A device and method are provided for warning of the approach of severe weather in a geographical area. The device includes a receiver for receiving a broadcast signal having a first component corresponding to one of a plurality of geographical areas and the second component corresponding to one of a plurality of types of severe weather. Selection devices are provided for allowing the user to select the geographical area and the type of weather for which the warning device monitors. A warning signal is provided to the user if the geographical area of the broadcast signal is the selected geographical area and if the type of severe weather approaching is of a type of weather for which the warning device is monitoring.

Radio control is used for different types of models, e.g. aircraft, cars and boats. Commonly, a number of different radio channels are allocated in a frequency band for use in radio control. If a modeller finds her or his intended channel in use, s/he can either wait until it becomes free, or retune the transmitter and receiver to a channel which is not in use. This can involve changing two crystals, one of which, in the receiver, may involve partly disassembling the model. A radio control receiver is disclosed having data storage containing code unique to the receiver. The receiver has a tuner arranged to scan a plurality of radio channels. A processor is arranged to process receiver identifying code received on a channel, with the unique code to determine whether transmissions on the channel are intended for the receiver. The tuner is responsive to an output from the processor indicating that transmissions on the channel are intended for the receiver, to lock onto that channel, and to the output from the tuner indicating that the transmissions on that channel are not intended for the receiver, to tune to another of the plurality of radio channels. Having ascertained that a channel is free, the modeller tunes her or his transmitter, switches that on and switches on the receiver. The latter identifies the channel and locks on to it.

A message distribution system for distributing a message via a telecommunications network to a plurality of communications terminals comprises: a message unit for contacting each of the terminals and sending the message, memory for storing, for a plurality of said terminals, corresponding terminal address data, and storing also a plurality of geographical element data linking geographical features of a portion of the Earth with location data; input for accepting an input control signal to initiate message distribution; area designation unit to designate a geographical area within the portion of the Earth; terminal derivation unit for outputting the terminal address data of terminals for outputting the terminal address data of terminals recorded as being geographically within the area and supplying the addresses for use by the message unit.

A weather warning apparatus and associated method notifies a user when weather alerts are issued according to geographical areas of interest and weather notification parameters that are set by the user. The weather warning apparatus includes a communication link for receiving transmitted alerts, such as weather warnings, watches and statements, civil emergencies, and the like. The weather warning apparatus also includes a user interface for selecting geographic areas of interest and weather notification parameters, such as weather events that may be of interest to a user at a desired time of day or time interval. The user's selection of geographic area and weather notification parameters allows the weather warning apparatus to filter out unwanted weather alerts that are outside of the desired geographic area, type of weather event notification, time or time interval. In addition, the user can independently select whether the events of interest in the geographic region of interest at the appropriate times create an audible warning, a visual warning, or both.

Apparatus, and an associated method, annunciates a weather anomaly condition at an area encompassed by an annunciating system. A receiver is coupled to receive indications of a warning representative of the weather anomaly. The receiver detects reception thereat of the indications of the warning. An annunciator is remotely coupled to the receiver. The annunciator annunciates, in human perceptible form, the detection at the receiver of the indications of the warning representative of the weather anomaly.