# General information

AccuWeather's Alerts API surfaces severe weather warnings from around the world — both **AccuWeather-issued alerts** in the contiguous US and **government-issued alerts** from official meteorological agencies globally. Alerts are available in **more than 200 [languages and dialects](/developers/languages)**.

→ See the [Alerts API Guide](/developers/alerts/guide) for endpoint examples and request patterns.

## AccuWeather Alerts

A premium service that combines AccuWeather's award-winning severe storm warning capability into a single API. AccuWeather Alerts replace and extend the usefulness of official government weather watches and warnings, describing potential threats so users can make better decisions for personal safety, convenience, and comfort.

:::note
AccuWeather Alerts are only available for the **48 contiguous states of the USA**.
:::

Severe Weather Notifications cover three escalating tiers, each delivered through the API as soon as conditions warrant. They cover tornadoes, high winds, flash flooding, hurricanes, tropical storms, blizzards, snow, and ice.

| Tier | When | What it tells you |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Severe Weather Potential** | Days ahead | Advanced preparation with early, detailed information. |
| **Severe Weather Threat** | Current day | Prepare to act with specific, localized details. |
| **Dangerous Weather Imminent!** | Just prior to and during the event | Take action and stay safe with clear, up-to-the-minute updates. |

→ See the [AccuWeather Alert Types Reference](/developers/reference/accuweather-alert-types) for the complete list of alert types, priorities, and category codes.

## Government-issued alerts

Severe weather warnings sourced from official government meteorological agencies and leading global weather alert providers worldwide.

- **LocationKey required** — use the [Locations API](/developers/locations/guide) to look one up.
- **Full text is opt-in** — the alert body is not returned by default. Pass `details=true` in the query string to include it.
- **Priority-ordered** — when multiple alerts are active for the same location, they are returned in priority order, with the highest-priority alert first.