected area. Other information can be coded to precise
the situation (day and time of the onset of the emergency, expected duration, severity, etc).
2. Request satellite broadcast: The authorised civil protection authority sends the message in
CAP format for approval to the national or international Emergency Centre who operates theinterface of the satellite navigation provider and requests a satellite broadcast of an alert over
the affected geographical area.
3. Coding of the alert information: the satellite navigation system encodes the request from theauthority into a satellite message (the Emergency Warning Message, or EWM), using the
CAMF as format. The geometry of the affected area is converted into a target area in the formof an ellipse.
The CAMF is the format that allows to code the alert in a satellite message (EWM). It is the interface
between the satellite navigation system and the user terminal. It shall allow to code the information
defined by the civil protection authority using the CAP protocol. In other words, the CAMF translates
the CAP message in a format suitable for satellite navigation systems.

4. Uplink and broadcast: The EWM is then embedded in the navigation message of the signals,
uplinked to the navigation satellites and broadcast to the end users.
5. Display alert: The user receives the EWM via EWSS-compatible equipment capable to decodeand interpret the CAMF. The receiver reads, decodes, and displays the message provided by
the civil protection authority. The message is only shown to users located within the target
area (geo-fencing principle, see section 2.3.1).

12

Figure 1: EWSS Overview

1.3.2. Service Interoperability
Satellite navigation systems include global systems such as Galileo, GPS, GLONASS and Beidou, andregional systems include QZSS, NAVIC, EGNOS, etc. All these systems have the potential to introduce
EWSS in their portfolio of services, by using the downlink signals as the vehicle containing the alert
messages.
Given the number of satellite navigation providers worldwide, it is key to ensure interoperability atservice and user equipment levels to facilitate the adoption by market actors and end users,
independently of the system that is broadcasting the alert message. The search of a standard approachfor developing EWSS led to adopting two principles:➢ The content of the alert message encoded in the EWM shall follow as much as possible thestructure of the Common Alert Protocol (CAP) standard. CAP is a simple but general format
for exchanging all-hazard emergency alerts and public warnings over all kinds of networks.
CAP allows a consistent warning message to be disseminated simultaneously over manydifferent warning systems, thus increasing warning effectiveness while simplifying the alert
generation task. CAP provides a template for effective warning messages based on bestpractices identified in academic research and real-world experience. Therefore, CAP allows
ease of integration of EWSS into existing early warning services. This is the upstream
interoperability.
➢ The EWM that is broadcast by satellite navigation constellations must be read, decoded, anddisplayed by most people and alert systems on Earth. It is therefore essential to harmonise as
much as possible the alert message format and avoid multiplication of formats that would
impede its adoption in market segments. This leads to developing a Common Alert Message
Format (CAMF), as the minimum common structure that allows broadcasting alert messages
from different satellite navigation service providers. This is the downstream interoperability.

13

2.

The Common Alert Message Format
2.1. Message Structure

The Common Alert Message Format (CAMF) is based on 122 bits, to be encapsulated in the signals of
the satellite navigation systems. This size is driven by design constraints applying to some satellite
constellations, where only a limited number of bits is available for messaging. The CAMF has beendeveloped with these constraints. However, if satellite navigation providers have more space in theirsignals (i.e. spare bits), it is still possible to use these extra bits for extending the information containedin the EWM (e.g. for adding more severity levels, or more instructions).
Most of the CAMF fields correspond one-to-one to the CAP fields, allowing a direct transfer between
the incoming information and the EWM coding. In the case of the alert area however, CAP offers tocode it using a polygon, a circle, or an administrative code. In EWSS, the shape of the alert area has
been chosen to be an ellipse, for efficiency: to code an ellipse in geographical coordinates, only its
centre’s latitude and longitude, the length of its two axes, and an azimuth to the North are required.
CAMF codes the following information:-

Message identifier
1. Message type (A1)
2. Country / Region ID (A2)
3. Provider identifier (A3)-

Hazard
4. Hazard category & type (A4)
5. Severity (A5)-

Hazard chronology
6. Hazard onset: week number (A6)
7. Hazard onset: time of the week
(A7)
8. Hazard duration (A8)-

11. Guidance instructions (A11)-

Target area
12. Ellipse centre latitude (A12)
13. Ellipse centre longitude (A13)
14. Ellipse semi-major axis length(A14)
15. Ellipse semi-minor axis length(A15)
16. Ellipse azimuth angle (A16)-

Additional parameters
17. Main subject (A17)
18. Specific settings (A18)

Guidance to react
9. Guidance library selection (A9)
10. Guidance library version (A10)

Figure 2: High Level Structure of CAMF

14

2.2. Requirements from the Civil Protection Community
The alert message contains several important fields, as per recommendations of early warning
operators and civil protection community:▪

Alert messages sent to population shall contain the origin of the sender, i.e. at least thenational entity that created the alert and decided to inform the population with this alert.
Such national entities can be the weather services, a fire brigade, a prefecture, the governor’s
office, etc. Their identification depends on the organisation and governance of the civil
protection services. In the case of EWSS, the country of origin of the alert message, i.e. thecountry that wants to alert its population, is also provided. Specific bodies of internationalorganisations (FAO, WMO, European Commission, etc) are also included as potential alert
providers acting on behalf of a requesting party (see section 2.4).

▪

Alert messages sent to population should contain instruction(s) to react, so that people
know what to do, and/or are guided towards the safest place via an evacuation route. In thecase of EWSS, only generic instructions can be provided, via libraries pre-installed in receivers.
The full list of instructions is provided in Annex C, section 11.

▪

Alert messages sent to population should be sent only to relevant people, i.e. to those whoare considered by the civil protection authority to be affected by the disaster. This translates
in the alert to be notified only to the people located within a specific geographical area,
defined by the civil protection entity at the origin of the alert. This filtering is realised byapplying the principle of geo-fencing at the level of the end user, using two masks: the country/ region code, and the ellipse parameters. The application of the geo-fencing principle to EWSS
is described in section 2.3.

2.3. Contribution of the User Segment
2.3.1. Geo-Fencing
To notify an alert only to people threatened or affected by a situation, the EWSS concept applies thegeo-fencing principle. By comparing its own geographical position with both the country / region codeand the geographical coordinates of the ellipse encoded in the received EWM, the receiver is able todetermine whether to notify the alert to the user or not. In other words, the receiver notifies the alert
if the following condition is true:

𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 ∈ ( 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑦 ∩ 𝐸𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑝𝑠𝑒 )This double condition allows the receiver to resolve the issue of cross-border alerts, when the ellipse
coded for the alert area crosses the border with a neighbouring country. To avoid notifying people
located across the border with an alert that does not originate from their own country, the receiver
reads the country code in the CAMF: if the user is located within the ellipse but not in the country that15

has emitted the alert (i.e. the user is located in the parts of the ellipse that has crossed the border),the receiver discards the EWM and the user is not notified.

2.3.2. EWM Libraries
In order to interpret the data received in the satellite navigation signals, the receiver shall access prestored libraries. Each binary code of the CAMF refers to a given value of a given field of the EWM
library. When reading the bit chain corresponding to a given field of the CAMF, the receiver simply
picks the corresponding value in the library.
In CAMF, one field (field A10) is used to identify the library version that has been used to encode thealert. To ensure correct interpretation when decoding the data received, the receiver shall make sure
it is using the same version of the library as that used by the operator to encode the alert. For moredetails, see section 3.5.2 - Version of library.
Example: The list of possible hazards contains 113 entries. The bit sequence corresponding to‘Tsunami’ is ‘0101100’, which is the code looked up by the receiver in the EWM library to retrieve thevalue ‘Tsunami’. The same applies for all fields of the CAMF.

2.3.3. Language Versions
The alert message can be displayed in the language setting of the receiver, as long as the full library
content is available in that language version. Otherwise, the receiver selects by default the English
version of the library.
For example, in the case of Galileo, the library is available in 25 language versions4.

2.4. International Usage
The CAMF has been designed to allow the broadcast of an alert that has been generated by anauthorised organisation of the United Nations or of the European Union, on behalf of a requesting
party. In such case, the same geo-fencing principle applies, where the country / region code is used to
select the area for which there is an alert (field A2), and the name of the authorised internationalorganisation acting on behalf of that country is used to identify the originator of the alert (field A3).
Countries and regions interested to benefit from EWSS capacity are invited to contact the satellite
navigation provider of their choice to understand the modalities of this international usage.

4

Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Irish,
Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Maltese, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovene, Spanish,
Swedish.

16

3. CAMF Individual Fields
3.1. Message Identifier
The Message Identifier is split into 3 message fields, covering the message type and the issuingauthority (Provider identifier) within a country or region. The content of each message field is specified
in the subsections below.

3.1.1. Message Type (A1)This field allows to identify, for a given alert, whether the message received is an alert message, an
update of the initial alert message, a test message, or if the alert is terminated.

A1 - Message Type
Code [2 bits]
00
01
10
11

Message Type
Test
Alert
UpdateAll Clear

3.1.2. Country/Region Name (A2)This field allows to identify the country / region from which the alert is issued. It corresponds to thecountry that is using the satellite infrastructure to broadcast an alert message over its territory. It is
encoded by 9 bits allowing 512 possible entries.
The whole list of United Nation’s countries is provided in a database (e.g. Afghanistan, Argentina, Italy,etc), based on the ISO 3166 standard. The list is further completed with names of relevant regions(e.g. French Polynesia, Curaçao, New Caledonia, etc). This field has two main functions at user level:
it strengthens the legitimacy and the relevance of the information for the people receiving it, and it isused by the receiver as one of the two geographical masks (see section 2.3.1).
A conversion table is necessary in the user terminal to interpret this field and convert the binary code
into an intelligible country, region or international organisation.

17

A2 - Country / Region name
Code [9 bits]

Name

000000000
000000001
000000010…

Afghanistan
Albania
Antarctica…

011111000

Zambia011111001

Reserved…

…

111111111

Reserved

3.1.3. Provider Identifier (A3)The Provider Identifier is a unique ID that specifies the issuing authority of the alert message in a given
country, such as a governor’s office, the national weather forecast service, a fire brigade, etc.
The list of issuing authorities (Provider Identifier) shall be provided for each Country/Region, as well
as for international organisations (United Nations, European Union, African Union, etc). In CAMF, up
to 32 individual alert providers can be identified per Country/Region.

A3 - Provider identifier
Code [5 bits]

Provider name

00000
00001
00010
00011
…

…

11110
11111

3.2. Hazard
The hazard is specified by the hazard category and type and by its severity.

18

3.2.1. Hazard Category and Type (A4)This field identifies the type of the hazard, for which the alert is issued. There are 12 categories as per
the CAP format5, to which 113 types of hazards are associated.

A4 – Hazard category and type
Code [7 bits]

Name

0000000
0000001
0000010…

not used
CBRNE-Air strike
CBRNE-Attack on IT systems…

0010010ENVIRONMENT – Marine pollution…
0011011…
0101100…
0110011…
1001101…

…
FIRE – Forest fire…
GEO – Tsunami…
HEALTH - Pandemic…
MET – Storm or thunderstorm…

1110000

TRANSPORT – Tunnel accident

1110001

OTHER – Test alert

1110010reserved…
1111111…
reserved

3.2.2. Severity (A5)This field defines the severity of the hazard. There are 4 possible values, used to specify the possibleor actual threat to life and property in the alert area:

A5 – Severity
Code [2 bits]

Severity

00
01
10
11

Unknown
Moderate – possible threat to life or property
Severe – Significant threat to life or property
Extreme – Extraordinary threat to life or property

The severity information can be used to adapt the display of the information in the end user device orsmartphone, for example the colour code (e.g. flashing red for extreme, red for severe and orange for5

meteorological, environment, geological, fire, CBRNE, health, infrastructure, rescue, safety, security,transport, other19

moderate). The visualisation of the warning or alert message is subject of the manufacturer
implementation.
Note: While it is a possible value in CAP format, it is not possible in CAMF to assign the severity level“minor” to any hazard: such type of minor events is deemed not relevant for using satellite capacity.
Other means exist to alert population in case of a minor event. In the case the operator still wants toencode a “minor” alert, he shall choose “Unknown”.

3.3. Hazard Chronology
The hazard chronology is defined through 2 fields: the onset of the hazard and the expected durationof the hazard.

3.3.1. Hazard Onset: Week Number (A6) and Time of the Week (A7)
The hazard onset is the known, or expected, time of the beginning of the hazard. It is expressed inUTC. It is encoded by 15 bits, has a 1-minute resolution, and allows to identify the start of a foreseeable
hazard up to 2 weeks in advance.
The first bit of the field is used to identify the week6 when the hazard is expected to occur: the current
week, or the week after. The next 14 bits are used to code the time within the chosen week, at 1minute resolution.
Example: the code 100000000000011 indicates that the hazard is expected to occur Monday next
week, 2 minutes after midnight. (00:02 am).
A6 – Hazard onset – week number
Code [1 bit]
0
1

Week
Current week
Next week

A7 – Hazard onset – time of the week
Code [14 bits]
00000000000000
00000000000001
00000000000010
00000000000011

6

Day/Hour/Minutenot used
MONDAY – 00:00 am
MONDAY – 00:01 am
MONDAY – 00:02 am

A week starts on Monday, 0:00am and ends on Sunday, 11:59 pm.

20

A7 – Hazard onset – time of the week…
100000000000011…
10011101011111
10011101100000
10011101100001…
11111111111111…
MONDAY (next week) – 00:02 am…
SUNDAY – 11:58 pm
SUNDAY – 11:59 pm
not used…
not used

Note: The hazard onset is an optional field in the CAP format. However, it shall be a mandatory fieldin EWM to be able to define the “Alert ID” (see section 3.4). In case there is no onset value provided
by the operator, this field in EWM shall be filled in automatically by using the value provided in the“Sent Date/Time” field of the CAP message, which is a mandatory field to be provided in CAP. In thiscase, the field simply indicates the time when the alert was generated.

3.3.2. Hazard Duration (A8)The hazard duration corresponds to the expected validity of the alert in hours. It is encoded by 2 bits
which offers 4 possible entries:

A8 – Hazard duration
Code [2 bits]
00
01
10
11

Duration
Unknown
Duration < 6 hours
6 hours < duration < 12 hours
12 hours < duration < 24 hours

This field can be used by the receiver to clear an alert which duration has elapsed. In other words,
even if no “all clear” message is sent, the receiver can interpret this field and compare it with thecurrent time for deciding whether the alert shall be considered still active or not.
Note: The entry ‘Unknown’ can be used for events which duration are unknown at the time of thealert, or that could exceed 24 hours. In the case this value is selected, an “all clear” message shall besent mandatorily at the end of the event to “clear it” and avoid keeping it active endlessly in thereceiver memory.

3.4. Alert Identifier
Considering that simultaneous alerts can occur and affect the same group of population, each alertthat is broadcast by satellite shall be clearly identified with a unique ID. This allows traceability, as wellas consistent processing and display of the message on the user terminal.
This unique “alert ID” is constructed by combining in a key, the values of the main fields that are used
to characterise uniquely the alert. These are: Country/Region ID (A2), Provider identifier (A3), Hazard
category & type (A4), and Hazard onset (A6 and A7).
This key allows proper update management by civil protection operator, and correct interpretation atuser terminal level. By using this key, the end-user terminal can manage and process without

21

ambiguity the initial alert and its associated updates/all-clear messages, as well as other simultaneousalerts occurring in the same area.
Note: Since the fields A4 (hazard category & type) and A6 and A7 (hazard onset, week number andtime of the week) are part of this key, they shall not be modified anymore in the update process, sothat the update of an alert uses the correct key. When creating an update of this alert, the operational
concept should prevent the operator from modifying this information, (e.g. a mechanism at HMI levelto prevent changing these fields when creating an update). Similarly, to avoid creating different alertswith the same key, the operational concept shall prevent the operator from a given provider (A3) in agiven country/region (A2) to create 2 different alerts with the same hazard category & type (A4) and
onset (A6 and A7).
If the hazard onset has to be changed for a given alert (e.g. the time of arrival of a hurricane haschanged), the system shall create a new alert. This will generate a new “Alert ID”.

3.5. Guidance to react
For the population to react adequately to an alert, clear and unambiguous instructions shall be
provided as part of the message. Since it is not possible to broadcast free text in the GNSS signals, theCAMF uses a library of generic instructions, so that the operator creating an alert picks the mostadequate instruction for the given situation.
The guidance library is encoded by 3 fields:-

Type of Library (1 bit): it is the source of the library to use, either national or international
library.
Version ID of the library (3 bits): it allows identifying unambiguously the actual version of thelibrary to be used, to avoid confusion in case the end user is using an obsolete version.
Instruction (10 bits): it is the detailed recommended action to the end user.

22

3.5.1. Selection of Library (A9)The CAMF allows the use of two different types of libraries for the instructions: an international library,or a national library. National civil protection operators, when using EWSS, can decide which type oflibrary to use. The international library has been created by the European Commission, based on
inputs from EU Member States.
If the operator has selected ‘national library’, the receiver will automatically use the librarycorresponding to the country code filled in A2. If no such library exists, the receiver can still display
the rest of the alert message but shall not display any instruction. It will also inform the end user (e.g.
through a pop-up message) of a compatibility issue.

A9 – Selection of library
Code [1 bit]

Library0
1

International library
Country/region guidance library.

Note: The CAMF describes the international library only. Nations willing to use a different library are
free to do it and are responsible for developing and maintaining their own list of national instructions.

3.5.2. Version of Library (A10)
The concept of library relies on the obligation to use the same version of it on both ends of the service:by the operator encoding the alert, and by the end user terminal that is interpreting the code received
in the EWM.
The use of a “library ID” as a unique key ensures the strict alignment between libraries and prevents
inconsistencies when interpreting the code. In the same fashion as for the “Alert ID”, the “library ID”
allows the user terminal to check if its own library, i.e. the one it is about to use for interpreting thedata, and notably for picking the instructions, is identical to the one used by the operator. If the check
returns “false”, the receiver shall notify the user that an alert is on-going nearby, but the warning
message cannot be displayed as the library version is not aligned with that used by the operator tocreate the alert. Instead, the user is informed that he should install the latest version of the library in
its receiver, to avoid misinterpretation and misguidance.
There are 8 versions of library identifiable. This allows to modify up to 8 times the full library of data,
before roll-over and start again to version #1. This means that by process, the update rate shall not be
too often, so as to avoid situations where the end-user terminal would still apply an old version #1 of
the library while 8 successive versions of the libraries have been deployed (roll-over). Indicatively, an
update of the library every year (resp. every 2 years) would allow a maximum of 8 (resp. 16) years ofoperations without the risk of the roll-over.
Past the 8th version, the library version numbering starts again at #1, with the reasonable assumptionthat by that time no receiver terminal will exist with the original version #1 of the library still in use. A
warning mechanism (e.g. a pop-up message advising the user to download the latest version of thelibrary immediately) or an automatic download could be foreseen at every change of library version.

23

Note: This field “library version number” applies to all the libraries that are used to code and interpretthe EWM. Any single change applied to the format and the values in each field shall be endorsed
formally by the stakeholders, to keep end-to-end consistency and avoid proliferation of uncoordinatedlibraries. It requires an increment of the version number.
Example: An alert message using the international library in its version 7 would be coded as 0110.

A10 – Version of library
Code [3 bits]
000
001
…
110
111

Library version
#1
#2
…
#7
#8

3.5.3. Guidance to react library (A11)
The international guidance library is made of 2 distinct lists of 32 instructions each (list A and list B),
allowing an operator to choose one instruction from list A and one instruction from list B, and tocombine them into a unique instruction to the population.
List A covers the instructions of first priority, such as shelter, prepare, evacuate or execute.
List B covers the instructions of secondary priority, such as monitor, assess or avoid.
Note: Empty values are provided for each list (bit sequence ‘null’ in each list), meaning that it is still
possible to broadcast an alert message without any instruction. The null value can also be selected incase if compatibility issue detected by the receiver.
Example: An “evacuate” instruction from List A could be combined with a “monitor” instruction fromList B, to build the following instruction: “Prepare for evacuation” (from list A), “stay aware, keep
listening to official instructions broadcast on the radio, television, websites and social networks pages”(from List B).
A11 – Guidance to react – International library (list A)
Code [5 bits]

Instructions

00000
00001

[empty]You are in the danger zone, leave the area
immediately. Listen to radio or media for directions
and information.
You are in the danger zone, leave the area
immediately and reach the evacuation point
indicated by the area plotted in yellow. Listen toradio or media for directions and information.
Seek shelter in a building immediately. Stay undercover and stay informed.
…
Conditions have improved and are no longer
expected to meet alert criteria.

00010

00011
…
11111

24

A11 – Guidance to react – International library (list B)
Code [5 bits]

Instructions

00000
00001

[empty]Check with the weather services and local
authorities for additional information
Find out the location of the information points set
up by the authorities on official channels (radio,
internet, TV, social networks…)
Sensitive or vulnerable people should not go out
unless they must.
…
This replaces the warning previously in effect forthis area.

00010

00011
…
11111

Note: Other libraries can be constructed for national use, and based on a different allocation of the
10 bits (e.g. 2 bits/8 bits). In this case, the structure of the library of instruction shall be made available
to the receiver (e.g. through metadata in the field A2) so that the reading/decoding is consistent.

3.6. Target Area
The definition of the target area is an essential aspect of EWSS, as it defines the area where thewarning message and in particular the associated instruction applies.
The area of dissemination of the alert (called alert area) is defined as an ellipse (see Figure 3 below)
with 5 parameters:-

Ellipse centre latitude (A12);
Ellipse centre longitude (A13);
Ellipse semi-major axis length (A14);
Ellipse semi-minor axis length (A15);
Ellipse azimuth angle (A16).

The geographic coordinates for constructing the ellipse are defined in the World Geodetic System
WGS84. This ensures compatibility with the user segment, WGS84 being mostly used in geolocatedapplications.

25

These parameters are shown in Figure 3, where C0 is the centre of the ellipse which geographicalcoordinates are defined in A12 and A13, LM (resp. Lm) is the length of the semi-major axis defined in
A14 (resp. of the semi-minor axis defined in A15), and λ is the azimuth to the North defined in A16.

Figure 3: The alert area as an ellipse, and its parameters {C0, LM, Lm, λ}.

The ellipse parameters shall be computed by the system based on the information contained in the
CAP message. In the most general case, when a polygon is provided in CAP as the target area, thesystem shall compute the ellipse parameters such that the resulting ellipse fits best the polygon. This
best fit ellipse is the ellipse that contains the entire polygon area and that has the smallest area (Figure
4).

Figure 4: Ellipse area versus original target area26

3.6.1. Ellipse Centre Latitude (A12)The ellipse centre C0 is positioned on a Mercator grid of fixed resolution. The grid uses 16 bits to codea range of latitudes between -90° and 90°.
The latitude of any given grid point is given by the equation:
𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒(𝑖) = −90 + 𝑖 ×

180(216 − 1)[𝑑𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑠]

The angular interval between two consecutive A12 values on the WGS84 geoid is:
180𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑙_𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒(𝑑𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑠) = 16
= 0,00274662394140536(2 − 1)
The geographic distance between two consecutive A12 values on the WGS84 geoid is:𝜋
𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛_𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒(𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠) = 𝑅𝐸 × 16
= 305,752778557858(2 − 1)
RE is the Earth Radius. In WGS84 reference system, RE=6 378 137 meters.

A12 – Ellipse centre latitude
Code [16 bits]
0000000000000000
0000000000000001
0000000000000010…
1111111111111111

Angle (°)
-90
-89.9972533760586-89.9945067521172…
90

3.6.2. Ellipse Centre Longitude (A13)The ellipse centre C0 is positioned on a Mercator grid of fixed resolution. The grid uses 17 bits to codea range of longitudes between -180° and 180°.
The longitude of any given grid point is given by the equation:
𝐿𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒(𝑖) = −180 + 𝑖 ×

360(217 − 1)[𝑑𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑠]

The angular interval between two consecutive A13 values on the WGS84 geoid is:360
𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑎𝑙_𝐿𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒(𝑑𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑠) = 17
= 0,0027466029861678(2 − 1)
The geographic distance between two consecutive A13 values on the WGS84 geoid is:
2𝜋
𝑅𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛_𝐿𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 = 𝑅𝐸 × 17
× 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑒(𝐿𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒)(2 − 1)
with RE the Earth Radius. In WGS84 reference system, RE =6378137 meters.
A13 – Ellipse centre longitude
Code [17 bits]
00000000000000000
00000000000000001
00000000000000010…

Angle (°)
-180
-179.9972533970140-179.994506794028…

27

A13 – Ellipse centre longitude
Code [17 bits]

Angle (°)

11111111111111111

180

3.6.3. Ellipse Semi-Major Axis (A14)
The semi-major axis of the ellipse is coded on 5 bits with the following formula:
0

𝑛

0

0

𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ𝑛 = 10𝑙𝑜𝑔10(𝐿𝑚)+𝑁−1.(𝑙𝑜𝑔10(𝐿𝑀 )−𝑙𝑜𝑔10(𝐿𝑚))
Where N is the number of intermediate steps7 (i.e. the resolution), and 𝐿0𝑚 (resp. 𝐿0𝑀 ) the minimum(resp. maximum) length of the semi-axis.

A14 – Ellipse semi-major axis
Code [5 bits]
00000
00001
…
11110
11111

Length (km)
0.216
0.292
…
1848.727
2500

Note: The minimum length of the semi-minor axis shall be compatible with the resolution of the grid(305.75 x 305.75 metres at the Equator, worst case). This means that the smallest possible ellipse shallstill be capable to encompass all the geographical points within the resolution grid. The minimum
length is therefore dependent on the resolution of the grid, and is computed according to thefollowing formula:
1
𝐿0𝑚 = min 𝐿𝑚 = √ ∙ 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛2 = 216.2 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠
2
The maximum length of the semi-major axis allows to generate an ellipse that can cover the wholecontinental Europe, or the whole territory of Japan including the islands, from North to South andfrom East to West.
𝐿0𝑀 = max 𝐿𝑀 = 2 500 000 𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠

7With 5 bits, there are 32 intermediate values possible.

28

Figure 5: Relation between resolution of the grid and minimum length of ellipse axis

3.6.4. Ellipse Semi-Minor Axis (A15)
Similarly, the semi-minor axis of the ellipse is coded on 5 bits. The same formula as for A14 is used todefine the intermediate values.

A15 – Ellipse semi-minor axis
Code [5 bits]
00000
00001
…
11110
11111

Length (km)
0.216
0.292
…
1848.727
2500

3.6.5. Ellipse Azimuth (A16)
6 bits are used to encode the azimuth of the semi-major axis to the North. This offers 64 possible
rotation angles for the ellipse, i.e. an azimuth resolution of 2.81° between each possible ellipse.
By convention, azimuth angles are counted positive from East to North.
𝐴𝑧𝑖𝑚𝑢𝑡ℎ 𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 (𝑖) = −90 + 𝑖 ∙180
26

A16 – Ellipse azimuth angle
Code [6 bits]
000000

Angle (°)
-9029

A16 – Ellipse azimuth angle
Code [6 bits]
000001…
111110111111

Angle (°)
-87.19
…
84.38
87.19

3.7. Main Subject for Specific Settings (A17)
The specific setting field is used to encode additional information in relation to the hazard. The
category of extra information is first to be selected in A17 amongst 4 possibilities:▪
▪
▪
▪

B1: Improved resolution of main ellipse
B2: Position of centre of the hazard
B3: Secondary ellipse definition
B4: Quantitative and detailed information about the hazard

Note: Each of these categories will then make use of the next 15 bits available in A18. In consequence,these categories are mutually exclusive: a single EWM may only contain one of these categories.

A17 – Main subjects for specific settings
Code [2 bits]

Category

00
01
10
11

B1 – Improved resolution of main ellipse
B2 – Position of centre of hazard
B3 – Secondary ellipse definition
B4 – Quantitative and detailed information related to hazard

Note 1: The field B1 should be used by default to improve the resolution of the main ellipse
parameters, when the operator decides not to use any of the specific settings B2, B3 or B4. In thissituation, the full extent of the CAMF is used at the benefit of the precision of the alert. As soon as theoperator decides to use B2, B3 or B4 categories, the resolution of the main ellipse reverts to the coarse
resolution values as defined in A12 through A16.

30

Note 2: The fields B2 to B4 are optional, and may not be filled in.

3.7.1. Improved Resolution of Main Ellipse (B1)This category uses 12 bits to refine the resolution of the centre C0 and axes of the main ellipse. The 12
bits are divided in 4 sub-fields, each one being used to refine the resolution of the associated ellipse
parameter, as follows: the first 3 bits in this field are dedicated to improving the latitude of the main
ellipse’s centre C0, the next 3 bits are dedicated to improving the longitude of the main ellipse’s centre
C0, and the next 6 bits are dedicated to improving the resolution of the length of the semi-axes.

B1 – Improved resolution of main ellipse
Code [15 bits]

Parameter to be improved

Bits 0-2
Bits 3-5
Bits 6-8
Bits 9-11
Bits 12-14

3.7.1.1.

C1: Latitude of centre of main ellipse
C2: Longitude of centre of main ellipse
C3: Semi-major axis
C4: Semi-minor axis
reserved

Refined Latitude of Centre of Main Ellipse (C1)

The values are defined as the interval in latitude between two successive points of the main grid,
divided by 8 intermediate steps. This field allows to attain 7 additional latitude points within the main
resolution grid.
C1 – Refined latitude of centre of main ellipse
Code [3 bits]
000
001
010
…
110
111

3.7.1.2.

Delta angle (°)
00.000343
0.000687…
0.002060
0.002403

Refined Longitude of Centre of Main Ellipse (C2)

The values are defined as the interval in longitude between two successive points of the main grid,
divided by 8 intermediate steps. This field allows to attain 7 additional longitude points within themain resolution grid.
C2 – Refined longitude of centre of main ellipse
Code [3 bits]
000
001
010
…
110
111

Delta angle (°)
00.000343325
0.000686651…
0.002059952
0.002403278

31

3.7.1.3.

Refined Length of Semi-Major Axis (C3)

The values are defined in such a way that intermediate values between two consecutive lengths ofthe semi-major axis can be used. This field gives access to 7 additional possible lengths for coding themain ellipse’s semi-major axis.
The formula used to access the refined length of semi-major axis is:𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑖 𝑚𝑎𝑗𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑠 = 𝐴14𝑖 − C3. ∆𝑖𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ∆𝑖 = 𝐴14𝑖 − 𝐴14𝑖−1 𝑖𝑓 𝑖 > 0, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ∆0 = 𝐴140

C3 – Refined semi-major axis length
Code [3 bits]
000
001
010
…
110
111

3.7.1.4.

Factor
0
0.125
0.250
…
0.750
0.875

Refined Length of Semi-Minor Axis (C4)The values are defined in such a way that intermediate values between two consecutive lengths ofthe semi-minor axis can be used. This field gives access to 7 additional possible lengths for coding themain ellipse’s semi-minor axis.
The formula used to access the refined length of semi-minor axis is:𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑔𝑡ℎ 𝑠𝑒𝑚𝑖 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑥𝑖𝑠 = 𝐴15𝑖 − C4. ∆𝑖𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ∆𝑖 = 𝐴15𝑖 − 𝐴15𝑖−1 𝑖𝑓 𝑖 > 0, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ∆0 = 𝐴150

C4 – Refined semi-minor axis length
Code [3 bits]
000
001
010
…
110
111

Factor
0
0.125
0.250
…
0.750
0.875

3.7.2. Position of the Centre of the Hazard (B2)This category uses 14 bits to code the latitude and longitude values of the centre of the hazard. Thiscan be useful to inform population as to the whereabouts of the hazard (earthquake epicentre,
volcano position, forest fire, etc.). The centre of the hazard is expressed as an offset in geographicalcoordinates from the centre C0 of the main ellipse.

32

B2 – Position of centre of hazard

3.7.2.1.

Code [15 bits]

Parameter to be improved

Bits 0-6
Bits 7-13
Bit 14

C5: Delta latitude from main ellipse centre
C6: Delta longitude from main ellipse centre
reserved

Delta-Latitude from Main Ellipse Centre (C5)

The field allows to position the centre of the hazard CH at a distance of up to 10° of latitude from thecentre C0 of the main ellipse, north- or southward. This corresponds on Earth to a maximum distancefrom the centre C0 of the main ellipse of 1113 km.
The formula used to access the latitude of the centre of the hazard is:𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝐶𝐻 = 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝐶0 + ∆𝑖

𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ∆𝑖 = −10° + 𝑖 ∙20
𝑖𝑓 𝑖 ≤ 63
128

𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ∆𝑖 = −10° + (𝑖 + 1) ∙20
𝑖𝑓 𝑖 > 63
128

C5 – Delta latitude from main ellipse centre
Code [7 bits]
0000000
0000001
0000010…
01111100111111
1000000
1000001
1000010…
1111101
111111011111113.7.2.2.

Delta latitude (°)-10-9.84375-9.6875…
-0.15625
0.156250.31250.46875
0.625…
9.68759.84375
10Delta-Longitude from Main Ellipse Centre (C6)The field allows to position the centre of the hazard CH at a distance of up to 10° of longitude from thecentre C0 of the main ellipse, east- or westward. This corresponds on Earth (at the Equator) to a
maximum distance from the centre C0 of the main ellipse of 1113 km.
The formula used to access the longitude of the centre of the hazard is:𝐿𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝐶𝐻 = 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑑𝑒 𝐶0 + ∆𝑖

𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ∆𝑖 = −10° + 𝑖 ∙20
𝑖𝑓 𝑖 ≤ 63
128

𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ ∆𝑖 = −10° + (𝑖 + 1) ∙20
𝑖𝑓 𝑖 > 63
128

33

C6 – Delta longitude from main ellipse centre
Code [7 bits]
0000000
0000001
0000010…
01111100111111
1000000
1000001
1000010…
1111101
11111101111111

Delta longitude (°)-10-9.84375-9.6875…
-0.15625
0.156250.31250.46875
0.625…
9.68759.84375
10

3.7.3. Secondary Ellipse Definition (B3)With this field, an operator has the possibility to code a secondary ellipse, for providing additional
information to the population located within the boundaries of this ellipse. The secondary ellipse canbe used either:▪

▪

To provide a different type of instruction to the people located within its boundaries, in order
to raise awareness on the proximity of a hazard and recommend a course of action. This use
case corresponds to the ‘vigilance’ configuration of the secondary ellipse.
Or to indicate a place on a map that is safe, or recommended to reach, or where help andsupplies can be found (shelter). This use case corresponds to the ‘evacuation’ configurationof the secondary ellipse.

B3 – Secondary ellipse definition
Code [15 bits]
Bits 0-1
Bits 2-4
Bits 5-9
Bits 10-14

Parameter to be improved
C7: Shift of second ellipse centre
C8: Homothetic factor of second ellipse
C9: Bearing angle of second ellipse
C10: Guidance library for second Ellipse

The secondary ellipse is a transformation of the main ellipse. It is constructed by applying geometricaltransform functions8 to the parameters defining the main ellipse, in order to position its centre CS on
the grid and set the lengths of its semi-axes 𝐿𝑆𝑀 and 𝐿𝑆𝑚 .
Several cases are represented in the Figure 6 to Figure 9, to illustrate the potential of the secondary
ellipse for informing/guiding people, and its construction using CAMF.

8

Translation, homothety, rotation

34

Figure 6: Example of the coding of a secondary ellipse.

Figure 6 shows a secondary ellipse constructed from the parameters of the main ellipse, where:-

The centre Cs of the secondary is positioned at a distance 𝑑 = 2 ∙ 𝐿𝑀 from C0
The length of the semi-major axis (resp. of the semi-minor axis) of the secondary ellipse is
𝐿𝑆𝑀 = 1 ∙ 𝐿𝑀 , (resp. 𝐿𝑆𝑚 = 1 ∙ 𝐿𝑚 )The line of the semi-major axis of the secondary ellipse is rotated by θ = 180° from the azimuthof the main ellipse.

Figure 7: Example of the coding of a secondary ellipse in ‘Vigilance’ configuration.

Figure 7 shows a secondary ellipse constructed from the parameters defining the main ellipse, where:-

The centre Cs of the secondary is positioned at a distance 𝑑 = 2 ∙ 𝐿𝑀 from C0
The length of the semi-major axis (resp. of the semi-minor axis) of the secondary ellipse is
𝐿𝑆𝑀 = 2 ∙ 𝐿𝑀 , (resp. 𝐿𝑆𝑚 = 2 ∙ 𝐿𝑚 )The line of the semi-major axis of the secondary ellipse is rotated by θ = 230° from the azimuthof the main ellipse.

35Note: In Figure 7 the second ellipse overlaps parts of the main ellipse. In this situation, for the people
located within both the main ellipse and the secondary ellipse (intersection area), the user terminal
shall decode and display the information related to the main ellipse only. Therefore, dedicated filter
functions shall be implemented in the user terminal to manage the intersection case, such that the
information related to the main ellipse always prevails over that of the secondary ellipse.

Figure 8: Example of the coding of a secondary ellipse in ‘Vigilance’ configuration.

Figure 8 shows a secondary ellipse constructed from the parameters defining the main ellipse, where:-

The centre Cs of the secondary is positioned at a distance d = 0 from C0, i.e. CS=C0
The length of the semi-major axis (resp. of the semi-minor axis) of the secondary ellipse is
𝐿𝑆𝑀 = 2 ∙ 𝐿𝑀 , (resp. 𝐿𝑆𝑚 = 2 ∙ 𝐿𝑚 )The line of the semi-major axis of the secondary ellipse is rotated by θ = 0° from the azimuthof the main ellipse.

Note: In Figure 8 the second ellipse overlaps completely the main ellipse. Here again, the user terminal
shall manage the intersection area in such way that people in it receive only the information related
to the main ellipse. People located outside the main ellipse but within the secondary ellipse, are simply
informed of a hazard occurring in their vicinity.

Figure 9: Example of the coding of a secondary ellipse in ‘Evacuation’ configuration.

Figure 9 shows a secondary ellipse constructed from the parameters defining the main ellipse, where:-

The centre Cs of the secondary is positioned at a distance 𝑑 = 2 ∙ 𝐿𝑀 from C036

-The length of the semi-major axis (resp. of the semi-minor axis) of the secondary ellipse is1-

1

𝐿𝑆𝑀 = 4 ∙ 𝐿𝑀 , (resp. 𝐿𝑆𝑚 = 4 ∙ 𝐿𝑚 )The line of the semi-major axis of the secondary ellipse is rotated by θ = 90° from the azimuthof the main ellipse.

Note: Figure 9 shows the use of the secondary ellipse to indicate on the map a safe destination toreach.

3.7.3.1.

Shift of Second Ellipse Centre (C7)The centre Cs of the secondary ellipse is obtained by translating the centre C0 of the main ellipse by afactor of the length of the semi-major axis of the main ellipse, along this semi-major axis. This meansthat the distance d between C0 and CS is a multiple of the length of the semi-major axis of the main
ellipse, as follows:
𝑑𝐶0 −𝐶𝑆 (𝑖) = 𝐿𝑀 ∙ 𝑖 ∙4
22

C7 – Shift of second ellipse centre

3.7.3.2.

Code [2 bits]

Shift factor

00
01
10
11

0
1
2
3

Homothetic Factor of Second Ellipse (C8)The lengths of the semi-axes of the secondary ellipse are obtained by multiplying the lengths of therespective axis of the main ellipse by a factor between 0.25 and 2, as follows:
𝐿𝑆𝑀 (𝑖) = 𝐿𝑀 ∙ (𝑖 + 1) ∙2
23

𝐿𝑆𝑚 (𝑖) = 𝐿𝑚 ∙ (𝑖 + 1) ∙2
23

C8 – Homothetic factor of second ellipse

3.7.3.3.

Code [3 bits]

Homothetic factor

000
001
010
…
110
111

0.25
0.5
0.75
…
1.75
2

Bearing Angle of Second Ellipse (C9)To define the orientation of the secondary ellipse, the semi-major axis of the main ellipse is used as
reference and rotated around C0. This allows coding the value of the angle θ between the main lines37

of the main and secondary ellipses. By convention, the semi-major axis of the ellipse is positive to theEast, and θ is positive from East to North.
The rotation angle of the main axis of the secondary ellipse is given by the following formula:𝜃𝑖 = 𝑖 ∙360
25

Note: In navigation terminology, θ is also known as the “bearing angle”.

C9 – Bearing angle of second ellipse
Code [5 bits]
00000
00001
00010
…
11110
11111

3.7.3.4.

Bearing angle
0
11.25
22.5
…
337.5
348.75

Guidance Library for Second Ellipse (C10)

When using the option of the secondary ellipse, a dedicated instruction shall be provided to the
population located in the area defined by the secondary ellipse. 5 bits are used to code 32 possible
instructions. The list of instructions for the secondary ellipse is the list C.
Note: The code 00000 corresponds to the empty field, i.e. no instruction is provided from this list.
However, this code shall only be used when the secondary ellipse is used in its ‘evacuation’configuration. In this case, instruction IC-A-03 from list A9 is used by default, since the information forlocating the safe destination is key for the people in the main ellipse.

C10 – Guidance library for second ellipse
Code [5 bits]

Instruction
code

Instructions

00000

IC-C-01

00001

IC-C-02

00010

IC-C-03

…
00110
00111
01000
…

…
IC-C-07
IC-C-08
IC-C-09…

01101

IC-C-14…

…

[empty]Prepare for evacuation. Take only the essentials with you, especially ID cards, passport,
credit cards and cash. Evacuate only after the instruction of the emergency authorities.
Prepare emergency food and relief material: Check and restock your equipment andsupplies of water, food, medicine, cash and batteries.
…
Avoid using lifts
Avoid the danger area
Avoid driving…
Protect the most vulnerable and hear from your loved ones. Be aware of their special
needs and support, as required. If you notice distressed or vulnerable persons, contact
the emergency services. Provide first aid if necessary but do not put yourself in any
danger.
…

9”You are in the danger zone, leave the area immediately and reach the evacuation point indicated by the area plotted inyellow. Listen to radio or media for directions and information.”38

10001…

IC-C-18…

11110

IC-C-3111111

IC-C-32

reserved…
This is only a test. You do not have to take any action or adopt any particular sheltering
behaviour.
Conditions have improved and are no longer expected to meet alert criteria.

3.7.4. Quantitative and detailed information about the Hazard (B4)This category uses the 15 bits of the A18 field to code additional information related to the hazard,
such as the magnitude of an earthquake on the Richter scale, the wind speed or the amount of rainfall
in case of a storm or cyclone, the wave height, the forecast temperature in case of heat or cold wave,
the noise level in decibels, the type of infectious disease, etc.
A set of 36 additional hazard characteristics are provided in B4, allowing an operator to precise thetype and magnitude of the hazard.
Note: Not all hazards defined in field A4 are given additional characteristics in B4. Only a subset of
those hazards can be further characterised through meaningful quantitative or qualitative
information. Yet, hazard characteristics (beyond the current D fields) could be updated or added infuture.

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Earthquake
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-6
7-10
11-14

D1 – Magnitude on Richter scale
D2 – Seismic coefficient
D3 – Azimuth from centre of main ellipse to epicentre
D4 – Vector length between centre of main ellipse and epicentre

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Tsunami / tidal wave
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-14

D5 – Wave heightreserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Cold wave / heat wave
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-14

D6 – Temperature range
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Tropical cyclone (hurricane)
Code Bits Code [15 bits]to 16

Lower level fields

0-2
3-6
7-9
10-14

D7 – Hurricane categories
D8 – Wind speed
D9 – Rainfall amounts
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Tropical cyclone (typhoon)
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-6

D36 – Typhoon categories
D8 – Wind speed39

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Tropical cyclone (typhoon)
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

7-9
10-14

D9 – Rainfall amounts
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Tornado
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-6
7-9
10-14

D8 – Wind speed
D9 – Rainfall amounts
D11 – Tornado probability
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Storm or thunderstorm
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-14

D8 – Wind speed
D9 – Rainfall amounts
D10 – Damage category
D16 – Lightning intensity
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Hail
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-14

D12 – Hail scale
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Rainfall
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-6
7-14

D9 – Rainfall amounts
D13 – Visibility
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Snowfall
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-4
5-8
9-14

D14 – Snow depth
D13 – Visibility
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Flood
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-1
2-14

D15 – Flood severity
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Lightning
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-14

D16 – Lightning intensity
reserved40

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Wind chill/frost
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-7
8-14

D8 – Wind speed
D6 – Temperature range
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Derecho
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-14

D8 – Wind speed
D9 – Rainfall amounts
D16 – Lightning intensity
D11 – Tornado probability
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Fog
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-6
7-14

D17 – Fog level
D13 – Visibility
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Snow storm / blizzard
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-7
8-14

D13 – Visibility
D8 – Wind speed
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Drought
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-1
2-14

D18 – Drought level
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Avalanche risk
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-14

D19 – Avalanche warning level
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Ash fall
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-14

D20 – Ash fall amount and impact
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Wind/wave/storm surge
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-6
7-14

D8 – Wind speed
D5 – Wave heightreserved41

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Geomagnetic or solar storm
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-14

D21 – Geomagnetic scale
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Terrorism
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-14

D22 – Terrorism threat level
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Forest fire / risk of fire
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-14

D23 – Fire risk level
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Contaminated drinking water/marine pollution
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-14

D24 – Water quality
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for UV radiation
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-14

D25 – UV index
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Risk of infection / pandemic
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-4
5-10
11-14

D26 – Number of cases per 100 000 inhabitants
D35 – Infection typereserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Noise pollution
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-14

D27 – Noise range
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Air pollution
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-14

D28 – Air quality index
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Marine pollution / river pollution
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-2
3-14

D24 – Water quality
reserved42

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Outage of Gas supply/IT systems/Power systems/
Emergency number/Telephone line
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-4
5-14

D29– Outage estimation duration
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Radiological hazard, nuclear hazard and nuclear
power station accident
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-14

D30– Nuclear event scale
reserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Chemical hazard
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-3
4-14

D31– Chemical hazard typereserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Biological hazard
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-1
2-3
4-14

D32– Biohazard level
D33 – Biohazard typereserved

B4 – Quantitative or detailed information for Explosive hazard
Code [15 bits]

Lower level fields

0-1
2-14

D34– Explosive hazard typereserved

43

Annex A. Reference Documents[RD1]

Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (United Nations)[RD2]

Early Warnings for all, Executive Plan 2023-2027 (United Nations)[RD3]

OASIS Standard, Common Alerting Protocol (CAP)[RD4]

Peril Classification and Hazard Glossary, Data Project Report No. 1, March
2014

[RD5]

QZSS SIS ICD[RD6]Galileo OS SIS ICD

Annex B. Acronyms and Notations∈

is an element of a set∩

intersection ofλAzimuth of semi-major axis of main ellipse

θBearing of the semi-major axis of the secondary ellipse

C0

Centre of main ellipse

CH

Centre of hazard location

Cs

Centre of secondary ellipse

CAP

Common Alert Protocol

CAMF

Common Alert Message Format

CBRNE

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and enhanced Explosives

COP

Conference of the Parties of the convention on climate change

CPA

Civil Protection AuthoritiesdDistance between C0 and CS

deg°

Angle value in degrees

EC

European Commission

EGNOS

European Geostationary Navigation Overlay System

EU

European Union

EWM

Emergency Warning Message

EWSS

Emergency Warning Satellite Service

44

FAO

Food and Agricultural Organisation (of the United Nations)

GLONASS

GLObal NAvigation Satellite System

GNSS

Global Navigation Satellite systems

GPS

Global navigation system (US)HMI

Human Machine Interface

ICD

Interface Control Document

ID

Identifier

IRDR

Integrated Research on Disaster Risk

IRNSS

Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System

ISO

International Standard Organisation

IT

Information Technology

Km

Kilometre

LM

Length of semi-major axis of main ellipse

Lm

Length of semi-minor axis of main ellipse

𝐿𝑆𝑀

Length of semi-major axis of secondary ellipse

𝐿𝑆𝑚

Length of semi-minor axis of secondary ellipse

MEO

Medium-Earth Orbit

MET

Meteorology

NavIC

Message service using IRNSS

QZSSQuasi Zenith Satellite System

RE

Radius of the Earth in the WGS84 reference system

RNSS

Regional Navigation Satellite System

SBAS

Satellite based augmentation system

UN

United Nation

UTC

Universal Time Coordinate

WMO

World Meteorological Organisation (of the United Nations)45Annex C. CAMF Detailed Field Information
1. A1 – Message Type

A1 - Message type
Code [2 bits]

Message Type

00
01
10

Test
Alert
Update11

All Clear

2. A2 – Country / Region Name Field

A2 - Country / Region nameA2 - Country / Region nameCode
[9 bits]
000000000
000000001
000000010
000000011
000000100
000000101
000000110
000000111
000001000
000001001
000001010
000001011
000001100
000001101
000001110
000001111
000010000
000010001
000010010
000010011
000010100
000010101
000010110
000010111
000011000
000011001
000011010
000011011
000011100
000011101
000011110
000011111
000100000
000100001
000100010
000100011
000100100
000100101
000100110
000100111
000101000
000101001
000101010
000101011

Code[9 bits]
000101100
000101101
000101110
000101111
000110000
000110001
000110010

corresponding
decimal code
44
45
46
47
48
49
50

000110011

51

000110100
000110101
000110110
000110111
000111000
000111001
000111010
000111011
000111100
000111101
000111110
000111111
001000000
001000001
001000010
001000011
001000100
001000101

52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69

001000110

70

001000111
001001000
001001001
001001010
001001011
001001100
001001101
001001110
001001111
001010000
001010001
001010010
001010011
001010100
001010101

71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85

corresponding
decimal code
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43

Country / Region Name
Afghanistan
Albania
Antarctica
Algeria
American Samoa
AndorraAngolaAntigua and Barbuda
Azerbaijan
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahamas (the)Bahrain
Bangladesh
Armenia
Barbados
Belgium
BermudaBhutanBolivia (Plurinational State of)Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
BrazilBelizeBritish Indian Ocean Territory (the)Solomon Islands
Virgin Islands (British)
Brunei Darussalam
Bulgaria
MyanmarBurundiBelarus
Cambodia
Cameroon
CanadaCabo Verde
Cayman Islands (the)Central African Republic (the)Sri Lanka
Chad
Chile
China

Country / Region Name
Taiwan (Province of China)
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (the)Colombia
Comoros (the)MayotteCongo (the)Congo (the Democratic Republic ofthe)
Cook Islands (the)Costa Rica
Croatia
Cuba
CyprusCzechia
Benin
Denmark
Dominica
Dominican Republic (the)EcuadorEl Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Ethiopia
Eritrea
Estonia
Faroe Islands (the)Falkland Islands (the) [Malvinas]
South Georgia and the South
Sandwich Islands
Fiji
FinlandÅland Islands
FranceFrench Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories (the)Djibouti
Gabon
Georgia
Gambia (the)Palestine, State ofGermany
Ghana
Gibraltar46

A2 - Country / Region nameA2 - Country / Region nameCode
[9 bits]
001010110
001010111
001011000
001011001
001011010
001011011
001011100
001011101
001011110
001011111

corresponding
decimal code
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95

Code
[9 bits]
010011100
010011101
010011110
010011111
010100000
010100001
010100010
010100011
010100100

corresponding
decimal code
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164

010100101

165

001100000

96

001100001
001100010
001100011
001100100
001100101
001100110
001100111
001101000
001101001
001101010
001101011
001101100
001101101
001101110
001101111
001110000
001110001
001110010

97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114

001110011

115

010100110
010100111
010101000
010101001
010101010
010101011
010101100
010101101
010101110
010101111
010110000
010110001
010110010
010110011
010110100
010110101
010110110
010110111
010111000
010111001
010111010

166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186

001110100
001110101
001110110

116
117
118

010111011

187

001110111

119

001111000
001111001
001111010
001111011
001111100
001111101
001111110
001111111
010000000
010000001
010000010
010000011
010000100
010000101
010000110
010000111
010001000
010001001
010001010
010001011
010001100
010001101
010001110
010001111
010010000
010010001
010010010
010010011
010010100
010010101
010010110
010010111
010011000
010011001
010011010
010011011

120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155

010111100
010111101
010111110
010111111
011000000
011000001
011000010
011000011
011000100
011000101
011000110
011000111
011001000
011001001
011001010
011001011
011001100
011001101
011001110
011001111
011010000
011010001
011010010
011010011
011010100
011010101
011010110
011010111
011011000
011011001
011011010
011011011
011011100
011011101
011011110
011011111
011100000
011100001
011100010

188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226

Country / Region Name
Kiribati
GreeceGreenland
GrenadaGuadeloupe
Guam
GuatemalaGuineaGuyanaHaiti
Heard Island and McDonald
Islands
Holy See (the)HondurasHong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Iraq
IrelandIsraelItaly
Côte d'Ivoire
JamaicaJapan
Kazakhstan
Jordan
Kenya
Korea (the Democratic People's
Republic of)
Korea (the Republic of)
KuwaitKyrgyzstan
Lao People's Democratic Republic(the)
LebanonLesothoLatviaLiberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macao
Madagascar
MalawiMalaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
MexicoMonacoMongolia
Moldova (the Republic of)Montenegro
Montserrat
MoroccoMozambique
Oman
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands (the)Curaçao
Aruba
Sint Maarten (Dutch part)
Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
New CaledoniaCountry / Region Name
Vanuatu
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger (the)Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
NorwayNorthern Mariana Islands (the)United States Minor Outlying
Islands (the)Micronesia (Federated States of)Marshall Islands (the)PalauPakistan
PanamaPapua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines (the)Pitcairn
PolandPortugal
Guinea-Bissau
Timor-Leste
Puerto Rico
Qatar
RéunionRomania
Russian Federation (the)RwandaSaint BarthélemySaint Helena, Ascension andTristan da Cunha
Saint Kitts and Nevis
AnguillaSaint Lucia
Saint Martin (French part)Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
SenegalSerbiaSeychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Viet Nam
Slovenia
SomaliaSouth Africa
Zimbabwe
Spain
South Sudan
Sudan (the)Western Sahara*
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Eswatini
SwedenSwitzerland
Syrian Arab Republic (the)Tajikistan
ThailandTogo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
United Arab Emirates (the)Tunisia
Turkey47

A2 - Country / Region nameA2 - Country / Region nameCode
[9 bits]
011100011
011100100
011100101
011100110
011100111
011101000
011101001

corresponding
decimal code
227
228
229
230
231
232
233

Code
[9 bits]
100000000
100000001

011101010

234

011101011
011101100
011101101
011101110
011101111
011110000
011110001
011110010
011110011
011110100
011110101
011110110
011110111
011111000
011111001
011111010
011111011
011111100
011111101
011111110
011111111

235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255

Country / Region Name
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands (the)TuvaluUgandaUkraineNorth Macedonia
Egypt
United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland (the)Guernsey
JerseyIsle of Man
Tanzania, the United Republic ofUnited States of America (the)Virgin Islands (U.S.)
Burkina Faso
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of)Wallis and Futuna
Samoa
Yemen
ZambiaReserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved

111101111
111110000
111110001
111110010
111110011
111110100
111110101
111110110
111110111
111111000
111111001
111111010
111111011
111111100
111111101
111111110
111111111

corresponding
decimal code
256
257
…
…
…
…
495
496
497
498
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511

Country / Region Name
Reserved
Reserved…
…
…
…
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
EU Organisations
UN Organisations
International
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved
Reserved

3. A3 – Provider Identifier

A3 - Provider identifierCode[5 bits]
00000
00001
00010
…
11110
11111

corresponding
decimal code
0
1
2
…
30
31

Provider name (list dependent on value of A2)
Examples given below are genericReserved
Reserved
Reserved…
Reserved
Reserved48

4. A4 – Hazard Category and Type

A4 - Hazard category and typeCode
[7 bits]

Hazard category & type

0000000

not used

0000001

CBRNE - Air strike

0000010CBRNE - Attack on IT systems

0000011

CBRNE - Attack with nuclear weapons

0000100

CBRNE - Biological hazard

0000101

CBRNE - Chemical hazard

0000110CBRNE - Explosive hazard

00001110001000

CBRNE - Meteorite impact
CBRNE – Missile attack

0001001

CBRNE - Nuclear hazard

0001010CBRNE - Nuclear power station accident

0001011

CBRNE - Radiological hazard

0001100

CBRNE - Satellite/space re-entry debris

0001101

CBRNE - Siren test

0001110ENVIRONMENT - Acid rain

0001111ENVIRONMENT - Air pollution

0010000

ENVIRONMENT - Contaminated drinking
water

0010001

ENVIRONMENT - Gas leak

0010010ENVIRONMENT - Marine pollution

0010011ENVIRONMENT - Noise pollution

0010100

ENVIRONMENT - Plague of insects

0010101

ENVIRONMENT - River pollution

Definition
Attack performed by an aircraft, usually of military type, either
by bombing (or similar), firing guns or missiles.
Intentional attempt to expose, alter, disable, destroy, steal orgain unauthorized access to or make unauthorised use of IT
equipment.
From www.dhs.gov 'Attack performed with a device producing
a nuclear explosion.
Presence of hazardous biological materials that present a risk
or potential risk to the health of humans, animals, plants, orthe environment.
Presence of hazardous chemical materials that present a risk
or potential risk to the health of humans, animals, plants, orthe environment.
Presence of hazardous explosive materials that present a risk
or potential risk to the health of humans, animals, plants, orthe environment.
Meteorite entering from space into the earth atmosphere.
Missile launch.
Presence of hazardous nuclear materials that present a risk or
potential risk to the health of humans, animals, plants, or theenvironment.
Accident occurring at an installation where power is generated
by a nuclear reactor.
Presence of hazardous radioactive materials that present arisk or potential risk to the health of humans, animals, plants,or the environment.
Satellite or parts of a satellite or launcher or space vehicle
entering or re-entering from space into the earth atmosphere.
Test of a warning device emitting a loud noise.
Rain containing dissolved acidifying compounds, resulting
from chemical pollution of the atmosphere by sulphur andnitrogen compounds. When deposited, these increase theacidity of the soil and water causing agricultural andecological damage.
Precise threshold is according to each local standard.
Drinking water containing contaminants (germs and/or
chemicals) above the quality standard. Precise thresholdaccording to each local standard.
Uncontrolled release of natural gas or gaseous product in theenvironment.
Marine pollution occurs when substances used or spread byhumans, such as industrial, agricultural and residential waste,particles, noise, excess carbon dioxide or invasive organisms
enter the ocean and cause harmful effects there. Precise
threshold is according to each local standard.
Disturbing or unwanted noise that may present a potential risk
to the health of humans, animals and wildlife.
Infestation of insects or pervasive influx and development ofinsects or parasites affecting humans, animals, crops andmaterials.
Contamination of water in rivers, usually as a result of humanactivities, in such a manner that negatively affects its
legitimate uses.

49

A4 - Hazard category and typeCode
[7 bits]

Hazard category & type0010110ENVIRONMENT – Suspended dust

0010111ENVIRONMENT – UV radiation

0011000

FIRE – Conflagration

0011001

FIRE - Fire brigade deployment

001101000110110011100

FIRE - Fire gases
FIRE - Forest fire
FIRE - Fumes

0011101

FIRE - Odour nuisance0011110

FIRE - Risk of fire

0011111

FIRE - Structure fire / Industrial fire

0100000

GEO - Ash fall

0100001

GEO - Avalanche risk

0100010

GEO - Crack in the ground/sinkhole

0100011

GEO - Debris flow

0100100

GEO - Earthquake

0100101

GEO - Geomagnetic or solar storm

0100110

GEO - Glacial ice avalanche

0100111

GEO - Landslide

0101000

GEO - Lava flow

0101001

GEO - Pyroclastic flow

Definition
More general, particulates are microscopic solid particles
suspended in the air. The source of the particulate matter canbe natural or anthropogenic having adverse effect on humanhealth.
The IARC and WHO designate airborne particulates as aGroup 1 carcinogen. Particulates are the most harmful form of
air pollution due to their ability to penetrate deep into thelungs, blood streams and brain, causing health problems
including heart attacks, respiratory disease, and premature
death.
Precise threshold is according to each local standard.
A large and destructive fire that threatens human life, health,and/or property.
Operation of firefighters in response to a fire or otheremergency report.
Note: Definition may vary, depending on the responsibility of
the fire brigade in each country
Potentially dangerous gases emitted from a fire.
A type of wildfire in a wooded area.
An often-noxious suspension of particles in the air.
Prolonged and offensive smell leading to the impairment of
human well-being over a certain period of time at regular or
irregular intervals.
Increased likelihood of accidental fire.
Fire affecting the structural parts of a building or a fire
affecting an industrial site.
Fine (less than 4 mm in diameter) unconsolidated volcanic
debris blown into the atmosphere during an eruption; canremain airborne for long periods of time and travelconsiderable distance from the source.
A large mass of loosened earth material, snow, or ice thatslides, flows or falls rapidly down a mountainside under theforce of gravity. Snow Avalanche: Rapid downslope
movement of a mix of snow and ice. Debris Avalanche: The
sudden and very rapid downslope movement of unsorted
mass of rock and soil. There are two general types of debris
avalanches - a cold debris avalanche usually results from an
unstable slope suddenly collapsing whereas a hot debris
avalanche results from volcanic activity leading to slope
instability and collapse.
Collapse of the land surface due to the dissolving of thesubsurface rocks such as limestone or carbonate rock bywater.
Types of landslides that occur when heavy rain or rapid
snow/ice melt send large amounts of vegetation, mud, or rockdownslope by gravitational forces. Includes mud flow, rock fall.
Sudden movement of a block of the Earth’s crust along ageological fault and associated ground shaking.
A type of extra-terrestrial hazard caused by solar windshockwaves that temporarily disturb the Earth’s
magnetosphere. Geomagnetic storms can disrupt power grids,
spacecraft operations, and satellite communications.
Ice calving at end of a glacier.
Independent of the presence of water, mass movement may
also be triggered by earthquakes.
The ejected magma that moves as a liquid mass downslope
from a volcano during an eruption.
Extremely hot gases, ash, and other materials of more than
1,000 degrees Celsius that rapidly flow down the flank of a
volcano (more than 700 km/h) during an eruption.

50

A4 - Hazard category and typeCode
[7 bits]

Hazard category & type

0101010

GEO - Snowdrifts

0101011

GEO - Tidal wave

0101100

GEO - Tsunami

0101101

GEO - Volcanic mud flow

0101110

GEO - Volcano eruption

0101111

GEO - Wind/wave/storm surge

0110000

HEALTH - Epizootic

0110001

HEALTH - Food safety alert

0110010HEALTH - Health hazard

0110011HEALTH - Pandemic

0110100

HEALTH - Pest infestation

0110101

HEALTH - Risk of infection

0110110INFRASTRUCTURE - Building collapse

0111000
0111001
011101001110110111100

INFRASTRUCTURE - Emergency number
outageINFRASTRUCTURE - Gas supply outage
INFRASTRUCTURE – Outage of IT systems
INFRASTRUCTURE - Power outage
INFRASTRUCTURE – Raw sewage
INFRASTRUCTURE - Telephone line outage

0111101

MET - Black Ice

0110111

Definition
Mass of snow heaped up by the wind and deposited along an
obstruction or an irregularity of the terrain.
Shallow water wave caused by the gravitational interactions
between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. (from USGS)
A series of waves (with long wavelengths when travelingacross the deep ocean) that are generated by a displacementof massive amounts of water through underwater
earthquakes, volcanic eruptions or landslides. Tsunami waves
travel at very high speed across the ocean but as they begin
to reach shallow water they slow down and the wave grows
steeper.
(Also known as Lahar) A mud flow resulting from a volcanic
event. Hot or cold mixture of earthen material flowing on theslope of a volcano either during or between volcanic
eruptions.
A type of volcanic event near an opening/vent in the Earth’s
surface including volcanic eruptions of lava, ash, hot vapour,gas, and pyroclastic material.
An abnormal rise in sea level generated by a tropical cyclone
or other intense storms.
An epidemic outbreak of disease in an animal population,
often with the implication that it may extend to humans.
Presence of unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses,
parasites or chemical substances that present a risk to thehealth of humans, animals, plants or the environment.
Potential source of danger for individual's health.
An epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across alarge region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide,
affecting a substantial number of people. A widespreadendemic disease with a stable number of infected people is
not a pandemic. Widespread endemic diseases with a stable
number of infected people such as recurrences of seasonal
influenza are generally excluded as they occur simultaneously
in large regions of the globe rather than being spreadworldwide.
(from GEMET )1) The occurrence of one or more pest species
in an area or location where their numbers and impact are
currently or potentially at intolerable levels. 2) A sudden
increase in destructiveness or population numbers of a pest
species in a given area.
Present of infectious agent(s) that present a risk or potential
risk to the health of humans, animals, plants, or theenvironment.
Sudden failure of the building structure resulting in its partial
or total destruction.
Interruption or failure of emergency number service.
Interruption or failure of gas supply service.
Interruption or failure of IT systems services.
Interruption or failure of electricity distribution service.
Release in the environment of untreated wastewater.
Interruption or failure of telephone service.
WMO definition: (1) Thin, new ice on freshwater or saltwater,
appearing dark in colour because of its transparency, which isa result of its columnar grain structure. On lakes, black ice iscommonly overlain by white ice formed from refrozen snow orslush. (2) A popular alternative for glaze. A thin sheet of ice,
relatively dark in appearance, may form when light rain or
drizzle falls on a road surface that is at a temperature below 0°C or, alternatively, when water already on the road surface
subsequently freezes when the temperature thereof falls

51

A4 - Hazard category and typeCode
[7 bits]

Hazard category & type0111110

MET - Coastal flooding

0111111

MET - Cold wave

1000000

MET - Derecho

1000001

MET - Drought

1000010

MET - Dust storm

1000011

MET - Floating ice / icebergs

1000100

MET - Flood

1000101

MET - Fog

1000110

MET - Hail

1000111

MET - Heat wave

1001000

MET - Lightning

1001001

MET - Pollens

1001010

MET - Rainfall

1001011

MET - Snow storm / blizzard

1001100

MET - Snowfall

1001101

MET - Storm or thunderstorm

1001110

MET - Thawing

1001111

MET - Tornado

1010000

MET - Tropical cyclone (hurricane)

Definition
below freezing point. It may also be formed when supercooled
fog droplets are intercepted by buildings, fences andvegetation.
Occurs when dry and low-lying land is submerged byseawater.
Extreme cold and low temperatures.
Widespread and usually fast-moving windstorms associatedwith convection/convective storm. Derechos include
downburst and straight-line winds. The damage from
derechos is often confused with the damage from tornadoes.
An extended period of unusually low precipitation that
produces a shortage of water for people, animals and plants.
Drought is different from most other hazards in that it develops
slowly, sometimes even over years, and its onset is generally
difficult to detect.
Strong winds carry particles of sand aloft, but generally
confined to less than 50 feet (15 m), especially common inarid and semi-arid environments. A dust storm is alsocharacterised by strong winds but carries smaller particles ofdust rather than sand over an extensive area.
Floating ice in rivers or icebergs in the open sea
A general term for the overflow of water from a stream
channel onto normally dry land in the floodplain (riverine
flooding), higher-than normal levels along the coast and inlakes or reservoirs (coastal flooding) as well as ponding ofwater at or near the point where the rain fell (flash floods).
A suspension of very small, usually microscopic water
droplets in the air, reducing visibility at the Earth’s surface.
Solid precipitation in the form of irregular pellets or balls of ice
more than 5 mm in diameter.
A general term for temperature variations above (extremeheat).
A high-voltage, visible electrical discharge produced by athunderstorm and followed by the sound of thunder.
Pollens that can cause human allergies are those ofanemophilous plants (pollen is dispersed by air currents.)
Such plants produce large quantities of lightweight pollen(because wind dispersal is random and the likelihood of one
pollen grain landing on another flower is small), which can be
carried for great distances and are easily inhaled by humans.
Rainfall greater than or equal to 50mm in past 24 hours.
Note: Precise threshold is according to each local standard.
A low-pressure system in winter months with significant
accumulations of snow, freezing rain, sleet or ice. A blizzard isa severe snowstorm with winds exceeding 35 mph (56 km/h)
for three or more hours, producing reduced visibility (less than
.25 mile (400 m).
Snowfall greater than or equal to 50mm in past 24 hours.
Note: Precise threshold is according to each local standard.
Meteorological event generating winds equal or higher than
10 on the Beaufort scale.
Gradual warning causing ground ice to degrade, potentiallyleading the soil surface to collapse.
A violently rotating column of air that reaches the ground or
open water (waterspout).
A tropical cyclone originates over tropical or subtropicalwaters. It is characterised by a warm-core, non-frontal
synoptic-scale cyclone with a low-pressure centre, spiral rainbands and strong winds. Depending on their location, tropical
cyclones are referred to as hurricanes (Atlantic, Northeast
Pacific), typhoons (Northwest Pacific), or cyclones (South
Pacific and Indian Ocean). With a minimum wind speed of52

A4 - Hazard category and typeCode
[7 bits]

Hazard category & type

1010001

MET - Wind chill/frost

1010010

MET - Tropical cyclone (typhoon)

1010011RESCUE - Dam failure or bursting of a dam

1010100RESCUE - Dike failure or bursting of a dike1010101RESCUE - Explosive ordnance disposal

1010110RESCUE - Factory accident

1010111RESCUE - Mine hazard

1011000

SAFETY - Bomb/ammunition discovery

1011001

SAFETY - Demonstration

1011010SAFETY - Hazardous material accident

1011011

SAFETY - Life Threatening situation

1011100

SAFETY - Major event

1011101

SAFETY - Missing person/abduction

1011110SAFETY - Risk of explosion

1011111

SAFETY - Safety warning

1100000

SAFETY - Undefined flying object

Definition
119km/h (or 74 miles/h) a tropical storm in the Atlantic orNortheast Pacific is called a hurricane.10
Frost is the consequence of radiative cooling resulting in theformation of thin ice crystals on the ground or other surfaces
in the form of needles, feathers, scales, or fans. Frost occurs
when the temperature of surfaces is below freezing and water
vapor from humid air forms solid deposits on the cold surface.
Freeze occurs when the air temperature is at (32˚F/0˚C) or
below over a widespread area for a climatologically significant
period of time. Use of the term is usually restricted toadvective situations or to occasions when wind or otherconditions prevent frost. Frost and freeze are particularly
damaging during the crop growing season.
A tropical cyclone originates over tropical or subtropicalwaters. It is characterised by a warm-core, non-frontal
synoptic-scale cyclone with a low-pressure centre, spiral rainbands and strong winds. Depending on their location, tropical
cyclones are referred to as hurricanes (Atlantic, Northeast
Pacific), typhoons (Northwest Pacific), or cyclones (South
Pacific and Indian Ocean). With a minimum wind speed of
119km/h (or 74 miles/h) a tropical storm in the Atlantic orNortheast Pacific is called a hurricane.10
Incident at a dam potentially leading to the uncontrolled
release of the dam content
Incident at a dike potentially leading to the uncontrolled
release of water
Activity to render safe all types of ordnance, including
explosive, chemical and biological. It covers land andunderwater location, identification, render-safe, and recovery(or disposal) of ordnance.
Incident at an industrial site affecting the surrounding area
Any of the dangers peculiar to the winning and working of coaland minerals. These include collapse of ground, explosion of
released gas, inundation by water, spontaneous combustion,
inhalation of dust and poisonous gases, etc.
Unexpected presence of bomb or ammunition
A march or gathering of people taking part in to show theiropposition to something or their support for something
An unexpected uncontrolled release of substances that havethe potential to harm a person or the environment upon
contact.
Emergency situation that requires immediate intervention tosave the life of the persons concerned.
Planned happening which may generate significant disruption
in road traffic or transport
Unaccounted person whose health status (alive/dead) cannot
be confirmed.
Intentional use of explosive materials aiming at killing or
damaging the health of humans, animals, plants, or theenvironment.
Announcement of a potentially dangerous situation or event to
the public impacting their safety.
Presence of an unidentified flying object which may present arisk or potential risk to the health of humans, animals, plants,or the environment.

10

Hurricanes and typhoons are the same weather phenomenon. A tropical cyclone is a generic term used todescribe a rotating, organized system of clouds and thunderstorms that originates over tropical or subtropicalwaters and has closed, low-level circulation. The classification as a hurricane, typhoon or tropical cyclone
depends upon where the storm originates in the world. Although, in this list of hazards hurricanes andtyphoons are identified separately.

53

A4 - Hazard category and typeCode
[7 bits]

Hazard category & type

1100001

SAFETY - Unidentified animal

1100010

SECURITY - Chemical attack

11000111100100

1100110

SECURITY - Guerrilla attack
SECURITY - Hijack
SECURITY - Shooting or danger due toweapons
SECURITY - Special forces attack

1100111

SECURITY - Terrorism

1101000

TRANSPORT - Aircraft crash1101001

TRANSPORT - Bridge collapse

1101010TRANSPORT - Dangerous goods accident

1100101

11010111101100

TRANSPORT - Inland waterway transport
accident
TRANSPORT - Nauticaldisaster/Maritime/Marine Security

1101101

TRANSPORT - Oil spill

1101110TRANSPORT - Road traffic incident

1101111

TRANSPORT - Train/rail accident

1110000
1110001
111001011100111110100
1110101
111011011101111111000
1111001
111101011110111111100
1111101
11111101111111

TRANSPORT - Tunnel accident
OTHER - Test alert
reserved
reserved
reserved
reserved
reserved
reserved
reserved
reserved
reserved
reserved
reserved
reserved
reserved
reserved

Definition
Presence of an unidentified animal which may present a risk
or a potential risk to the health of humans, animals, plants, orthe environment.
Intentional use of dangerous chemical materials aiming at
killing or damaging the health of humans, animals, plants, orthe environment.
Paramilitary armed forces carrying violent actions.
Airplane or other vehicle under the control of hijackers.
Dangerous use of firearm(s) or weapons in a populated area.
Military armed forces carrying violent actions.
Terrorist action aiming at generating a high number of victims
or major material damage.
Aircraft crash
Structural failure of a bridge resulting in its partial or total
destruction.
Accident occurrence associated with and related to theconveyance of dangerous goods by air, road, inland
waterways and sea, which results in fatal or serious injury to aperson or major damage to property or environment.
Ship accident on an inland waterway.
Sinking ship or any other event occurring at sea which may
present of security or safety risk.
Leak of oil or pollutant from a ship or other transportation
mean resulting in pollution.
Announcement of road traffic disruption.
Accident occurring on a railway and involving train(s) and/or
other vehicles.
Car crash or railway accident occurring in a tunnel.
Test alert message for end-to-end testing.

54

5. A5 – Severity

A5 - SeverityCode[2 bits]

Severity

00
01
10

Unknown
Moderate - Possible threat to life or property
Severe - Significant threat to life or property

11

Extreme - Extraordinary threat to life or property

6. A6 – Hazard Onset, Week Number

A6 - Hazard onset, week number
Code [1 bit]
Week
0

Current

1

Next

7. A7 – Hazard Onset, Time of the Week

A7 - Hazard onset,
time of the week

(UTC Time)A7 - Hazard onset,
time of the week

(UTC Time)

Code [14 bits]

Day/Hour/Min

Code [14 bits]

Day/Hour/Min

00000000000000

not used

00000000000001

MONDAY - 00:00 AM

00000000000010
00000000000011
00000000000100
00000000000101
00000000000110
00000000000111
00000000001000
00000000001001
00000000001010
00000000001011
00000000001100
00000000001101
00000000001110
00000000001111
00000000010000…
00001011001111
00001011010000
00001011010001
00001011010010

MONDAY - 00:01 AM
MONDAY - 00:02 AM
MONDAY - 00:03 AM
MONDAY - 00:04 AM
MONDAY - 00:05 AM
MONDAY - 00:06 AM
MONDAY - 00:07 AM
MONDAY - 00:08 AM
MONDAY - 00:09 AM
MONDAY - 00:10 AM
MONDAY - 00:11 AM
MONDAY - 00:12 AM
MONDAY - 00:13 AM
MONDAY - 00:14 AM
MONDAY - 00:15 AM…
MONDAY - 11:58 AM
MONDAY - 11:59 AM
MONDAY - 00:00 PM
MONDAY - 00:01 PM

00001011010011…
00010110011100
00010110011101
00010110011110
00010110011111
00010110100000
00010110100001
00010110100010
00010110100011
00010110100100
00010110100101
00010110100110…
00101100111111
00101101000000
00101101000001
00101101000010
00101101000011…
01000011011111
01000011100000

MONDAY - 00:02 PM…
MONDAY - 11:55 PM
MONDAY - 11:56 PM
MONDAY - 11:57 PM
MONDAY - 11:58 PM
MONDAY - 11:59 PM
TUESDAY - 00:00 AM
TUESDAY - 00:01 AM
TUESDAY - 00:02 AM
TUESDAY - 00:03 AM
TUESDAY - 00:04 AM
TUESDAY - 00:05 AM…
TUESDAY - 11:58 PM
TUESDAY - 11:59 PM
WEDNESDAY - 00:00 AM
WEDNESDAY - 00:01 AM
WEDNESDAY - 00:02 AM…
WEDNESDAY - 11:58 PM
WEDNESDAY - 11:59 PM

55

A7 - Hazard onset,
time of the week

A7 - Hazard onset,
time of the week

(UTC Time)(UTC Time)

Code [14 bits]

Day/Hour/Min

Code [14 bits]

Day/Hour/Min

01000011100001
01000011100010
01000011100011…
01011001111111
01011010000000
01011010000001
01011010000010
01011010000011…
01110000011111
01110000100000
01110000100001
01110000100010
01110000100011…
10000110111111
10000111000000
10000111000001
10000111000010
10000111000011…
10011101010010
10011101010011
10011101010100

THURSDAY - 00:00 AM
THURSDAY - 00:01 AM
THURSDAY - 00:02 AM…
THURSDAY - 11:58 PM
THURSDAY - 11:59 PM
FRIDAY - 00:00 AM
FRIDAY - 00:01 AM
FRIDAY - 00:02 AM…
FRIDAY - 11:58 PM
FRIDAY - 11:59 PM
SATURDAY - 00:00 AM
SATURDAY - 00:01 AM
SATURDAY - 00:02 AM…
SATURDAY - 11:58 PM
SATURDAY - 11:59 PM
SUNDAY - 00:00 AM
SUNDAY - 00:01 AM
SUNDAY - 00:02 AM…
SUNDAY - 11:45 PM
SUNDAY - 11:46 PM
SUNDAY - 11:47 PM

10011101010101
10011101010110
10011101010111
10011101011000
10011101011001
10011101011010
10011101011011
10011101011100
10011101011101
10011101011110
10011101011111
10011101100000
10011101100001
10011101100010
10011101100011
10011101100100…
…
11111111111011
11111111111100
11111111111101
11111111111110
11111111111111

SUNDAY - 11:48 PM
SUNDAY - 11:49 PM
SUNDAY - 11:50 PM
SUNDAY - 11:51 PM
SUNDAY - 11:52 PM
SUNDAY - 11:53 PM
SUNDAY - 11:54 PM
SUNDAY - 11:55 PM
SUNDAY - 11:56 PM
SUNDAY - 11:57 PM
SUNDAY - 11:58 PM
SUNDAY - 11:59 PM
not used
not used
not used
not used…
…
not used
not used
not used
not used
not used

8. A8 – Hazard Duration

A8 - Hazard duration
Code [2 bits]

Duration [h]

00
01
10

Unknown
Duration < 6
6 <= Duration < 12

11

12 <= Duration < 24

9. A9 – Selection of Guidance Library

A9 – Selection of Guidance to react library
Code [1 bit]
Selection

Comments

0International Guidance LibraryThis library is developed and maintained by the EU.

1

Country/Region Guidance Library

Country/Region guidance library to be developed andmaintained by local authorities.

56

10. A10 – Version of Library

A10 – Version of library
Code [3 bits]

version #

000

#1

001

#2

010
011
100
101
110

#3
#4
#5
#6
#7

111

#8

11. A11 – Guidance to React Library – List A and List B
A11 - Guidance to react – International library (List A)
LIST A: General required action
Code [10bits –
bits 0-4]

Instruction
Code

00000

IC-A-01[empty]00001

IC-A-02

You are in the danger zone, leave the area immediately. Listen to radio or media for directions andinformation.

00010

IC-A-03

You are in the danger zone, leave the area immediately and reach the evacuation point indicated by
the area plotted in yellow. Listen to radio or media for directions and information.

00011

IC-A-04

Seek shelter in a building immediately. Stay under cover and stay informed.

00100

IC-A-05

Seek out a cellar or interior rooms on lower floors.

00101

IC-A-06

00110

IC-A-0700111

IC-A-08

01000

IC-A-09

If you are in an alpine terrain, start descending immediately and seek for shelter.
Quickly move into interior rooms. If you are in a vehicle: Stop driving immediately on the edge of theroad. If a building is nearby, seek shelter in that building.
If you are in open terrain and you cannot find shelter, lie face-down on the ground and protect yourhead and neck with your hands, in a hollow where possible
Prepare for evacuation. Take only the essentials with you, especially ID cards, passport, credit cards
and cash. Evacuate only after the instruction of the emergency authorities.

01001

IC-A-10Prepare emergency food and relief material: Check and restock your equipment and supplies of water,
food, medicine, cash and batteries.

01010

IC-A-11

Stay away from glass surfaces such as windows and glass doors. There is a risk of injury from glass
splinters.

01011

IC-A-12Reduce your power consumption to a minimum.

01100
01101

IC-A-13
IC-A-1401110

IC-A-1501111

IC-A-16

10000

IC-A-17

Reduce your water consumption to a minimum.
Boil water before drinking it or using it in the kitchen.
Keep at least one metre away from any conversation partners. Avoid physical contact with otherpeople such as kissing and shaking hands. Wash your hands regularly and thoroughly.
Do not drink any tap water. Avoid any skin contact with tap water. Only drink mineral water from abottle. Turn off the water supply to your house.
Watch out for escaping gas. This can be indicated by hissing noises or a typical gas odour. Do not use
matches, lighters or the like: naked flames in combination with leaking gas can lead to explosions andfires.

Instruction list - EN

57

A11 - Guidance to react – International library (List A)
LIST A: General required action
Code [10bits –
bits 0-4]

Instruction
Code

10001

IC-A-18

10010

IC-A-19

10011
10100
10101

IC-A-20
IC-A-21
IC-A-22

Do not go outside and do not use your car.
Do not touch any objects that seem suspicious to you. Debris can cause additional hazards such as fires
and explosions. Inform the emergency services about damage and debris.
Do not enter smoke-filled rooms. Deadly gases can form there.
Do not enter cellars or underground car parks.
Do not leave pets or livestock outside.

10110

IC-A-23

Do not touch any dead animals. Report any findings of dead wild animals to the authorities.

10111

IC-A-24

11000

IC-A-25

11001

IC-A-26

11010

IC-A-27

11011
11100

IC-A-28
IC-A-29

Avoid driving
Avoid all items with metal parts such as umbrellas and bicycles. Do not bathe or shower during athunderstorm. Bathing and showering can be life-threatening.
Avoid rooms directly underneath the roof truss. Avoid very large rooms, such as halls, in which theceiling is not supported by pillars.
Avoid going outdoors. Keep away from trees, towers and masts. Keep at least 20 m away from powerlines. Watch out for flying objects and falling objects.
Avoid the danger area
Avoid going out when it is not necessary

11101

IC-A-30This is only a test. You do not have to take any action or to adopt any particular sheltering behaviour

11110
11111

IC-A-31
IC-A-32

This replaces the warning previously in effect for this area.
Conditions have improved and are no longer expected to meet alert criteria.

Instruction list - EN

A11 - Guidance to react – International library (List B)
LIST B: Monitoring + Required action
Code [10bits- bits
5-9]

Instruction
Code

00000

IC-B-01[empty]00001

IC-B-02

Check with the weather services and local authorities for additional information

00010

IC-B-0300011

IC-B-04

00100

IC-B-05

00101

IC-B-06

00110

IC-B-0700111

IC-B-08

01000
01001

IC-B-09
IC-B-1001010

IC-B-1101011

IC-B-1201100

IC-B-13

Instruction list - EN

Find out the location of the information points set up by the authorities on official channels (radio,
internet, TV, social networks…)
Sensitive or vulnerable people should not go out unless they must.
Rescue operation under process by security forces and emergency services. Avoid moving to facilitate
security and emergency actions.
Protect the most vulnerable and hear from your loved ones. Be aware of their special needs andsupport, as required. If you notice distressed or vulnerable persons, call the emergency services.
Provide first aid if necessary but do not put yourself in any danger.
Pay attention to announcements made by the police, fire brigade and by officials.
Stay aware, keep listening to official instructions broadcast on the radio, television, websites and social
networks pages
If you need help leaving your home, call the emergency services.
Only make phone calls in serious emergencies to avoid overloading the mobile network.
Extreme intensity weather phenomena expected. The weather is very dangerous and implies high levelof threat to health, even the life hazard. BE AWARE and keep up to date with the latest weather
forecast.
Severe weather expected. BE PREPARED. Take precautions and keep up to date with the latest weather
forecast. Severe damages to people and properties may occur, especially to those vulnerable or in
exposed areas.
Moderate intensity weather phenomena expected. BE AWARE, keep up to date with the latest weather
forecast. Moderate damages to people and properties may occur, especially to those vulnerable or in
exposed areas

58A11 - Guidance to react – International library (List B)
LIST B: Monitoring + Required action
Code [10bits- bits
5-9]

Instruction
Code

01101

IC-B-1401110

IC-B-1501111

IC-B-16

10000

IC-B-17

10001

IC-B-18

10010

IC-B-1910011

IC-B-2010100

IC-B-2110101

IC-B-2210110

IC-B-23

10111

IC-B-24

11000

IC-B-25

11001

IC-B-26

11010

IC-B-2711011

IC-B-28

11100
11101
11110
11111

IC-B-29
IC-B-30
IC-B-31
IC-B-32

Instruction list - EN
BE PREPARED to protect yourself and your property. Flooding of properties and transport networks is
expected. Disruption to power, communications and water supplies are possible. Evacuation may berequired. Dangerous driving conditions due to reduced visibility and aquaplaning
Do not go near or in flooded waters. Do not walk or drive on a submerged road. Flood waves may
surprise you, the river bank may collapse or you could be sucked in a manhole or hit by a floating
debris. Keep drains and shafts clear so that the water can drain away. Secure and/or move assets awayfrom vulnerable area (car along the river, basements).
Take shelter in the most resistant part of a permanent building, a municipal shelter if possible, andkeep away from windows. BE AWARE of the “eye of the storm”, the calm area in its centre. It will befollowed by an inversion and the strengthening of winds. Do not go outside and do not use your car.
Wait until the alert is over.
TAKE PRECAUTIONS, High temperatures are expected. Protect yourself from the heat and avoid
physical and sports activities. Wet your body several times a day. Drink plenty of water and eat lightfood.
Forest fire danger. Under these conditions fires may develop and spread rapidly resulting in damage toproperty and possible loss of human and/or animal life. Do not throw away any burning cigarettes ormatches to the environment. Do not make a fire outdoors. Do not light any fireworks. Do not barbequein open places. Vegetation is easily ignited and large areas may be affected. Follow the instructions
from the local authorities.
Risks of fire. Use permanent fireplaces when barbecuing. Make sure your fire is completely
extinguished before you leave. Only light fireworks with the permission of the municipality, keep a safe
distance from the forest and have water to hand.
Keep as far away as possible from coastal areas, beaches and rivers. Get immediately to the highest
ground possible and wait until the alert is over. If you are in danger of being overtaken by waves, climb
onto a roof or up a solid tree, or cling on to a floating object carried along by the water.
Do not go to sea and keep as far away as possible from the coast and wait until the alert is over. If you
are at sea, don’t return to port. Keep away from the coast. Waves are much less dangerous out at sea.
Leave the affected area immediately and seek higher ground or move to higher parts of the building.
Listen to radio or media for directions and information
Indoors: during the quake, take shelter near a wall or a solid piece of furniture. Outside: during thequake, keep away from anything that might collapse. In a car: during the quake, stop as far away frombuildings as you can. After, be prepared for aftershocks. If you are indoor, leave by the stairs.
Leave the impact site immediately and cover your mouth and nose with improvised respiratory
protection (cloth, garment, surgical mask). This protects you from dust, but not from gaseous
hazardous substances. Seek out a building. Move wherever possible at a right angle to the winddirection as this is the quickest way to leave the danger zone with a possible cloud of hazardous
substances.
Switch off the ventilation and air conditioning systems. Close all windows, doors and shutters. Coveryour mouth and nose and breathe through a facemask or an improvised respiratory protection (cloth,
garment, surgical mask) if the air is filled with smoke and ashes
Have iodine tablets ready. DO NOT take the iodine tablets now. If this becomes necessary, we will
inform you in good time.
Take the iodine tablets NOW according to the package insert.
Avoid watering your plants during the hottest hours, avoid using water for secondary uses such as
washing your car.
Seek shelter if you cannot leave the area immediately.
reserved
reserved
This replaces the warning previously in effect for this area.

5912. A12 – Ellipse Centre Latitude

A12 - Ellipse centre latitude
Code[16 bits]

angle [deg°]interval[deg°]

interval[m]

0000000000000000
0000000000000001
0000000000000010
0000000000000011
0000000000000100
0000000000000101
0000000000000110
0000000000000111
0000000000001000
0000000000001001
0000000000001010
0000000000001011…
0011111111111110
0011111111111111
0100000000000000
0100000000000001…
0111111111111110
0111111111111111
1000000000000000
1000000000000001…
1011111111111110
1011111111111111
1100000000000000
1100000000000001…
1111111111110100
1111111111110101
1111111111110110
1111111111110111
1111111111111000
1111111111111001
1111111111111010
1111111111111011
1111111111111100
1111111111111101
1111111111111110
1111111111111111-90,000-89,997-89,995-89,992-89,989-89,986-89,984-89,981-89,978-89,975-89,973-89,970…
-45,005-45,002-44,999-44,997…
-0,004-0,001
0,001
0,004
…
44,99744,99945,00245,005…
89,97089,973
89,97589,97889,981
89,98489,98689,98989,992
89,99589,99790,0000,002746624

305,7560

13. A13 – Ellipse Centre Longitude

A13 - Ellipse centre longitude
Code[17 bits]

angle [deg°]interval [deg°]interval [m]00000000000000000
00000000000000001
00000000000000010
00000000000000011
00000000000000100
00000000000000101
00000000000000110
00000000000000111
00000000000001000
00000000000001001
00000000000001010
00000000000001011…
00111111111111110
00111111111111111
01000000000000000
01000000000000001…
01111111111111110
01111111111111111
10000000000000000
10000000000000001…
10111111111111110
10111111111111111
11000000000000000
11000000000000001…
11111111111110100
11111111111110101
11111111111110110
11111111111110111
11111111111111000
11111111111111001
11111111111111010
11111111111111011
11111111111111100
11111111111111101
11111111111111110
11111111111111111-180,000-179,997-179,995-179,992-179,989-179,986-179,984-179,981-179,978-179,975-179,973-179,970…
-90,005-90,002-89,999-89,997…
-0,004-0,001
0,001
0,004
…
89,99789,99990,00290,005…
179,970
179,973
179,975
179,978
179,981
179,984
179,986
179,989
179,992
179,995
179,997
180,000

0,002746603

305.75 x cos (Lat)61

14. A14 – Ellipse Semi Major Axis

A14 - Ellipse semi-major axis (LM)Code
[5 bits]
00000
00001
00010
00011
00100
00101
00110
00111
01000
01001
01010
01011
01100
01101
01110
01111
10000
10001
10010
10011
10100
10101
10110
10111
11000
11001
11010
11011
11100
11101
11110
11111

Value of n

Length [km]

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

0,216
0,292
0,395
0,535
0,723
0,978
1,322
1,788
2,418
3,269
4,421
5,979
8,085
10,933
14,78419,992
27,03536,55949,43966,85590,407122,255
165,324
223,564
302,322
408,824
552,846
747,6031010,970
1367,116
1848,727
2500,00062

15. A15 – Ellipse Semi Minor Axis

A15 - Ellipse semi-minor axis (Lm)Code
[5 bits]
00000
00001
00010
00011
00100
00101
00110
00111
01000
01001
01010
01011
01100
01101
01110
01111
10000
10001
10010
10011
10100
10101
10110
10111
11000
11001
11010
11011
11100
11101
11110
11111

Value of n

Length [km]

0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31

0,216
0,292
0,395
0,535
0,723
0,978
1,322
1,788
2,418
3,269
4,421
5,979
8,085
10,933
14,78419,992
27,03536,55949,43966,85590,407122,255
165,324
223,564
302,322
408,824
552,846
747,6031010,970
1367,116
1848,727
2500,00063

16. A16 – Ellipse Azimuth Angle

A16 – Ellipse azimuth angle

A16 – Ellipse azimuth angleCode[6 bits]

angle [deg°]Code[6 bits]

angle [deg°]

000000000001000010000011000100000101000110000111001000001001001010001011001100001101001110001111010000010001
010010010011010100010101010110010111011000011001011010011011011100011101011110011111
100000100001100010100011100100100101
100110100111101000101001-90,00-87,19-84,38-81,56-78,75-75,94-73,13-70,31-67,50-64,69-61,88-59,06-56,25-53,44-50,63-47,81-45,00-42,19-39,38-36,56-33,75-30,94-28,13-25,31-22,50-19,69-16,88-14,06-11,25
-8,44
-5,63
-2,81
0,00
2,81
5,63
8,44
11,25
14,06
16,88
19,69
22,50
25,31

101101
101110101111110000110001110010110011110100110101110110110111111000111001111010111011111100111101111110111111

36,56
39,38
42,19
45,00
47,81
50,63
53,44
56,25
59,06
61,88
64,69
67,50
70,31
73,13
75,94
78,75
81,56
84,38
87,19

101010101011101100

28,13
30,94
33,75

64

17. A17 –Selection of Main Subject for Specific Settings

A17 - Specific settings - main subjects
Code[2 bits]

Main subjects

Comments

00

B1 - Improved resolution of main ellipse

01

B2 - Position of the centre of the hazard

10

B3 - Second ellipse definition

The parameters improve the resolution of the centre of theellipse and of its axes.
When centre of hazard is different from the centre of theellipse.
It is expressed in degrees of latitude and longitude in offset ofthe centre of the ellipse, with a limitation of +/- 10 degrees.
Geometry of this second ellipse is computed from the original
ellipse (shift, size and rotation).

11

B4 - Quantitative and detailed information related
to hazard category and type

Option to provide quantitative or more detailed information
related to the hazard category and type.

18. A18 – Specific Settings
18.1.

B1 – Improved Resolution of Main Ellipse

The definition of the improved resolution of the main ellipse is covered by the Specific Setting fields
C1 to C4.

B1 - Improved resolution of main ellipse
Code
Number of[15 bits]
Bits
Bits 0-2
Bits 3-5
Bits 6-8

3
3
3

Specific Parameters of Main Subject

C1 - Refined ellipse centre location - latitude
C2 - Refined ellipse centre location - longitude
C3 - Refined semi-major axis lengthB1 - Improved resolution of main ellipse
Code
Number of[15 bits]
Bits

Specific Parameters of Main Subject

Bits 9-11

3

C4 - Refined semi-minor axis length

Bits 12-143

reserved

18.1.1.

C1 - Refined Ellipse Centre Location – Latitude

C1 - Refined ellipse centre location - latitude
Code
FactorDelta angle [deg°][3 bits]000
00,000000001
10,000343010
20,000687011
30,001030
100
40,001373
101
50,001717110
60,002060
111
70,002403

18.1.2.

Refined interval[deg°]
0,000343328

C2 - Refined Ellipse Centre Location – Longitude

C2 - Refined ellipse centre location - longitude
Code
Refined interval
FactorDelta angle [deg°][3 bits][deg°]
000
00,000000000
0,000343325
001
010
011
100
101
110
111

Refinedinterval [m]
38,22

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Refinedinterval [m]38.22 x cos(Lat)

0,000343325
0,000686651
0,001029976
0,001373301
0,001716627
0,002059952
0,002403278

66

18.1.3.

C3 - Refined Ellipse Semi-Major Axis Length

C3 - Refined ellipse semi-major axis length
Code [3 bits]
x
000
0
001
0,125
010
0,250
011
0,375
100
0,500
101
0,625
110
0,750
111
0,875

18.1.4.

C4 – Refined Ellipse Semi-Minor Axis Length

C4 - Refined ellipse semi-minor axis length
Code [3 bits]
x
000
0
001
0,125
010
0,250
011
0,375
100
0,500
101
0,625
110
0,750
111
0,875

67

18.2.

B2 - Position of the Centre of the Hazard

B2 – Position of centre of hazard

Code [15 bits]

Number of Bits

Bits 0-6
Bits 7-13
Bit 147
7
1

18.2.1.

Specific Parameters of Main Subject
C5 - Delta latitude from Ellipse Centre
C6 - Delta longitude from Ellipse Centre
reserved

C5 - Delta-Latitude from Main Ellipse Centre

C5 - Delta latitude from main ellipse centre

C5 - Delta latitude from main ellipse centre

Code[7 bits]

Delta Latitude [deg°]Code[7 bits]

Delta Latitude [deg°]

0000000
0000001
000001000000110000100
0000101
000011000001110001000
0001001
000101000010110001100
0001101
00011100001111-10,000000000-9,843750000-9,687500000-9,531250000-9,375000000-9,218750000-9,062500000-8,906250000-8,750000000-8,593750000-8,437500000-8,281250000-8,125000000-7,968750000-7,812500000-7,656250000

0010000
0010001
001001000100110010100
0010101
001011000101110011000
0011001
001101000110110011100
0011101
00111100011111-7,500000000-7,343750000-7,187500000-7,031250000-6,875000000-6,718750000-6,562500000-6,406250000-6,250000000-6,093750000-5,937500000-5,781250000-5,625000000-5,468750000-5,312500000-5,156250000

68

C5 - Delta latitude from main ellipse centre

C5 - Delta latitude from main ellipse centre

Code[7 bits]

Delta Latitude [deg°]Code[7 bits]

Delta Latitude [deg°]

0100000
0100001
010001001000110100100
0100101
010011001001110101000
0101001
010101001010110101100
0101101
010111001011110110000
0110001011001001100110110100
0110101
011011001101110111000
0111001
011101001110110111100
0111101
01111100111111
1000000
1000001
1000010
10000111000100
1000101
100011010001111001000
1001001
100101010010111001100
1001101
10011101001111-5,000000000-4,843750000-4,687500000-4,531250000-4,375000000-4,218750000-4,062500000-3,906250000-3,750000000-3,593750000-3,437500000-3,281250000-3,125000000-2,968750000-2,812500000-2,656250000-2,500000000-2,343750000-2,187500000-2,031250000-1,875000000-1,718750000-1,562500000-1,406250000-1,250000000-1,093750000-0,937500000-0,781250000-0,625000000-0,468750000-0,312500000-0,156250000
0,156250000
0,312500000
0,468750000
0,625000000
0,781250000
0,937500000
1,093750000
1,250000000
1,406250000
1,562500000
1,718750000
1,875000000
2,031250000
2,187500000
2,343750000
2,500000000

1010000
1010001
101001010100111010100
1010101
101011010101111011000
1011001
101101010110111011100
1011101
101111010111111100000
1100001
110001011000111100100
1100101
110011011001111101000
1101001
110101011010111101100
1101101
110111011011111110000
1110001
111001011100111110100
1110101
111011011101111111000
1111001
111101011110111111100
1111101
111111011111112,656250000
2,812500000
2,968750000
3,125000000
3,281250000
3,437500000
3,593750000
3,750000000
3,906250000
4,062500000
4,218750000
4,375000000
4,531250000
4,687500000
4,843750000
5,000000000
5,156250000
5,312500000
5,468750000
5,625000000
5,781250000
5,937500000
6,093750000
6,250000000
6,406250000
6,562500000
6,718750000
6,875000000
7,031250000
7,187500000
7,343750000
7,500000000
7,656250000
7,812500000
7,968750000
8,125000000
8,281250000
8,437500000
8,593750000
8,750000000
8,906250000
9,062500000
9,218750000
9,375000000
9,531250000
9,687500000
9,843750000
10,000000000

6918.2.2.

C6 ––Delta-Longitude from Main Ellipse Centre

C6- Delta longitude from ellipse centre
Code
Delta Longitude [deg°]C6- Delta longitude from ellipse centre
Code
Delta Longitude [deg°][7 bits][7 bits]

0000000
0000001
000001000000110000100
0000101
000011000001110001000
0001001
000101000010110001100
0001101
000111000011110010000
0010001
001001000100110010100
0010101
001011000101110011000
0011001
001101000110110011100
0011101
001111000111110100000
0100001
010001001000110100100
0100101
010011001001110101000
0101001
010101001010110101100

0101101
010111001011110110000
0110001011001001100110110100
0110101
011011001101110111000
0111001
011101001110110111100
0111101
01111100111111
1000000
1000001
1000010
10000111000100
1000101
100011010001111001000
1001001
100101010010111001100
1001101
100111010011111010000
1010001
101001010100111010100
1010101
101011010101111011000
1011001-10,000000000-9,843750000-9,687500000-9,531250000-9,375000000-9,218750000-9,062500000-8,906250000-8,750000000-8,593750000-8,437500000-8,281250000-8,125000000-7,968750000-7,812500000-7,656250000-7,500000000-7,343750000-7,187500000-7,031250000-6,875000000-6,718750000-6,562500000-6,406250000-6,250000000-6,093750000-5,937500000-5,781250000-5,625000000-5,468750000-5,312500000-5,156250000-5,000000000-4,843750000-4,687500000-4,531250000-4,375000000-4,218750000-4,062500000-3,906250000-3,750000000-3,593750000-3,437500000-3,281250000-3,125000000-2,968750000-2,812500000-2,656250000-2,500000000-2,343750000-2,187500000-2,031250000-1,875000000-1,718750000-1,562500000-1,406250000-1,250000000-1,093750000-0,937500000-0,781250000-0,625000000-0,468750000-0,312500000-0,156250000
0,156250000
0,312500000
0,468750000
0,625000000
0,781250000
0,937500000
1,093750000
1,250000000
1,406250000
1,562500000
1,718750000
1,875000000
2,031250000
2,187500000
2,343750000
2,500000000
2,656250000
2,812500000
2,968750000
3,125000000
3,281250000
3,437500000
3,593750000
3,750000000
3,906250000
4,062500000

C6- Delta longitude from ellipse centre
Code
Delta Longitude [deg°]C6- Delta longitude from ellipse centre
Code
Delta Longitude [deg°][7 bits][7 bits]

101101010110111011100
1011101
101111010111111100000
1100001
110001011000111100100
1100101
110011011001111101000
1101001
110101011010111101100

18.3.

1101101
110111011011111110000
1110001
111001011100111110100
1110101
111011011101111111000
1111001
111101011110111111100
1111101
11111101111111

4,218750000
4,375000000
4,531250000
4,687500000
4,843750000
5,000000000
5,156250000
5,312500000
5,468750000
5,625000000
5,781250000
5,937500000
6,093750000
6,250000000
6,406250000
6,562500000
6,718750000
6,875000000
7,031250000

7,187500000
7,343750000
7,500000000
7,656250000
7,812500000
7,968750000
8,125000000
8,281250000
8,437500000
8,593750000
8,750000000
8,906250000
9,062500000
9,218750000
9,375000000
9,531250000
9,687500000
9,843750000
10,000000000

B3 - Secondary Ellipse DefinitionB3 – Secondary ellipse definition
Code [15 bits]
Number of Bits
Bits 0-1
2Specific Parameters of Main Subject
C7 - Shift of second ellipse centre

Bits 2-4

3

C8 - Homothetic factor of second ellipse

Bits 5-9

5

C9 - Bearing angle of second ellipse

Bits 10-14

5

C10 – Guidance library for second ellipse

7118.3.1.

C7 – Shift of Second Ellipse Centre

C7 – Shift of second ellipse centre
Code [2 bits]
Shift Factor
00
01
10
11

18.3.2.

0
1
2
3

C8 – Homothetic Factor of Second Ellipse

C8 – Homothetic factor of second ellipse
Code [3 bits]
Homothetic Factor
000
001
010
011
100
101
110
111

18.3.3.

0,25
0,5
0,75
1
1,25
1,5
1,75
2

C9 – Bearing Angle of Second Ellipse

C9 – Bearing Angle of second ellipse
Code [5 bits]
Degree
00000
00001
00010
00011
00100
00101
00110
00111
01000
01001
01010
01011
01100
01101
01110
01111
10000

0
11,25
22,5
33,75
45
56,25
67,5
78,75
90
101,25112,5123,75
135
146,25157,5168,7518072

C9 – Bearing Angle of second ellipse
Code [5 bits]
Degree
10001
10010
10011
10100
10101
10110
10111
11000
11001
11010
11011
11100
11101
11110
11111

191,25202,5213,75225
236,25247,5258,75270
281,25292,5303,75315
326,25337,5348,7573

18.3.4.

C10 –Guidance Library for Second Ellipse

C10 – Guidance library for second ellipse
LIST C: Specific action for second ellipse
Code[5 bits]

Instruction
code

00000

IC-C-01

00001

IC-C-02

00010

IC-C-03

00011

IC-C-04

00100

IC-C-05

00101

IC-C-06

Keep your smartphone charged to be able to receive further instructions and information

00110

IC-C-07

Avoid using lifts.

00111

IC-C-08

Avoid the danger area.

01000

IC-C-09

Avoid driving.

01001

IC-C-10

Rescue operation under process by security forces and emergency services. Avoid moving tofacilitate security and emergency actions.

01010

IC-C-11Check with the weather services and local authorities for additional information.

01011

IC-C-12Find out the location of the information points set up by the authorities on official channels(radio, internet, TV, social networks…).

01100

IC-C-13

Sensitive or vulnerable people should not go out unless they must.

01101

IC-C-14

Protect the most vulnerable and hear from your loved ones. Be aware of their special needs
and support, as required. If you notice distressed or vulnerable persons, contact the
emergency services. Provide first aid if necessary but do not put yourself in any danger.

01110

IC-C-15

Pay attention to announcements made by the police, fire brigade and by officials.

01111

IC-C-16

Stay aware, keep listening to official instructions broadcast on the radio, television, websites
and social networks pages.

10000

IC-C-17

Only make phone calls in serious emergencies to avoid overloading the mobile network.

10001

IC-C-18

reserved

10010

IC-C-19

reserved

10011

IC-C-20

reserved

10100

IC-C-21

reserved

10101

IC-C-22

reserved

10110

IC-C-23

reserved

10111

IC-C-24

reserved

11000

IC-C-25

reserved

11001

IC-C-26

reserved

11010

IC-C-27

reserved

11011

IC-C-28

reserved

Instruction list - English[empty]Prepare for evacuation. Take only the essentials with you, especially ID cards, passport,
credit cards and cash. Evacuate only after the instruction of the emergency authorities.
Prepare emergency food and relief material: Check and restock your equipment and supplies
of water, food, medicine, cash and batteries.
Be prepared to protect yourself and your property. Flooding of properties and transport
networks is expected. Disruption to power, communications and water supplies are possible.
Evacuation may be required. Dangerous driving conditions due to reduced visibility andaquaplaning.
Have iodine tablets ready. DO NOT take the iodine tablets now. If this becomes necessary,
we will inform you in good time.

74

C10 – Guidance library for second ellipse
LIST C: Specific action for second ellipse
Code[5 bits]

Instruction
code

11100

IC-C-29

reserved

11101

IC-C-30

reserved

11110

IC-C-31This is only a test. You do not have to take any action or to adopt any particular sheltering
behaviour.

11111

IC-C-32

Conditions have improved and are no longer expected to meet alert criteria.

Instruction list - English

Note: The ‘empty field’ (code ‘00000’) is to be automatically selected when the secondary ellipse isused in the ‘evacuation’ configuration (see Figure 9), i.e. to locate a safe geographic area/point togather. Therefore, there is no specific instruction for the secondary ellipse, when used in thisconfiguration.

18.4.
B4 - Quantitative and Detailed Information related to Hazard Category
and Type

B4 - Quantitative or detailed information related to hazard category and type
Hazard category and type (seeA4) (selected subset)

Code[15 bits]

Earthquake
0-3
4-6
7-10
11-14
Tsunami / tidal wave
0-2
3-14
Cold wave / heat wave
0-3
4-14
Tropical cyclone (hurricane)
0-2
3-6
7-9
10-14
Tropical cyclone (typhoon)
0-2
3-6
7-9
10-14
Tornado
0-3
4-6
7-9
10-14

Numberof Bits
15
4
3
4
4
15
3
12
15
4
11
15
3
4
3
5
15
3
4
3
5
15
4
3
3
5

Lower-Level Fields

D1 - Magnitude on Richter Scale
D2 - Seismic coefficientD3 - Azimuth from centre of main ellipse to epicentre
D4 - Vector length between centre of main ellipse and epicentre
D5 – Wave heightreserved
D6 –Temperature range
reserved
D7- Hurricane categories
D8 – Wind speed
D9 - Rainfall amounts
reserved
D36 - Typhoon categories
D8 – Wind speed
D9 - Rainfall amounts
reserved
D8 – Wind speed
D9 - Rainfall amounts
D11 – Tornado probability
reserved75

B4 - Quantitative or detailed information related to hazard category and type
Hazard category and type (seeA4) (selected subset)

Code[15 bits]

Storm or thunderstorm
0-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-14
Hail
0-3
4-14
Rainfall
0-2
3-6
7-14
Snowfall
0-4
5-8
9-14
Flood
0-1
2-14
Lightning
0-2
3-14
Wind chill/frost
0-3
4-7
8-14
Derecho
0-3
4-6
7-9
10-12
13-14
Fog
0-2
3-6
7-14
Snow storm / blizzard
0-3
4-7
8-14
Drought
0-1
2-14
Avalanche risk
0-2
3-14
Ash fall0-2

Numberof Bits
15
4
3
3
3
2
15
4
11
15
3
4
8
15
5
4
6
15
2
13
15
3
12
15
4
4
7
15
4
3
3
3
2
15
3
4
8
15
4
4
7
15
2
13
15
3
12
15
3

Lower-Level Fields

D8 – Wind speed
D9 - Rainfall amounts
D10 – Damage category
D16 – Lightning intensity
reserved
D12 - Hail scale
reserved
D9 – Rainfall amounts
D13 - Visibility
reserved
D14 – Snow depth
D13 - Visibility
reserved
D15 – Flood severity
reserved
D16 – Lightning intensity
reserved
D8 – Wind speed
D6 - Temperature range
reserved
D8 – Wind speed
D9 - Rainfall amounts
D16 – Lightning intensity
D11 – Tornado probability
reserved
D17 – Fog levelD13 - Visibility
reserved
D13 - Visibility
D8 – Wind speed
reserved
D18 – Drought level
reserved
D19 - Avalanche warning level
reserved
D20 – Ash fall amount and impact76

B4 - Quantitative or detailed information related to hazard category and type
Hazard category and type (seeA4) (selected subset)

Code[15 bits]

Numberof Bits

3-14

12
15
4
3
8
15
3
12
15
3
12
15
3
12

Wind/wave/storm surge
0-3
4-6
7-14
Geomagnetic or solar storm
0-2
3-14
Terrorism
0-2
3-14
Forest fire / risk of fire
0-2
3-14
Contaminated drinking water /marine pollution

Lower-Level Fields
reserved
D8 – Wind speed
D5 – Wave heightreserved
D21 – Geomagnetic scale
reserved
D22 – Terrorism threat level
reserved
D23 – Fire risk level
reserved

15
0-2
3-14

D24 – Water quality
reserved

0-4
5-10
11-14

3
12
15
4
11
15
5
6
4

0-3
4-14

6
4

D27 – Noise range
reserved

0-2
3-14

6
4

D28 – Air pollution index
reserved

UV radiation
0-3
4-14
Risk of infection / pandemic

D25 – UV index
reserved
D26 - Number of cases per 100 000 inhabitants
D35 - Infection typereserved

Noise pollution

Air pollution

Marine pollution / riverpollution

15
0-2
3-14

Outage of Gas supply / IT
systems / Power systems /Emergency number / Telephone
line

3
12

D24 – Water quality
reserved

15
0-4
5-14

Radiological hazard, nuclear
hazard and nuclear power
station accident

510

D29 – Outage - estimated duration
reserved

15
0-3
4-14

Chemical hazard
0-3
4-14
Biological hazard
0-1

4
11
15
4
11
15
2

D30 – Nuclear event scale
reserved
D31 – Hazard classreserved
D32 - Biohazard level77

B4 - Quantitative or detailed information related to hazard category and type
Hazard category and type (seeA4) (selected subset)

Code[15 bits]

Numberof Bits

2-3
4-14

2
11
15
2
13

Explosive hazard
0-1
2-14

Lower-Level Fields
D33 – Biohazard typereserved
D34 - Explosive hazard typereserved

18.4.1.

A18 – B4 GEO - Earthquake

18.4.2.

A18 – B4 GEO - Tsunami

7818.4.3.

A18 – B4 MET – Cold Wave and Heat Wave

18.4.4.

A18 – B4 MET – Tropical Cyclone (hurricane)7918.4.5.

A15 – B4 MET - Tropical Cyclone (typhoon)

18.4.6.

A15 – B4 MET - Tornado

80

18.4.7.

A15 – B4 MET - Storm or Thunderstorm

18.4.8.

A15 – B4 MET - Hail81

18.4.9.

A15 – B4 MET - Rainfall

18.4.10.

A15 – B4 MET – Snowfall82

18.4.11.

A15 – B4 MET - Flood

18.4.12.

A15 – B4 MET – Lightning83

18.4.13.

A15 – B4 MET - Wind Chill / Frost

18.4.14.

A15 – B4 MET – Derecho

84

18.4.15.

A15 – B4 MET – Fog

18.4.16.

A15 – B4 MET – Snow Storm / blizzard

18.4.17.

A15 – B4 MET – Drought85

18.4.18.

A15 – B4 GEO – Avalanche Risk

18.4.19.

A15 – B4 GEO – Tidal Wave86

18.4.20.

A15 – B4 GEO – Ash Fall

18.4.21.

A15 – B4 GEO – Wave/Wind/Storm Surge87

18.4.22.

A15 – B4 GEO – Geomagnetic or Solar Storm

18.4.23.

A15 – B4 SECURITY - Terrorism

8818.4.24.

A15 – B4 FIRE– Forest Fire or Risk of Fire18.4.25.
A15 – B4 ENVIRONMENT – Contaminated Drinking Water orMarine Pollution or River Pollution8918.4.26.

A15 – B4 ENVIRONMENT – UV Radiation

18.4.27.

A15 – B4 HEALTH – Risk of Infection or Pandemic

18.4.28.

A15 – B4 ENVIRONMENT – Noise Pollution90

18.4.29.

A15 – B4 ENVIRONMENT – Air Pollution

18.4.30.
A15 – B4 INFRASTRUCTURE – Gas supply outage or Outage of IT
systems or Power outage or Emergency number outage or Telephone line
outage91

18.4.31.

A15 – B4 CBRNE – Chemical Hazard

18.4.32.
A15 – B4 CBRNE – Radiological Hazard or Nuclear Hazard or
Nuclear power station accident

9218.4.33.

A15 – B4 CBRNE – Biological Hazard

18.4.34.

A15 – B4 CBRNE – Explosive Hazard

18.4.35.

B4 – Lower-Level Fields Tables

18.4.35.1.

D1 – Magnitude on Richter Scale

D1 - Magnitude on Richter Scale
Code [4 bits]
Magnitude
Description
0000
0001
0010
0011
0100
0101
0110
0111
1000

1.0-1.9
2.0-2.9
3.0-3.9
4.0-4.9
5.0-5.9
6.0-6.9
7.0-7.9
8.0-8.9
9.0 and greater

Micro
Minor
Minor
Light
Moderate
Strong
Major
Great
Great

93

REFERENCE: The Richter magnitude scale, see Richter magnitude scale - Wikipedia.

18.4.35.2.

D2 – Seismic CoefficientD2 - Seismic Coefficient
Code [3 bits]
Seismic Coefficient18.4.35.3.

000
001

2
3

010

4

011

5 weak100

5 strong

101

6 weak110

6 strong

111

7

D3 – Azimuth from Centre of Main Ellipse to Epicentre

D3 - Azimuth from Centre of Main Ellipse to Epicentre
Code [4 bits]
Azimuth [deg°]Intervals Max. Azimuth[deg°][deg°]
0000
0001
0010
0011
0100
0101
0110
0111
1000
1001
1010
1011
1100
1101
1110
1111

0
22,5
45
67,5
90
112,5
135
157,5
180
202,5
225
247,5
270
292,5
315
337,5

22,5

337,5

94

18.4.35.4.
D4 – Vector Length between Centre of Main Ellipse andEpicentre

D4 – Vector length between centre ofMain Ellipse and epicentre
Code [4 bits]

Factor of semi-major axis lengthof main ellipse

0000
0001
0010
0011
0100
0101
0110
0111
1000
1001
1010
1011
1100
1101
1110
1111

0,25
0,5
0,75
1
2
3
5
10
20
30
40
50
70
100
150
200

REFERENCE: The factor is applied to the length of the semi-major axis of the main ellipse.

18.4.35.5.

D5 – Wave Height

D5 – Wave height
Code [3 bits]
Wave Height [m]000001

H ≤ 0,50.5 < H ≤ 1,0010

1,0 < H ≤ 1,5011

1,5 < H ≤ 2,0100

2,0 < H ≤ 3,0101

3,0 < H ≤ 5,0110

5,0 < H ≤ 10,0

111

H > 10,0

REFERENCE: Scientists use two measures to describe ocean waves: height and length. Wave height isdefined as the height of the wave from the wave top (the wave crest) to the bottom of the wave (thewave trough). The wave length is defined as the horizontal distance between two successive crests
or troughs. https://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/educate/waves.shtml

95

18.4.35.6.

D6 – Temperature Range

D6 – Temperature range
Code [4 bits]
Temperature [°C]

18.4.35.7.

0000
0001
0010
0011
0100
0101
0110
0111

T ≤ -30-30 < T ≤ -25-25 < T ≤ -20-20 < T ≤ -15-15 < T ≤ -10-10 < T ≤ -5
-5 < T ≤ 0
0<T≤5

1000
1001
1010
1011
1100
1101
1110
1111

5 < T ≤ 10
10 < T ≤ 15
15 < T ≤ 20
20 < T ≤ 25
25 < T ≤ 30
30 < T ≤ 35
35 < T ≤ 45
T > 45

D7 – Hurricane Categories

D7 – Hurricane categories
Code [3 bits]

000

001

010

011

Hurricane categories
Category 1/5 hurricane: Very dangerous winds will produce some damage. Winds range from 120 to
150 km/h. Falling debris could strike people, livestock and pets, and older mobile homes could bedestroyed. Protected glass windows will generally make it through the hurricane without major
damage. Frame homes, apartments and shopping centres may experience some damage, andsnapped power lines could result in short-term power outages.
Category 2/5 hurricane: Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage. Winds range
between 150 and 180 km/h. There is a bigger risk of injury or death to people, livestock and pets fromflying debris. Older mobile homes will likely be destroyed, and debris can ruin newer mobile homes,
too. Frame homes, apartment buildings and shopping centres may see major roof and siding damage,and many trees will be uprooted. Residents should expect near total power loss after a Category 2
hurricane, with outages lasting anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.
Category 3/5 hurricane: Devastating damage will occur. In a Category 3 hurricane, winds range from180 to 210 km/h. There is a high risk of injury or death to people, livestock and pets from flying andfalling debris. Nearly all older mobile homes will be destroyed, and most new ones will experiencesignificant damage. Even well-built frame homes, apartments and industrial buildings will likely
experience major damage, and the storm will uproot many trees that may block roads. Electricity andwater will likely be unavailable for several days to a few weeks after the storm.
Category 4/5 hurricane: Catastrophic damage will occur. During a Category 4 hurricane, winds range
from 210 to 250 km/h. At these speeds, falling and flying debris poses a very high risk of injury or
death to people, pets and livestock. Again, most mobile homes will be destroyed, even newer ones.
Some frame homes may totally collapse, while well-built homes will likely see severe damage to theirroofs, and apartment buildings can experience damage to upper floors. A Category 4 hurricane willblow out most windows on high-rise buildings, uproot most trees and will likely down many powerlines.

96

D7 – Hurricane categories
Code [3 bits]

Hurricane categories

100

Category 5/5 hurricane: Catastrophic damage will occur. In a Category 5 hurricane, the highest
category hurricane, winds are 250 km/h or higher. People, livestock and pets can be in danger fromflying debris, even indoors. Most mobile homes will be completely destroyed, and a high percentage
of frame homes will be destroyed. Commercial buildings with wood roofs will experience severe
damage, metal buildings may collapse and high-rise windows will nearly all be blown out. A Category
5 hurricane is likely to uproot most trees and ruin most power poles. People should expect long-termwater shortages and power outages.

REFERENCE: In its current version, it only measures the wind speeds produced by a hurricane.
REFERENCE: Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale

18.4.35.8.

D8 – Wind Speed

D8 – Wind speed
Code [4 bits]

Wind speed

0000

Beaufort 0. 0 km/h < v < 1 km/h - Calm

0001

Beaufort 1. 1 km/h < v < 5 km/h - Light Air

0010

Beaufort 2. 6 km/h < v < 11 km/h - Light Breeze

0011

Beaufort 3. 12 km/h < v < 19 km/h - Gentle Breeze

0100

Beaufort 4. 20km/h < v < 30 km/h - Moderate Breeze

0101

Beaufort 5. 31 km/h < v < 39 km/h - Fresh Breeze

0110

Beaufort 6. 40 km/h < v < 50 km/h - Strong Breeze

0111

Beaufort 7. 51 km/h < v < 61 km/h - Near Gale

1000

Beaufort 8. 62 km/h < v < 74 km/h - Gale

1001

Beaufort 9. 75 km/h < v < 88 km/h - Strong Gale

1010

Beaufort 10. 89 km/h < v < 102 km/h - Storm

1011

Beaufort 11. 103 km/h < v < 117 km/h - Violent Storm

1100

Beaufort 12. V > 118 km/h - Hurricane

1101

not used1110

not used1111

not used

REFERENCE: Beaufort Wind Scale. Developed in 1805 by Sir Francis Beaufort, U.K. Royal Navy.
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/beaufort.html

97

18.4.35.9.

D9 – Rainfall Amounts

D9 - Rainfall amounts
Code [3 bits]
Rainfall amounts[mm / hour]000

p ≤ 2.5001

2.5 < p ≤ 7.5010

7.5 < p ≤ 10011

10 < p ≤ 20100

20 < p ≤ 30

101

30 < p ≤ 50

110

50 < p ≤ 80

111

80 < pREFERENCE: https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/kishou/know/yougo_hp/amehyo.html

18.4.35.10.

D10 – Damage Category

D10 - Damage category
Code [3 bits]

Damage category000

Category 1 - Very dangerous winds will produce some damage. Scale 1 and Intensity 1

001

Category 2 - Extremely dangerous winds will cause extensive damage. Scale 1 and Intensity 2

010

Category 3 - Devastating damage will occur. Scale 1 and Intensity 3

011

Category 4 - Catastrophic damage will occur. Scale 2 and Intensity 1

100Category 5 - Catastrophic damage will occur. Scale 2 and Intensity 2

101

Category 5 - Catastrophic damage will occur. Scale 3 and Intensity 3

110

not used111

not used

REFERENCE: Based on Saffir-Simpson classification plus additional details from the Japanese
Meteorological Agency to better interpret a given category.

9818.4.35.11.

D11 – Tornado probability
Code [3 bits]
000

001

010

011

100

101

D11 – Tornado Probability

Tornado probability

Non-Threatening- Threat: No discernible threat to life and property.
- Minimum Action: Listen for forecast changes; review tornado safety rules.
- Potential Impact: None expected; strong wind gusts may still occur.
Very Low- Threat: A very low threat to life and property.
- Minimum Action: Preparations should be made for a very low likelihood (or a 2 to 4%
probability) of tornadoes; isolated tornadoes of F0 to F1 intensity possible.
- Potential Impact: The potential for isolated locations to experience minor to moderate
tornado damage.
Low- Threat: A low threat to life and property.
- Minimum Action: Preparations should be made for a low likelihood (or a 5 to 14%
probability) of tornadoes; scattered tornadoes of F0 to F1 intensity possible.
- Potential Impact: The potential for scattered locations to experience minor to moderate
tornado damage.
Moderate- Threat: A moderate threat to life and property.
- Minimum Action: Preparations should be made for a moderate likelihood (or a 15 to 29%
probability) of tornadoes; many tornadoes (even families) of F0 to F1 intensity possible.
- Potential Impact: The potential for many locations to experience minor to moderate
tornado damage (see below). Some tornadoes may have longer damage tracks.
High- Threat: A high threat to life and property.
- Minimum Action: Preparations should be made for a high likelihood (or a 30 to 44%
probability) of tornadoes; scattered tornadoes possible with isolated tornadoes of F2 to F5
intensity also possible.
- Potential Impact: The potential for isolated locations to experience major tornado damage(see below), among scattered locations of minor to moderate tornado damage. Sometornadoes may have longer damage tracks.
Extreme- Threat: An extreme threat to life and property.
- Minimum Action: Preparations should be made for a very high likelihood (or a 45%
probability or greater) of tornadoes; many tornadoes (even families) possible with scattered
tornadoes of F2 to F5 intensity also possible.
- Potential Impact: The potential for scattered locations to experience major tornado
damage (see below), among many locations of minor to moderate tornado damage. Sometornadoes may have longer damage tracks

110

not used111

not used

Note: By a large majority, F0 & F1 tornadoes occur more often than F2 to F5 tornadoes.
F0 Tornado Damage – Minor tornado damage; damage to chimneys, a few downed trees and powerlines, large signs blown over, damaged porches and screen houses, and damaged lighter-weight
outbuildings. Tornado wind speeds of 118 km/h (73 mph) or less.
F1 Tornado Damage – Moderate tornado damage; mobile homes moved off foundations oroverturned, roof surfaces peeled off buildings, cars blown off roads, several large trees downed andsome power outages. Tornado wind speeds of 119 km/h (74 mph) to 180 km/h (112 mph).

99

F2 to F5 Tornado Damage – Major tornado damage (up to complete destruction); mobile homes
completely demolished, numerous large trees snapped off or totally uprooted, small debris objects(lawn mowers, smaller sections of roofs) become airborne missiles. Increasingly larger areas ofpower outages. Structural damage to sturdy buildings becomes a concern, beginning with roof andwall failures. In the worst situations, well-constructed walls fail or are even removed. Large debris
objects (cars, larger sections of roofs) become airborne missiles causing further structural failures.
Trees debarked. Tornado wind speeds 181 km/h (113 mph) or greater, but in worse case situations
418 km/h (260 mph) or greater.
REFERENCE: NOAA – https://www.weather.gov/mlb/tornado_threat

18.4.35.12.

D12 – Hail scale
Code [4 bits]

D12 – Hail Scale

Hail scale

0000

H0 Hard hail. Typical hail diameter of 5 mm, No damage

0001

H1 Potentially damaging. Typical hail diameter of 5-15 mm. Slight general damage to plants, crops0010

H2 Significant. Typical hail diameter of 10-20 mm. Slight general damage to fruit, crops, vegetation

0011

H3 Severe. Typical hail diameter of 20-30 mm (size of a walnut). Severe damage to fruit and crops,
damage to glass and plastic structures, paint and wood scored

0100

H4 Severe. Typical hail diameter of 25-40 mm (size of a squash ball). Widespread glass damage,vehicle bodywork damage0101

H5 Destructive. Typical hail diameter of 30-50 mm (size of a golf ball). Wholesale destruction of glass,damage to tiled roofs, significant risk of injuries

1001

H6 Destructive. Typical hail diameter of 40-60 mm. Bodywork of grounded aircraft dented, brick walls
pittedH7 Destructive. Typical hail diameter of 50-75 mm (size of a tennis ball). Severe roof damage, risk ofserious injuries
H8 Destructive. Typical hail diameter of 60-90 mm (size of a large orange). Severe damage to aircraft
bodywork
H9 Super Hailstorms. Typical hail diameter of 75-100 mm (size of a grapefruit). Extensive structural
damage. Risk of severe or even fatal injuries to persons caught in the open

1010

H10 Super Hailstorms. Typical hail diameter > 100 mm (size of a melon). Extensive structural damage.
Risk of severe or even fatal injuries to persons caught in the open

0110
0111
1000

Note: Hail is commonly classified according to diameter of the hailstones
H0, being hard hail with diameter 5 mm causing no damage to H10, being super hailstorms withdiameter >100 mm and causing extensive structural damage with risk of severe or fatal injuries topeopleREFERENCE: TORRO Hailstorm Intensity Scale – https://www.torro.org.uk/research/hail/hscale10018.4.35.13.

D13 – Visibility

D13 – Visibility
Code [4 bits]

Visibility

0000

Dense fog: visibility < 20 m

0001

Thick fog: 20 m < visibility < 200 m

0010

Moderate fog: 200 m < visibility < 500 m

0011

Light fog: 500 m < visibility < 1000 m

0100

Thin fog: 1 km < visibility < 2 km

0101

Haze: 2 km < visibility < 4 km

0110

Light haze: 4 km < visibility < 10 km

0111

Clear: 10 km < visibility < 20 km

1000

Very clear: 20 km < visibility < 50 km

1001

Exceptionally clear: visibility > 50 km

1010

not used1011

not used1100

not used1101

not used1110

not used1111

not used

REFERENCE: International visibility code with meteorological range

18.4.35.14.

D14 – Snow Depth

D14 - Snow depth
Code [5 bits]

Snow depth [cm]00000

0 < daily snow depth ≤ 2000001

20 < daily snow depth ≤ 4000010

40 < daily snow depth ≤ 60

00011

60 < daily snow depth ≤ 80

00100

80 < daily snow depth ≤ 100

00101

100 < daily snow depth ≤ 120

00110

120 < daily snow depth ≤ 140

00111

140 < daily snow depth ≤ 160

01000

160 < daily snow depth ≤ 180

01001

180 < daily snow depth ≤ 200

01010

200 < daily snow depth ≤ 220

01011

220 < daily snow depth ≤ 240

101

D14 - Snow depth
Code [5 bits]

Snow depth [cm]01100

240 < daily snow depth ≤ 260

01101

260 < daily snow depth ≤ 280

01110

280 < daily snow depth ≤ 300

01111

300 < daily snow depth ≤ 320

10000

320 < daily snow depth ≤ 340

10001

340 < daily snow depth ≤ 360

10010

360 < daily snow depth ≤ 38010011

380 < daily snow depth ≤ 400

10100

400 < daily snow depth ≤ 420

10101

420 < daily snow depth ≤ 440

10110

440 < daily snow depth ≤ 460

10111

460 < daily snow depth ≤ 480

11000

480 < daily snow depth ≤ 500

11001

500 < daily snow depth ≤ 520

11010

520 < daily snow depth ≤ 540

11011

540 < daily snow depth ≤ 560

11100

560 < daily snow depth ≤ 580

11101

580 < daily snow depth ≤ 600

11110

daily snow depth > 600

11111

not used

18.4.35.15.

D15 – Flood Severity

D15 - Flood severity
Code [2 bits]

Flood severity

00

Minor Flooding - minimal or no property damage, but possibly some publicthreat.

01

Moderate Flooding - some inundation of structures and roads near stream.
Some evacuations of people and/or transfer of property to higher
elevations.

10

Major Flooding - extensive inundation of structures and roads. Significant
evacuations of people and/or transfer of property to higher elevations.

11

Record Flooding

REFERENCE: NOAA Glossary, https://forecast.weather.gov/glossary.php?word=FLOOD

102

18.4.35.16.

D16 – Lightning Intensity

D16 - Lightning intensity
Code [3 bits]

Intensity000

LAL 1 - No thunderstorms

001

LAL 2 - Isolated thunderstorms. Light rain will occasionally reach theground. Lightning is very infrequent, 1 to 5 cloud to ground strikes in a
5-minute period.

010

LAL 3 - Widely scattered thunderstorms. Light to moderate rain willreach the ground. Lightning is infrequent, 6 to 10 cloud to groundstrikes in a 5-minute period.

011

LAL 4 - Scattered thunderstorms. Moderate rain is commonly
produced Lightning is frequent, 11 to 15 cloud to ground strikes in a 5minute period.

100

LAL 5 - Numerous thunderstorms. Rainfall is moderate to heavy.
Lightning is frequent and intense, greater than 15 cloud to groundstrikes in a 5-minute period.

101

LAL 6 - Dry lightning (same as LAL 3 but without rain). This type oflightning has the potential for extreme fire activity and is normallyhighlighted in fire weather forecasts with a Red Flag Warning.

REFERENCE: NOAA Lightning Activity Level (LAL) Definition.
https://graphical.weather.gov/definitions/defineLAL.html

18.4.35.17.

D17 – Fog Level

D17 – Fog level
Code [3 bits]

Fog level

000

Level 1 of 5: Slight fog or Mist. On land, object appear hazy or blurry. Road and rail
traffic are unhindered. On sea, horizon cannot be seen. Lights and landmarks can beseen at working distances.

001

Level 2 of 5: Slight fog. On land, railroad traffic takes additional caution. On sea, Lights
on passing vessel are generally not distinct at distances under 1 mile. Fog signals are
sounded.

010

Level 3 of 5: Moderate fog. On land, rail and road traffic is obstructed. On sea, Lights
on passing vessels are generally not distinct at distances under 1 mile. Fog signals are
sounded. On river, navigation is unhindered but extra caution is required.

011

Level 4 of 5: Moderate fog. On land, rail and road traffic impeded. On sea, lights onships and other vessels cannot be seen at distances of 4 miles or less. On river,navigation is suspended.

100

Level 5 of 5: Thick fog. On land, all traffic is impeded and totally disorganised. On sea,
lights on ships and other vessels cannot be seen at distances of 4 miles or less. On
river, navigation is suspended.

103

18.4.35.18.

D18 – Drought Level

D18 – Drought level
Code [2 bits]

Drought level00

D1 – Moderate Drought – PDSI = -2.0 to -2.9
Some damage to crops, pastures
Streams, reservoirs, or wells low, some water shortages developing or imminent
Voluntary water-use restrictions requested

01

D2 – Severe Drought – PDSI = -3.0 to -3.9
Crop or pasture losses likely
Water shortages common
Water restrictions imposed10

11

D3 – Extreme Drought – PDSI = -4.0 to -4.9
Major crop/pasture losses
Widespread water shortages or restrictions
D4 – Exceptional Drought – PDSI = -5.0 or less
Exceptional and widespread crop/pasture losses
Shortages of water in reservoirs, streams, and wells creating water emergencies

REFERENCE: Drought Classification – Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/About/AbouttheData/DroughtClassification.aspx

18.4.35.19.

D19 – Avalanche Warning Level

D19 – Avalanche warning level
Code [3 bits]
000

001

010

Warning level
1 – Low.
Generally stable conditions.
Triggering is generally possible only from high additional loads in isolated areas of very steep,
extreme terrain. Only small and medium natural avalanches are possible.
2 – Moderate.
Heightened avalanche conditions on specific terrain features.
Triggering is possible, primarily from high additional loads, particularly on the indicated steep
slopes. Very large natural avalanches are unlikely.
3 – Considerable.
Dangerous avalanche conditions
Triggering is possible, even from low additional loads, particularly on the indicated steep
slopes. In certain situations, some large, and in isolated cases very large natural avalanches
are possible.

011

4 – High.
Very dangerous avalanche conditions.
Triggering is likely, even from low additional loads, on many steep slopes. In some cases,
numerous large and often very large natural avalanches can be expected.

100

5 – Very high.
Extraordinary avalanche conditions.
Numerous very large and often extremely large natural avalanches can be expected, even inmoderately steep terrain.

104

REFERENCE – EU Avalanche Danger Scale from EAWS (European Avalanche Warning Service) -–https://www.avalanches.org/standards/avalanche-danger-scale/

18.4.35.20.

D20 – Ash Fall Amount and Impact

D20 – Ash fall amount and impact
Code [3 bits]
000

001

010

011

100

Ash fall amount and impact
Less than 1 mm ash thickness. Possible impact: Will act as an irritant to lungs and eyes. Possible minor
damage to vehicles, houses and equipment caused by fine abrasive ash. Possible contamination ofwater supplies, particularly roof-fed tank supplies. Dust may affect road visibility and traction for an
extended period.
1-5 mm ash thickness. Possible impact: Will act as an irritant to lungs and eyes. Minor damage tovehicles, houses and equipment caused by fine abrasive ash. Possible contamination of watersupplies, particularly roof-fed tank supplies. Electricity and water supplies may be cut or limited. Dust
may affect road visibility and traction for an extended period. Roads may need to be cleared to reducethe dust nuisance and prevent storm-water systems from becoming blocked. Possible crop damage.
Some livestock may be affected.
5-100 mm ash thickness. Possible impact: Will act as an irritant to lungs and eyes. Damage to vehicles,
houses and equipment caused by fine abrasive ash. Most buildings will support the ash load but
weaker roof structures may collapse at 100 mm ash thickness, particularly if the ash is wet. Possible
contamination of water supplies, particularly roof-fed tank supplies. Electricity and water supplies
may be cut or limited. Road transport may be halted due to the build-up of ash on roads. Cars stillworking may soon stop due to clogging of air-filters. Rail transport may be forced to stop due to signal
failure bought on by short circuiting if ash becomes wet. Likely crop damage. Most pastures will bekilled by over 50 mm of ash. Some livestock may be affected.
100-300 mm ash thickness. Possible impact: Will act as an irritant to lungs and eyes. Damage tovehicles, houses and equipment caused by fine abrasive ash. Buildings that are not cleared of ash will
run the risk of roof collapse, especially large flat roofed structures and if ash becomes wet. Possible
contamination of water supplies, particularly roof-fed tank supplies. Electricity and water supplies
may be cut or limited. Road transport may be halted due to the build-up of ash on roads. Cars stillworking may soon stop due to clogging of air-filters. Rail transport may be forced to stop due to signal
failure bought on by short circuiting if ash becomes wet. Likely crop damage. Most pastures will bekilled by over 50 mm of ash. Some livestock may be affected.
> 300 mm ash thickness. Possible impact: Will act as an irritant to lungs and eyes. Damage to vehicles,
houses and equipment caused by fine abrasive ash. Buildings that are not cleared of ash will run therisk of roof collapse, especially large flat roofed structures and if ash becomes wet. Possible
contamination of water supplies, particularly roof-fed tank supplies. Electricity and water supplies
may be cut or limited. Road unusable until cleared. Rail transport may be forced to stop due to signal
failure bought on by short circuiting if ash becomes wet. Heavy kill of vegetation. Livestock and otheranimals killed or heavily distressed.

REFERENCE: In order to assess the hazard and to allow the definition of risk within certain areas, fiveimpact zones can be used. The thicknesses given are for uncompacted ash.

105

18.4.35.21.

D21 – Geomagnetic Scale

D21 - Geomagnetic scale
Code [3 bits]

Geomagnetic scale000

G1 - Minor
Power systems: Weak power grid fluctuations can occur.
Spacecraft operations: Minor impact on satellite operations possible.
Other systems: Migratory animals are affected at this and higher levels; aurora is commonly
visible at high latitudes.

001

G2 - Moderate
Power systems: High-latitude power systems may experience voltage alarms, long-duration
storms may cause transformer damage.
Spacecraft operations: Corrective actions to orientation may be required by ground control;
possible changes in drag affect orbit predictions.
Other systems: HF radio propagation can fade at higher latitudes, and aurora has been seen as
low as 55° geomagnetic lat.

010

G3 - Strong
Power systems: Voltage corrections may be required, false alarms triggered on some protection
devices.
Spacecraft operations: Surface charging may occur on satellite components, drag may increaseon low-Earth-orbit satellites, and corrections may be needed for orientation problems.
Other systems: Intermittent satellite navigation and low-frequency radio navigation problems
may occur, HF radio may be intermittent, and aurora has been seen as low as 50° geomagnetic
lat.

011

G4 - Severe
Power systems: Possible widespread voltage control problems and some protective systems will
mistakenly trip out key assets from the grid.
Spacecraft operations: May experience surface charging and tracking problems, corrections may
be needed for orientation problems.
Other systems: Induced pipeline currents affect preventive measures, HF radio propagation
sporadic, satellite navigation degraded for hours, low-frequency radio navigation disrupted, andaurora has been seen as low as 45° geomagnetic lat.

100

G5 - Extreme
Power systems: Widespread voltage control problems and protective system problems canoccur; some grid systems may experience complete collapse or blackouts. Transformers may
experience damage.
Spacecraft operations: May experience extensive surface charging, problems with orientation,
uplink/downlink and tracking satellites.
Other systems: Pipeline currents can reach hundreds of amps, HF (high frequency) radio
propagation may be impossible in many areas for one to two days, satellite navigation may be
degraded for days, low-frequency radio navigation can be out for hours, and aurora has been
seen as low 40° geomagnetic lat.

REFERENCE: Geomagnetic Storm Scale from NOAA Space Weather Scale https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation

10618.4.35.22.

D22 – Terrorism Threat Level

D22 - Terrorism threat level
Code [3 bits]

Threat level

000

Very low threat level. A violent act of terrorism is highly unlikely.
Measures are in place to keep the population safe.

001

Low threat level. A violent act of terrorism is possible but unlikely.
Measures are in place to keep the population safe.

010

Medium threat level. A violent act of terrorism could occur. Additional
measures are in place to keep the population safe.

011

High threat level. A violent act of terrorism is likely. Heightenedmeasures are in place to keep the population safe.

100

Critical threat level. A violent act of terrorism is highly likely and could
occur imminently. Exceptional measures are in place to keep the
population safe.

18.4.35.23.

D23 – Fire Risk Level

D23 - Fire risk level
Code [3 bits]
000

001

010

011

100

Fire risk level
Danger level 1/5 (low or none danger). Small fires cannot be entirely ruled out, but require a highenergy input. Lightning hardly ever causes a fire. Rate of spread: Generally slow. Characteristics:
Surface or crawling fires, crowns of trees are not affected, topsoil does not burn. Fire-fighting: Forest
fire is easy to extinguish. Behaviour: Do not carelessly discard cigarettes, tobacco products or lighters.
Danger level 2/5 (moderate danger). Local fires can start spontaneously. Lightning only rarely causes a
conflagration. Rate of spread: Slow to medium. Characteristics: Surface or crawling fires, crowns oftrees are rarely affected, topsoil is burnt a little or not at all. Fire-fighting: Forest fire is ordinarily easy
to extinguish. Behaviour: Do not carelessly discard cigarettes, tobacco products or lighters. Always
watch barbecue fires and immediately extinguish stray sparks.
Danger level 3/5 (considerable danger): Burning matches and flying sparks from barbecue fires canignite a fire. Lightning can also trigger widespread fires. Rate of spread: High in open terrain, medium
in the forest. Characteristics. Topsoil is partly burnt; individual crown fires are possible. Fire-fighting:Forest fire can be extinguished only by experts using modern equipment. Behaviour: Light barbecue
fires only in existing fire places. Always watch the fire and immediately extinguish stray sparks.
Danger level 4/5 (high danger). Burning matches, flying sparks from barbecue fires and lightning willvery probably ignite a fire. Rate of spread: High, including in forests. Characteristics: Intense surface
fires can ignite the crowns of individual trees, spotting is possible, burning topsoil. Fire-fighting: Forest
fire is difficult to extinguish and commands extensive resources. Behaviour: As a general rule, do notmake any fires outdoors. Permanent fire places (concreted base) in locations designated by theauthorities can be used with the utmost caution. Do not make fires in strong winds.
Danger level 5/5 (very high danger). Fires can start at any time. Rate of spread: Very high over a long
period. Characteristics: Very intense burning, extensive crown fires, long-distance spotting. Firefighting: Forest fire is virtually impossible to extinguish. Behaviour: Do not make any fires outdoors.
Follow the instructions and observe the fire bans imposed by the local authorities.

REFERENCE: Swiss federal council - https://www.natural-hazards.ch/home/dealing-with-naturalhazards/forest-fire/danger-levels.html

10718.4.35.24.

D24 – Water Quality

D24 - Water quality
Code [3 bits]
000
001
010
011
100
101
110
111

Water quality
Excellent water quality
Good water quality
Poor water quality
Very poor water quality
Suitable for drinking purposes
Unsuitable for drinking purpose
not used
not used

REFERENCE: United Nations Environment Programme - Global Drinking Water Quality Index
Development and Sensitivity Analysis Report https://www.un.org/waterforlifedecade/pdf/global_drinking_water_quality_index.pdfhttps://www.
un.org/waterforlifedecade/pdf/global_drinking_water_quality_index.pdf

18.4.35.25.

D25 – UV Index

D25 –UV index
Code [4 bits]

UV Index

0000

Index 0 - 2 Low. No protection needed. You can safely stay outside using minimal sun protection.

0001

Index 3/11 Moderate. Protection needed. Seek shade during late morning through mid-afternoon.
When outside, generously apply broad-spectrum SPF-15 or higher sunscreen on exposed skin, andwear protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.

0010

Index 4/11 Moderate. Protection needed. Seek shade during late morning through mid-afternoon.
When outside, generously apply broad-spectrum SPF-15 or higher sunscreen on exposed skin, andwear protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.

0011

Index 5/11 High. Protection needed. Seek shade during late morning through mid-afternoon. Whenoutside, generously apply broad-spectrum SPF-15 or higher sunscreen on exposed skin, and wear
protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.

0100

Index 6/11 High. Protection needed. Seek shade during late morning through mid-afternoon. Whenoutside, generously apply broad-spectrum SPF-15 or higher sunscreen on exposed skin, and wear
protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.

0101

Index 7/11 High. Protection needed. Seek shade during late morning through mid-afternoon. Whenoutside, generously apply broad-spectrum SPF-15 or higher sunscreen on exposed skin, and wear
protective clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses.

0110

0111

1000

Index 8/11 Very high. Extra protection needed. Be careful outside, especially during late morning
through mid-afternoon. If your shadow is shorter than you, seek shade and wear protective
clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses, and generously apply a minimum of SPF-15, broadspectrum sunscreen on exposed skin.
Index 9/11 Very high. Extra protection needed. Be careful outside, especially during late morning
through mid-afternoon. If your shadow is shorter than you, seek shade and wear protective
clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses, and generously apply a minimum of SPF-15, broadspectrum sunscreen on exposed skin.
Index 10/11 Extreme. Extra protection needed. Be careful outside, especially during late morning
through mid-afternoon. If your shadow is shorter than you, seek shade and wear protective

108

D25 –UV index
Code [4 bits]

UV Index
clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses, and generously apply a minimum of SPF-15, broadspectrum sunscreen on exposed skin.

1001

Index 11/11 Extreme. Extra protection needed. Be careful outside, especially during late morning
through mid-afternoon. If your shadow is shorter than you, seek shade and wear protective
clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses, and generously apply a minimum of SPF-15, broadspectrum sunscreen on exposed skin.

The UV Index is a scale, ranging from 0 (low) to 11+ (extreme), that indicates the intensity of solar
UV radiation reaching Earth's surface on a given day. A UV Alert is issued only when the UV Index
forecast is at least 6 and also is statistically higher than normal
REFERENCE: UV Index scale by United States Environmental Protection Agency
https://www.epa.gov/sunsafety/uv-index-scale-0

18.4.35.26.

D26 – Number of Cases per 100 000 Inhabitants

D26 - Number of cases per 100 000 inhabitants
Code [5 bits]

Number of cases per 100 000 inhabitants

00000

0-9

00001

10 - 2000010

21 - 50

00011

51 - 7000100

71 - 100

00101

101- 12500110

126 - 150

00111

151 - 17501000

176 - 200

01001

201 - 250

01010

251 - 300

01011

301 - 350

01100

351 - 400

01101

401 - 45001110

451 - 500

01111

501 - 750

10000

751 - 1000

10001

> 100010010> 200010011> 300010100> 5000109Note: The epidemic threshold depends on the country and the disease. In France for example theepidemic threshold for the seasonal flu is about 175 cases per 100000 inhabitants and about 280 for
the gastroenteritis.

18.4.35.27.

D27 – Noise Range

D27 - Noise range
Code [4 bits]

18.4.35.28.

Noise range

0000

40 < dB ≤ 450001

45 < dB ≤ 500010

50 < dB ≤ 60

0011

60 < dB ≤ 70

0100

70 < dB ≤ 80 (loud)0101

80 < dB ≤ 90 (very loud)0110

90 < dB ≤ 100 (very loud)0111

100 <dB ≤ 110 (very loud)1000

110 < dB ≤ 120 (extremely loud)1001

120 < dB ≤ 130 (extremely loud)1010

130 < dB ≤ 140 (threshold of pain)

1011

dB > 140 (pain)1100

not used1101

not used1110

not used1111

not used

D28 – Air Quality Index

D28 - Air quality index
Code [3 bits]

Air quality index

000

Index value 0 - 50. Good. Green. Advisory: None001

Index value 51 - 100. Moderate. Yellow. Unusually sensitive individuals
should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion

010

Index 101 - 150. Unhealthy for sensitive groups. Orange. Children, active
adults and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit
prolonged outdoor exertion

011

Index 151 - 200. Unhealthy. Red. Children, active adults and people withrespiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor
exertion. Everyone else should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

100

Index 201 - 300. Very unhealthy. Purple. Children, active adults and people
with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor
exertion. Everyone else should limit outdoor exertion.

110

D28 - Air quality index
Code [3 bits]

Air quality index
Index 301 - 500. Hazardous. Brown. Everyone should avoid all physicalactivity outdoor.

101

Note: World air quality index. In more than 800 counties across the nation, air pollution levels aremeasured daily and ranked on a scale of 0 for perfect air all the way up to 500 for air pollution levels
that pose an immediate danger to the public. The AQI further breaks air pollution levels into fivecategories, each of which has a name, an associated colour, and advice to go along with it.
REFERENCE: U.S. Air Quality Index (AQI). https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/

18.4.35.29.

D29 – Outage Estimated Duration

D29 – Outage estimated duration
Code [5 bits]

18.4.35.30.

Estimated duration

00000

0 < duration < 30 min

00001

30 min ≤ duration < 45 min

00010

45 min ≤ duration < 1 h

00011

1 h ≤ duration < 1h 30min

00100

1h 30min ≤ duration < 2 h00101

2 h ≤ duration < 3 h00110

3 h ≤ duration < 4 h00111

4 h ≤ duration < 5 h01000

5 h ≤ duration < 10 h

01001

10 h ≤ duration < 24 h

01010

24 h ≤ duration < 2 days

01011

2 days ≤ duration < 7 days

01100

7 days ≤ duration

01101

Unknown

01110

not used

01111

not used10000

not used

D30 – Nuclear Event Scale

D30 - Nuclear event scale
Code [4 bits]

Nuclear event scale

0000

Unknown0001

Level 0/7. Deviation. No safety significance111

Level 1/7. Anomaly. Overexposure in excess of statutory annual limits.
Minor problems with safety components with significant defence-in-depth
remaining.
Low activity lost or stolen radioactive source, device, or transport package.
Level 2/7. Incident. Impact on people and environment: Exposure of the public inexcess of 10 mSv. Exposure of workers in excess of the statutory annual limits.
Impact on radiological barriers and control: Radiation levels in an operating areaof more than 50 mSv/h. Significant contamination within the facility into an area
not expected by design. Possible cause: Significant failures in safety provisions butwith no actual consequences. Found highly radioactive sealed orphan source,
device or transport package with safety provisions intact. Inadequate packaging ofa highly radioactive sealed source.
Level 3/7. Serious incident. Impact on people and environment: Exposure inexcess of ten times the statutory annual limit for workers. Non-lethal
deterministic health effect (e.g., burns) from radiation. Impact on radiologicalbarriers and control: Exposure rates of more than 1 Sv/h in an operating area.
Severe contamination in an area not expected by design, with a low probability ofsignificant public exposure. Possible cause: Near-accident at a nuclear power
plant with no safety provisions remaining. Lost or stolen highly radioactive sealed
source. Misdelivered highly radioactive sealed source without adequate
procedures in place to handle it.
Level 4/7. Accident with local consequences. Impact on people and environment:
Minor release of radioactive material unlikely to result in implementation ofplanned countermeasures other than local food controls. Impact on radiologicalbarriers and control: Release of significant quantities of radioactive material
within an installation with a high probability of significant public exposure.
Level 5/7. Accident with wider consequences. Impact on people and environment:
Limited release of radioactive material likely to require implementation of someplanned countermeasures. Major health impact from radiation is likely. Impact onradiological barriers and control: Severe damage to reactor core. Release of large
quantities of radioactive material within an installation with a high probability ofsignificant public exposure. This could arise from a major criticality accident or
fire.
Level 6/7. Serious accident. Impact on people and environment: Significant
release of radioactive material likely to require implementation of planned
countermeasures.
Level 7/7. Major accident. Impact on people and environment: Major release ofradioactive material with widespread health and environmental effects requiring
implementation of planned and extended countermeasures.

0010

0011

0100

0101

0110

0111

1000

REFERENCE: International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES) by IAEA (International Atomic
Energy Agency).

18.4.35.31.

D31 – Chemical Hazard Type

D31 - Chemical hazard type
Code [4 bits]

Chemical hazard type

0000

Explosives

0001

Flammable gases

0010

Flammable aerosols and aerosols

0011

Oxidizing gases

0100

Gases under pressure

0101

Flammable liquids

0110

Flammable solids

112

D31 - Chemical hazard type
Code [4 bits]

Chemical hazard type

0111

Self-reactive substance/mixture

1000

Pyrophoric liquids. Pyrophoric materials are often water-reactive as
well and will ignite when they contact water or humid air.

1001

Pyrophoric solids. Pyrophoric materials are often water-reactive as
well and will ignite when they contact water or humid air.

1010

Self-heating substance/mixture

1011

Water-reactive - emits flammable gases

1100

Oxidising liquids

1101

Oxidising solids

1110

Organic peroxides

1111

Corrosive to metals

Note: Classification based on the Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling ofChemicals issued by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

18.4.35.32.

D32 – Biohazard Level

D32 - Biohazard level
Code [2 bits]

Biohazard level
Biohazard Level 1/4: Often pertains to agents that include viruses and bacteria, thisbiosafety level requires minimal precaution, such as wearing face masks and maintaining
no close contact. The biological hazard examples in the first level include E. coli and othernon-infectious bacteria.
Biohazard Level 2/4: Usually causing severe diseases to humans, the second level classifies
agents that can be transmitted through direct contact with infected materials. HIV andhepatitis B are some biological hazard examples that pose moderate risks to humans.
Biohazard Level 3/4: Mainly through respiratory transmission, pathogens that are highly
likely to become airborne can cause serious or lethal diseases to humans. Mycobacterium
tuberculosis, the bacteria that causes tuberculosis, is an example of a level-3 biohazard.

00

01

10

Biohazard Level 4/4: Extremely dangerous pathogens that expose humans to lifethreatening diseases, the fourth and last level requires workers to utilise maximum
protection and containment. Some biological hazard examples are the Ebola virus and theLassa virus.

11

REFERENCE: Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 6th Edition
https://www.cdc.gov/labs/BMBL.html.

18.4.35.33.

D33 – Biohazard TypeD33 - Biohazard type
Code [2 bits]

Biohazard type00

Biological agents. These include bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi (such as yeasts and molds).

01

Biotoxins. These refer to a group of substances with a biological origin that are toxic and poisonous
to humans. Often, biotoxins are produced by plants, bacteria, insects, or certain animals, among

113

D33 - Biohazard type
Code [2 bits]

Biohazard typeothers. Continuous exposure to these may cause, at the very least, a series of inflammatory
reactions throughout the body.

10

Blood and blood products. While blood isn’t considered a biological hazard, it can still bring
potential risks if it’s contaminated or its source is in any way infected. Also, blood products such as
red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma, tissues, and platelets are also hazardous if not properly
handled.

11

Environmental specimens. Generally, these refer to plants, soil, or water that potentially containbiological agents (include bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi) and biotoxins.

18.4.35.34.

D34 – Explosive Hazard TypeD34 - Explosive hazard type
Code [2 bits]
00
01

10

11

Explosive hazard typePE1 - Mass explosion hazard in which the entire body of explosives
explodes as one.
PE2 - Serious projectile hazard but does not have a mass explosion
hazard.
PE3 - Fire hazard and either a minor blast hazard or a minor projection
hazard, or both, but does not have a mass explosion hazard. Explosives
which give rise to considerable radiant heat or which burn to produce
a minor blast or projection hazard.
PE4 - Fire or slight explosion hazard, or both, with only local effect.
Explosives which present only a low hazard in the event of ignition or
initiation, where no significant blast or projection of fragments ofappreciable size or range is expected.

REFERENCE: https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/sites/www.nrcan.gc.ca/files/mineralsmetals/files/pdf/explexpl/cbpe-cpep-eng.pdf

18.4.35.35.

D35 – Infection Type

D35 - Infection type
Code [6 bits]

Infection type

000000

Anthrax

000001

Avian influenza in humans

000010Botulism

000011

Brucellosis

000100Campylobacteriosis

000101

Chikungunya virus disease

000110Chlamydia infections

000111Cholera001000COVID-19

001001Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease-variant (vCJD)

114

D35 - Infection type
Code [6 bits]

Infection type001010

Cryptosporidiosis

001011

Dengue001100Diphtheria

001101

Echinococcosis

001110

Giardiasis

001111

Gonorrhoea

010000Hepatitis A

010001

Hepatitis B

010010Hepatitis C

010011

HIV infection and AIDS

010100

Infections with haemophilus influenza group B

010101

Influenza including Influenza A(H1N1)

010110Invasive meningococcal disease

010111

Invasive pneumococcal disease

011000

Legionnaries' disease

011001

Leptospirosis011010Listeriosis

011011

Lyme neuroborreliosis

011100

Malaria

011101

Measles

011110Meningoccocal disease, invasive

011111

Mumps

100000

Pertussis

100001

Plague100010Pneumoccocal invasive diseases

100011

Poliomyelitis

100100Q fever

100101

Rabies100110

Rubella100111

Rubella, congenital

101000

Salmonellosis

101001

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)

101010

Shiga toxin /verocytotoxin -producing Escherichia coli (STEC/VTEC)

101011

Shigellosis

101100

Smallpox

101101

Syphilis101110Syphilis, congenital

101111

Tetanus110000Tick-borne encephalitis

110001

Toxoplasmosis, congenital

110010Trichinellosis

115

D35 - Infection type
Code [6 bits]

Infection type

110011

Tuberculosis

110100Tularaemia

110101

Typhoid and paratyphoid fevers

110110Viral haemorrhagic fevers

110111

West Nile virus infection

111000

Yellow fever

111001

Yersinosis

111010Zika virus disease

111011

Zika virus disease, congenital

111100

Nosocomial infections

111101

Antimicrobial resistance111110unidentified infection

111111

not used

REFERENCE: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control - EU case definitions https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/all-topics/eu-case-definitions

18.4.35.36.

D36 – Typhoon Categories

D36 - Typhoon categories
Code [3 bits]

Typhoon category

000

Scale 1 and Intensity 1

001

Scale 1 and Intensity 2

010

Scale 1 and Intensity 3

011

Scale 2 and Intensity 1

100

Scale 2 and Intensity 2

101

not used110

not used111

not used

116

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