The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 plus 6 letter word SPOT CHECKS
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
S
P
O
T
C
H
E
C
K
S
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "they occur without warning" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case they occur without warning = spot checks.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does SPOT CHECKS mean?
SPOT CHECKS noun- A cursory inspection or examination or the inspection or examination of a sample of something.
- To inspect or examine briefly, or by sampling.