EWN Support and Frequently Asked Questions
The Early Warning Network is a multi-channel distribution system for warnings and incidents issued by government agencies and other sources.
EWN Premium
EWN Premium is a subscription service which covers the cost of the SMS component of alerts for people who live outside of sponsored areas, or who are not employees of EWN clients. Members will need to subscribe after a 30 day free trial in order to keep receiving SMS. Email alerts are free for everyone and will continue to be issued even if your SMS alerts have expired. Some of the sponsored areas and clients are listed on the homepage. Please email support if you'd like further information. Also refer to the homepage for links to commercial options.
If you are an existing EWN member and wish to upgrade to, or renew your EWN Premium which is $9.95 per year, please login here then select EWN Premium from the menu.
iPhone or Android Apps
Known
Issues - there are some minor bugs with the apps and we will fix them as soon as possible:
- If you have previously registered as a member of EWN for email and SMS alerts you will need to login to the app with your existing details, rather than register. If you've lost your password you can obtain a new one by using the "Forgot Your Password" link from the member login page. Please read this page for additional information and help.
- Android App may display 'you must login to view alerts' - ignore the message if it appears while navigating between screens.
What type of alerts can I expect to receive?
Severe thunderstorm warnings, severe weather warnings, flood watches, tropical cyclone watches and warnings, tsunami warnings and fire weather warnings sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). Bushfire warnings from state-base bushfire responders. Please read the Weather Warning Alerting FAQ page for details.
Are updated warnings issued?
Typically no. Once you receive an alert from EWN you should then monitor the situation yourself. EWN may issue updated warnings for tropical cyclones undergoing intensification. EWN does not issue warning cancellations.
Is an SMS issued for every alert?
Typically yes, though an email-only severe thunderstorm forecast may be issued for days when widespread severe thunderstorm activity is expected but is yet to develop. A normal Email and SMS alert will be issued if warnings are issued by the BoM.
Can I receive alerts for a larger geographic area, a state or the whole country?
Yes, please refer to our commercial services pages for options.
Can I receive EWN alerts on Facebook or Twitter?
Yes, please refer to the links at left.
Should I receive any alerts for areas away from where I live?
No. If you have received any alerts that are for another part of the country there is a problem with the geocoding of your address. Please email support so we can fix the problem.
When are landline alerts issued?
Landline alerts are only issued where EWN has an arrangement with a local council to do so, otherwise you should only expect to receive email and SMS alerts.
Why have I received no alerts, or why do I no longer receive any alerts when I used to?
Possible reasons for this include:
- Your email address was entered with a typographical error during registration
- Your street address was not able to be geocoded into a latitude and longitude by Google Maps or your address details were incomplete
- Your email address has changed since you first registered
- Email alerts sent to you that are bouncing back to us with a "mailbox full", "spam", "account closed/disabled" or other errors may be disabled without notice. This will also stop SMS and landline alerts.
Please email support including your mobile phone number and address and we'll investigate.
How do I add another mobile phone number to my registration?
Use another email account to register the other number, or open a free online email account with hotmail/gmail etc and use that. Alternatively email support and we'll add the details for you. This option is not available in all areas.
Why are email alerts from EWN appearing as code instead of properly formatted messages?
Some mobile devices and email clients have problems rendering HTML based email messages. If this is affecting you email support and we can set your registration to receive "plain text" alerts instead.
Did you receive your SMS alert late or not at all?
Our system sends SMS and emails at the same time though it may take several minutes for alerts to propogate to everyone in metropolitan areas. Occasionally network congestion by the SMS providers prevents the immediate delivery of SMS alerts. This may affect every customer of a particular mobile phone provider at that time. If you do receive a late SMS and want to find out more please email support and also mention the mobile carrier you are with. Please also refer to the item about EWN Premium.
Did you receive your Email alert late?
Our system sends email alerts very quickly and you should expect to receive one at the same time or within minutes of the SMS. Network congestion can hold up email alerts from time to time but this is beyond our control. Yahoo Email (and associated brands) occasionally delay our alerts, sometimes by many hours. The only solution at present is to use a different email address for alerts.
How do I switch off SMS alerts?
If you are going overseas or just don't need SMS alerts any more you can login then use the Join Groups screen to untick the SMS method for all the groups listed. You may reinstate SMS alerts at a later time by logging back in. Alternatively email support and we can do this for you.
How do I change my details?
Login to EWN and update your details, or advise email, address or phone number changes to support@ewn.com.au. Be sure to include your previous email and/or mobile phone number so records can be matched.
How do I unsubscribe?
Please follow the instructions on this page.
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