MET Alerts Integration for Home Assistant

Welcome to the MET Alerts integration for Home Assistant! This custom component provides real-time weather alerts from MET Norway directly into your Home Assistant setup.

Features

🎨 UI Configuration - Easy setup through Home Assistant UI (no YAML required!)
🔄 Real-time Updates - Fetches alerts every 30 minutes
🌍 Multiple Languages - Support for Norwegian and English
📍 Location-based - Configure alerts for any coordinates
🚨 Sensor Modes - Choose between legacy (4 sensors) or new array mode (1 sensor with all alerts as attribute)
🖼️ Automatic Alert Icons - Sensors display the correct warning icon for each alert (offline, embedded)
🗺️ Map URLs - Direct links to alert maps

Screenshots

Basic/small

Extensive/large

Installation

HACS (Recommended)

Open HACS in Home Assistant
Click the three dots in the top right corner
Select "Custom repositories"
Add this repository URL: https://github.com/kurtern84/met_alerts
Select category: Integration
Click "Add"
Find "Met Alerts" in HACS and click "Download"
Restart Home Assistant

Manual Installation

Download the latest release
Copy the met_alerts directory to your custom_components directory:
```
/config/custom_components/met_alerts/
```
Restart Home Assistant

Configuration

UI Configuration (Recommended - v3.0+)

Step 1: Add the Integration

Go to Settings → Devices & Services
Click the + Add Integration button in the bottom right
Search for "Met Alerts"
Click on the Met Alerts integration when it appears

Screenshot: Adding Met Alerts through the integrations page

Step 2: Configure Your Location

Enter your configuration details:

Name: A friendly name for this alert monitor (e.g., "Home Alerts" or "Cottage Alerts")
Latitude: The latitude for your location (defaults to your Home Assistant location)
Longitude: The longitude for your location (defaults to your Home Assistant location)
Language: Choose between:
- no - Norwegian (default)
- en - English

Screenshot: Configuration form for Met Alerts

💡 Tip: You can set up multiple instances for different locations (e.g., one for home, one for your cottage).

Step 3: Complete Setup

Click Submit to complete the setup. The integration will:

Validate your coordinates with the MET Norway API
Create 4 sensors for tracking up to 4 simultaneous alerts
Start monitoring for weather alerts every 30 minutes

Screenshot: Successfully added Met Alerts integration

Reconfiguring Settings

To update your configuration later:

Go to Settings → Devices & Services
Find the Met Alerts integration
Click the ⚙️ Configure button
Update your settings and click Submit

Screenshot: Accessing configuration options

The integration will automatically reload with your new settings.

YAML Configuration (Legacy - Deprecated)

⚠️ Note: YAML configuration is deprecated as of v3.0. Please migrate to UI configuration. Existing YAML configurations will continue to work but you'll see a deprecation warning in your logs.

Click to see legacy YAML configuration

sensor:
  - platform: met_alerts
    name: MET Alerts
    latitude: YOUR_LATITUDE
    longitude: YOUR_LONGITUDE
    lang: no  # or "en" for English

After adding this, restart Home Assistant.

Entities Created

Depending on your configuration, the integration creates either:

Legacy Mode (default):

4 sensor entities for each configured location:

Entity ID	Description	Priority
`sensor.met_alerts`	Highest priority alert	1st (Most severe)
`sensor.met_alerts_2`	Second highest priority	2nd
`sensor.met_alerts_3`	Third highest priority	3rd
`sensor.met_alerts_4`	Fourth highest priority	4th (Least severe)

Each sensor shows the event type and attributes for a single alert (sorted by severity).

Array Mode:
- 1 sensor entity per location:
  
  Entity ID Description
  
  sensor.met_alerts Number of active alerts (state), all alerts as attribute array
- The alerts attribute contains a list of all active alerts, each with full details.

Note: Alerts are always sorted by awareness level (severity), with the most severe first.

Sensor States

Legacy mode: The sensor state shows the event type, or "No Alert" if no alerts are active. Common event types:
- stormSurge, wind, snow, ice, forestFire, avalanches, rain, flooding, polarLow, rain-flood, etc.
Array mode: The sensor state is the number of active alerts (or "No Alert" if none).

Sensor Attributes

Legacy mode: Each sensor provides detailed information through attributes:
- entity_picture: The correct warning icon for the alert (SVG, offline, with attribution)
- attribution: License and credit for the icon set

Array Mode Attributes

In array mode, the single sensor has an alerts attribute, which is a list of all active alerts. Each alert in the array contains the same fields as above (title, starttime, endtime, etc.).

Icon Attribution

Alert icons are from the NRK/yr.no warning icon set, licensed under CC BY 4.0:

"Warning icons by NRK/yr.no, CC BY 4.0, https://github.com/nrkno/yr-warning-icons"

The icons are embedded as base64-encoded SVGs for offline use. See LICENSE_yr_icons.txt for full license text and attribution.

Attribute	Description	Example
`title`	Alert title (timestamps removed)	"Høy vannstand, gult nivå, Kyst- og fjordstrøk av Rogaland"
`starttime`	When the alert becomes active	"2025-11-28T13:00:00+00:00"
`endtime`	When the alert expires	"2025-11-28T17:00:00+00:00"
`description`	Detailed description of the alert	Full text description in selected language
`awareness_level`	Full awareness level string	"2; yellow; Moderate"
`awareness_level_numeric`	Severity level (1-4)	"2"
`awareness_level_color`	Visual severity indicator	"yellow"
`certainty`	How certain the forecast is	"likely", "possible", "observed"
`severity`	Impact severity	"minor", "moderate", "severe", "extreme"
`instruction`	Safety instructions	What actions to take
`area`	Geographic area affected	Region or municipality names
`event_awareness_name`	Human-readable event name	"Moderate storm surge"
`consequences`	Potential impacts	Expected damage or disruption
`map_url`	URL to visual alert map (PNG)	Direct link to MET Norway map image

Awareness Levels Explained

The awareness_level_numeric indicates severity:

Level	Color	Meaning	Description
1	🟢 Green	Minor	Be aware. Keep yourself updated.
2	🟡 Yellow	Moderate	Be prepared. Weather may be dangerous.
3	🟠 Orange	Severe	Be ready to act. Dangerous weather expected.
4	🔴 Red	Extreme	Take action immediately. Very dangerous conditions.

Use Cases & Examples

Multiple Locations

You can add the integration multiple times for different locations:

Home location - Monitor alerts for your primary residence
Cottage/Cabin - Track weather at your vacation property
Work location - Stay informed about conditions affecting your commute
Elderly relatives - Monitor weather at their location for safety checks

Each instance creates its own set of 4 sensors with unique names.

Automation Ideas

Example 1: Send notification for severe weather

automation:
  - alias: "Severe Weather Alert"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: sensor.met_alerts
    condition:
      - condition: template
        value_template: "{{ state_attr('sensor.met_alerts', 'awareness_level_numeric') | int >= 3 }}"
    action:
      - service: notify.mobile_app
        data:
          title: "⚠️ Severe Weather Alert"
          message: >
            {{ states('sensor.met_alerts') }}: 
            {{ state_attr('sensor.met_alerts', 'title') }}
            
            {{ state_attr('sensor.met_alerts', 'instruction') }}

Example 2: Flash lights when extreme weather is detected

automation:
  - alias: "Extreme Weather Light Warning"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: sensor.met_alerts
    condition:
      - condition: template
        value_template: "{{ state_attr('sensor.met_alerts', 'awareness_level_color') == 'red' }}"
    action:
      - service: light.turn_on
        target:
          entity_id: light.living_room
        data:
          flash: long
          rgb_color: [255, 0, 0]

Example 3: Announce alert on smart speaker

automation:
  - alias: "Announce Weather Alert"
    trigger:
      - platform: state
        entity_id: sensor.met_alerts
        to: 
        from: "No Alert"
    action:
      - service: tts.google_translate_say
        target:
          entity_id: media_player.kitchen_speaker
        data:
          message: >
            Nytt værvarsle: {{ state_attr('sensor.met_alerts', 'title') }}

Lovelace Dashboard Configuration

To display the MET Alerts data in your Lovelace dashboard, you can use the following configuration:

1. Entities Card for Basic Information

Add an entities card to your Lovelace dashboard:

type: entities
title: MET Alerts
show_header_toggle: false
entities:
  - entity: sensor.met_alerts
    name: Event
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: title
    name: Title
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: starttime
    name: Start time
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: endtime
    name: End time
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: description
    name: Description
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: awareness_level
    name: Awareness Level
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: awareness_level_numeric
    name: Awareness Level Numeric
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: awareness_level_color
    name: Awareness Level Color
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: certainty
    name: Certainty
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: severity
    name: Severity
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: instruction
    name: Instruction
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: contact
    name: Contact
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: area
    name: Area
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: event_awareness_name
    name: Event Awareness Name
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: consequences
    name: Consequences
  - type: attribute
    entity: sensor.met_alerts
    attribute: map_url
    name: Map URL

2. Example of displaying a the extensive/large card and the map for it, but only if there is an alert

(this card was added by @svenove)

Note that the color of the first line will be yellow/orange/red based on the severity of the alert.
To customize:
1. Set the weekday names in the set weekdays-line. Note that the first day is Sunday!
2. Change if time_diff < 24 and set how many hours before the alert start time you want the card to be displayed/visible. Default is 24 hours.

type: markdown
show_empty: false
content: >
  {% set weekdays = ['Søndag', 'Mandag', 'Tirsdag', 'Onsdag', 'Torsdag',
  'Fredag', 'Lørdag'] %}  {% set start_time = state_attr('sensor.met_alerts_2',
  'starttime') %}   {% set end_time = state_attr('sensor.met_alerts_2',
  'endtime')%} {% if start_time and end_time %}
    {% set start_timestamp = as_timestamp(strptime(start_time, "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z")) %}
    {% set end_timestamp = as_timestamp(strptime(end_time, "%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S%z")) %}
    {% set start_day_index = start_timestamp | timestamp_custom("%w") | int %}
    {% set end_day_index = end_timestamp | timestamp_custom("%w") | int %}
    {% set start_day = weekdays[start_day_index] %}
    {% set end_day = weekdays[end_day_index] | lower %}
    {% if start_day_index == end_day_index %}
      {% set met_alerts_time = start_day + ' kl ' + (start_timestamp | timestamp_custom("%H:%M")) + ' til ' + (end_timestamp | timestamp_custom("%H:%M")) %}
    {% else %}
      {% set met_alerts_time = start_day + ' kl ' + (start_timestamp | timestamp_custom("%H:%M")) + ' til ' + end_day + ' kl ' + (end_timestamp | timestamp_custom("%H:%M")) %}
    {% endif %}
    {% set time_diff = (as_timestamp(start_time) - as_timestamp(now())) / 3600 %}
    {% set time_diff_end = (as_timestamp(end_time) - as_timestamp(now())) / 3600 %}
    {% if time_diff < 24 and time_diff_end > 0 %}## <center><font color="{{ state_attr('sensor.met_alerts_2', 'awareness_level_color') }}"><ha-icon icon="mdi:alert"></ha-icon> Farevarsel - {{ state_attr('sensor.met_alerts_2', 'event_awareness_name') }} <ha-icon icon="mdi:alert"></ha-icon></font></center>
    ### <center>{{ met_alerts_time }}
    {{ state_attr('sensor.met_alerts_2', 'description') }}</center>
    
    <i>{{ state_attr('sensor.met_alerts_2', 'instruction') }}</i>
    
    ![image]({{ state_attr('sensor.met_alerts_2', 'map_url') }})
    {% endif %}
  {% endif %}

3. Markdown Card for Resources

Add a markdown card to display resources:

type: markdown
title: Resources
content: >
  {% if state_attr('sensor.met_alerts', 'resources') %}
  {% for resource in state_attr('sensor.met_alerts', 'resources') %}
  - [{{ resource.description }}]({{ resource.uri }})
  {% endfor %}
  {% else %}
  No resources available.
  {% endif %}

Test Mode

When there are no active weather warnings in Norway (or for testing dashboard configurations), you can enable Test Mode to inject fake weather alerts into your Met Alerts integration.

What Test Mode Does

Test Mode injects 2 fake weather alerts for a fictional location called "Testville":

Orange Wind Warning
- Awareness Level: Orange (Moderate)
- Event: Strong gale/storm
- Valid: December 16-17, 2025
- Description: Wind gusts up to 35 m/s in coastal areas
Red Rain Warning
- Awareness Level: Red (Severe)
- Event: Extreme rainfall
- Valid: December 17-18, 2025
- Description: 150-200mm rainfall in 24 hours, flooding expected

How to Enable Test Mode

For New Integrations

Go to Settings → Devices & Services
Click Add Integration
Search for and select Met Alerts
Fill in your coordinates (lat/lon) and preferences
Check the "Test Mode" checkbox at the bottom of the form
Click Submit

For Existing Integrations

Go to Settings → Devices & Services
Find your Met Alerts integration
Click the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Configure
Check the "Test Mode" checkbox at the bottom of the form
Click Submit
The integration will reload with the test alerts

Verification

After enabling test mode, verify the alerts are working:

Using Developer Tools

Go to Developer Tools → States
Find your sensor (e.g., sensor.met_alerts)
For Array Mode: You should see state: 2 and an alerts attribute with 2 items
For Legacy Mode: You should see alerts in the first two sensors

In Logs

Go to Settings → System → Logs

Look for messages like:

Test mode: Injected 2 fake alerts for Testville (Orange Wind + Red Rain)
Found 2 alert(s) in response

Using Test Alerts

Once test mode is enabled, you can test all the dashboard card configurations from CARD_EXAMPLES.md:

The fake alerts will appear in your cards
You can iterate through both warnings
Icons will show (orange triangle for wind, red triangle for rain)
All alert attributes are populated (title, description, instructions, consequences, etc.)

Disabling Test Mode

To disable test mode and return to real weather data:

Go to Settings → Devices & Services
Find your Met Alerts integration
Click the three-dot menu (⋮) and select Configure
Uncheck the "Test Mode" checkbox
Click Submit

Technical Details

Test mode does not require specific coordinates
Works with any lat/lon configuration
Test alerts are injected after the real API call
If there are real alerts, test alerts are added to them (not replaced)
Test alerts use proper GeoJSON structure matching Met.no API format
All standard alert attributes are included (awareness_level, severity, certainty, etc.)

Use Cases

Test mode is perfect for:

✅ Testing dashboard card configurations
✅ Development and debugging
✅ Taking screenshots for documentation
✅ Training users on what alerts look like
✅ Testing automations and notifications
✅ When Norway has no active weather warnings (rare but it happens!)

Troubleshooting

No Alerts Showing Up

If you have an active weather alert but it's not showing in Home Assistant:

Verify your location is in the alert area
- Alerts are geographically specific
- Coastal alerts (like storm surge) only apply to coastal areas
- Check the area attribute to see which regions are affected

Check the logs

Go to Settings → System → Logs
Search for "met_alerts"
Look for entries showing number of alerts fetched

Example log output:

Successfully fetched Met alerts data
Found 1 alert(s) in response
Alert 1: event='stormSurge', awareness_level='2; yellow; Moderate'

Verify coordinates
- Ensure your latitude/longitude are correct for your intended location
- You can verify coordinates at Google Maps (right-click → What's here?)
Check language setting
- Make sure the language matches your preference
- Some alerts may only be available in Norwegian
API connectivity
- Ensure your Home Assistant instance can reach api.met.no
- Check firewall and network settings

Common Issues

Issue: "Failed to connect to MET Norway API"

Solution: Check your internet connection and verify the coordinates are valid (lat: -90 to 90, lon: -180 to 180)

Issue: Sensors show "Unknown" or "Unavailable"

Solution: Wait for the next update cycle (30 minutes) or restart Home Assistant to force an update

Issue: Duplicate integrations after migration from YAML

Solution: Remove the old YAML configuration from configuration.yaml, restart, then delete the duplicate integration from the UI

Reconfiguring the Integration

To change your configuration:

Go to Settings → Devices & Services
Find the "Met Alerts" integration
Click the ⚙️ Configure button
Update your settings:
- Change the name
- Adjust coordinates
- Switch language
Click Submit

The integration will automatically reload with the new configuration - no restart required!

Removing the Integration

To completely remove Met Alerts:

Go to Settings → Devices & Services
Find the "Met Alerts" integration
Click Delete
Confirm the deletion

All sensors and configuration will be removed.

Contribution

We welcome contributions! If you find any issues or have suggestions for improvements, please open an issue or submit a pull request at https://github.com/kurtern84/met_alerts

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How often does the integration check for new alerts?
A: Every 30 minutes. This balances timely updates with respectful API usage.

Q: Can I monitor multiple locations?
A: Yes! Simply add the integration multiple times through the UI, each with different coordinates and names.

Q: Why do I see 4 sensors?
A: MET Norway can issue multiple simultaneous alerts for a location. The integration creates 4 sensors sorted by severity, so you can track all active alerts.

Q: What's the difference between Norwegian and English?
A: The language setting determines which language the alert text appears in (title, description, instructions). Both pull from the same alert data.

Q: Do alerts work for locations outside Norway?
A: This integration uses MET Norway's API, which primarily covers Norway and surrounding areas. Alerts may not be available for locations far from Norway.

Q: How do I know if my location has any alerts right now?
A: Check the MET Norway website at https://www.met.no/vaer-og-klima/ekstremvaervarsler-og-andre-faremeldinger to see current active alerts.

Q: Can I adjust the update interval?
A: Not currently through the UI. The 30-minute interval is set to balance timeliness with API load.

Q: What happens when an alert expires?
A: The sensor will automatically return to "No Alert" state at the next update after the alert's end time.

Version History

v3.0.0 (2025)

✨ New: UI-based configuration through Home Assistant
✨ New: Options flow for reconfiguring existing instances
✨ New: Enhanced logging for troubleshooting
✨ New: Unique IDs for proper entity registry support
✨ New: Support for multiple integration instances
📝 Deprecated YAML configuration (still supported with warning)
🐛 Various bug fixes and improvements

v2.0.0 and earlier

Initial YAML-based configuration
Basic alert fetching and display
Support for Norwegian and English languages

Credits

Originally forked from @kurtern84's version. Modernized with UI configuration support.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 55 Commits
custom_components/met_alerts		custom_components/met_alerts
screenshots		screenshots
utils		utils
CARD_EXAMPLES.md		CARD_EXAMPLES.md
CHANGELOG.md		CHANGELOG.md
README.md		README.md
hacs.json		hacs.json

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