The UK Government is to send another emergency alert to every mobile phone in the UK as part of continued trials. A message would appear on the screen and a loud siren sounding for 10 seconds.
designed to tell people if they are at risk of everything from extreme weather to disease and war. The message will read: “Severe Alert. This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information. This is a test. You do not need to take any action.”
The last time this happened so extensively was back in 2023, where many people didn’t realise it was going to happen. It was then used to a lesser extent earlier this year when four million people got an alert ahead of Storm Eowyn.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “This system is not designed to cause panic, but to ensure people are aware of imminent threats and can act quickly.This test is part of building national resilience and saving lives in future crises.”
A date for the test has still be announced with similar tests likely every couple of years.
