With the latest iOS update, Apple introduced many new features to iPhones and Apple Watches. One of these is receiving rain, snow, and severe weather alerts on iPhone and Apple Watch.
In the Apple Weather app, users can now receive notifications when it starts to rain, snow, or hail. You can also get alerts when the rain, snow, and hail are predicted to stop. Users can also get alerts for additional severe weather conditions in their local area.
Currently, these new features are only available in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland. And it is only available on iPhones and Apple Watches.
Keep reading to learn how to set up these notifications on your device.
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How to turn on weather alerts on iPhone
If you want to turn on the rain, snow, and severe weather alerts on your iPhone from Apple’s Weather app, there are several things you need to do.
Update to iOS 15 and higher 
To receive weather alerts on your iPhone, you need to update your device to iOS 15.
To update your iPhone, go to the Settings App. Sometimes, a banner appears at the top that says Software Update Available. You can click on that, and it automatically takes you to update your phone.
If it does not appear, you can still check by scrolling down to General and tapping on Software Update.
If there’s an available update, click on Download and Install then follow the onscreen instructions to complete the update.
Turn on Location Access
Once your device is running on iOS 15+, the next thing you have to do is to make sure location access is on or allowed for the Weather app.
- To turn on Location Access, go to the Settings app.
- Scroll down to Privacy, and tap it.
- Then click on Location Services.
- Then scroll down until you find Weather, and select it. Note, the apps are in alphabetical order.
- Then under the Allow Location Access section, you need to select Always. Once you tap that, Location Acess will be on from here on out.
Enable weather notifications
After you turned on Location Access, the next step is to enable weather notifications. Open the Weather app, and tap the bullet points icon. This will bring up all your cities and weather data.
When you first set up this feature, a box at the top says Stay Dry. If you select this box, you can turn on the notifications from here. Just tap Turn On Notifications.
After that, the Allow Location Access menu will pop up. Press Continue. Once you do that, the app will bring up a message asking you to allow Weather to send you notifications. Click on Allow.
If you don’t see the box, tap on the bullet points again to bring up the app’s menu. Select Notifications; this will bring up the Weather app’s notifications settings. Then toggle the switch to turn on Notifications for your location.
You can turn on these weather alerts for your current location and saved locations.
How to turn on weather alerts on Apple Watch
With iOS 15+, the weather app on the Apple Watch did get some upgrades. On your Apple Watch, you can view weather data like current conditions, temperature, and precipitation.
You can also check the weather in your other saved locations and receive weather alerts and notifications on your Apple Watch.
Once you turn on weather alerts on your iPhone, you don’t have to do anything else for the Apple Watch as long as your Apple Watch notifications mirror your iPhone.
How to make sure Mirror My iPhone is on
- To turn on Mirror My iPhone, go to the Apple Watch app on your iPhone.
- In the My Watch tab, select Notifications.
- Scroll down to the Weather and tap it.
- Under Notification Settings, make sure Mirror My iPhone is checked.
And there you have it!
Getting weather alerts and advisories
When meteorologists predict a significant weather event for your area, you may see a notification from the Weather app. Tap the Learn More button to get all the details.
Using third-party weather apps?
If you prefer using a third-party weather app, like top-rated Carrot or The Weather Channel, make sure you turn on notifications for that app in Settings > Notifications.
Then, inside the app (usually via the app’s settings), enable all the types of weather alerts and notifications you want to get. To get rain, snow, and other severe weather alerts, look for categories like precipitation, severe weather, or government-issued alert settings.
If you see a setting for Time-Sensitive, make sure you toggle this on so you get any critical weather-related alerts even when your phone or watch is set to do not disturb or if you use another Focus to limit which apps can deliver notifications.
Final Thoughts
The new weather app features in iOS and watchOS are really nice. I really enjoy having these weather alerts on my iPhone.
What do you think about these new weather app features? Let us know!
