Scale for severe weather risk

1. A computer implemented method for conveying a risk and degree of severe weather at a location, the method comprising:

(a) receiving over a communications network location information from a requestor indicating the requestor's present location at a present time;

(b) converting the location information into geographic coordinates;

(c) identifying present and historical natural phenomenological data associated with an area around the location;

(d) calculating natural phenomenological information associated with the area around the location;

(e) forecasting a risk of severe weather associated with the location for a specific time period that includes at least the present time;

(f) calculating a degree of severity level of the risk of severe weather for the location;

(g) generating a report containing the risk forecast and the calculated severity level for the coordinates; and

(h) communicating the report to the requestor via the communications network or a second communications network.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of communicating the report to the requestor is accomplished by providing the report in an electronic file downloadable to a client computer at the requestor's location.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the client computer is a mobile phone.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the step of communicating the report to the requestor is accomplished by delivering the report to a client computer at the requestor's location.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the client computer is a mobile phone.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

(h) selecting a scale having a plurality of levels of severity;

(i) converting the forecast risk of severe weather and the degree of severity into an index value for the time period; and

(j) assigning the index value to one of the plurality of levels of severity.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the severity level is indicated graphically.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the severity level is indicated using indicia.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the severity level is also indicated by position on an axis.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the severity level is also indicated by position on an axis.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the severity level is indicated numerically.

12. A method for conveying a risk and degree of severe weather at a location, the method comprising:

(a) receiving over a communications network geographic location information for a location of interest at a present time;

(b) identifying present and historical weather data associated with an area around the location of interest;

(c) calculating weather data associated with the area around the location of interest;

(d) forecasting a risk of severe weather associated with the location for a specific time period that includes at least the present time;

(e) calculating a degree of severity level of the risk of severe weather for the location of interest;

(f) generating a report containing the risk forecast and the calculated severity level for the geographic location; and

(g) communicating the report via the communications network or a second communications network.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of converting the geographic location information into a position relative to an x-y coordinate system.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of communicating the report is accomplished by storing the report in an electronic file on a server connected to the communications network, such that the electronic file is adapted to being downloaded to a client computer connected to the communications network.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the client computer is a mobile phone.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the step of communicating the report to the requestor comprises the steps of:

(a) storing the report in an electronic file on a server;

(b) establishing a link from a server to a client computer via the communications network; and

(c) delivering the report to the client computer.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the client computer is a mobile phone.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein the severity level is indicated graphically.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the severity level is indicated using indicia.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the severity level is also indicated by position on an axis.

21. The method of claim 18 , wherein the severity level is also indicated by position on an axis.

22. The method of claim 12 , wherein the severity level is indicated numerically.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the severity level is also indicated graphically.

24. A computer implemented method of conveying a risk and degree of severe weather at a location, the computer implemented method comprising:

(a) providing at least one server comprising computer readable data storage medium having program code recorded thereon, the server connected to a communications network;

(b) receiving via the communications network a signal representing geographic location information for a location of interest at a present time;

(c) identifying present and historical weather data associated with an area around the location of interest; and

(d) executing the program code to compute weather data, a risk of severe weather for a specific time period that includes at least the present time, and a degree of severity level for the risk of severe weather, corresponding to the location of interest;

(e) outputting a report containing the risk forecast and the computed severity level; and

(f) communicating the report via the communications network.

25. The computer implemented method of claim 24 , wherein the communications network is the Internet.

26. The computer implemented method of claim 24 , wherein the severity level is indicated graphically.

27. The computer implemented method of claim 26 , wherein the severity level is indicated numerically.

28. The computer implemented method of claim 24 , wherein the severity level is indicated with color.

29. The computer implemented method of claim 24 , wherein the step of communicating the report via the communications network is accomplished verbally in a broadcast network.

30. The computer method of claim 24 , further comprising the step of:

(g) receiving the report on a mobile phone via the communications network.