The system was last used in January when it warned of the oncoming storm
The UK Government is to send an emergency alert to revert mobile phone in the UK, with a message taking over the screen and a loud siren sounding for 10 seconds. The alarm will come from a system that was launched in 2023 to alert people across the country to immediate threats.
According to the Sun, this will be a nationwide test of the system – 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.”, reports the Express.
During the 2023 test, people reported the alarm being loud’ and frightening. The test signal will be sent later this year on a date to be set, and will be tested every two years to make sure it is still working.
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.”
The system has already been used in real-world situations. Earlier this year four million people got an alert ahead of Storm Eowyn smashing into the UK. Three million were sent a message ahead of Storm Darragh in 2024.
The message will be received on 4G and 5G mobile phones, along with sound and vibration for up to 10 seconds even if devices are on silent. Phone users will be prompted to swipe away the message or clicking “OK” on their home screen before being able to continue using their device. Drivers are advised not to look at or touch their phone until it is safe, just as when receiving any call or message.
The system is modelled on similar schemes in the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan. Domestic violence campaigners have warned the test could put people in danger by revealing the location of secret phones hidden away by those at risk. The Government said in 2023 it had been actively engaging with organisations working with vulnerable women and girls to ensure they are not adversely affected by the introduction of emergency alerts.
Officials said it is easy to opt out of the system if people need their phone to stay concealed, either by turning off emergency alerts in their settings or simply having the phone switched off during the test. Chief fire officer Alex Woodman, from the National Fire Chiefs’ Council, said in 2023: “We must use every tool at our disposal to keep people safe, and we need everyone to play their part, and the new Emergency Alerts system is one way we can do this.
“For 10 seconds, the national test may be inconvenient for some, but it’s important, because the next time you hear it, your life, and the life-saving actions of our emergency services, could depend on it.”
Roger Hargreaves, director of the Cobra emergencies committee unit at the Cabinet Office, told MPs in 2023: “It is international standard practice to do regular test messages. I think there is a case for doing it every two years, but we haven’t got a ministerial decision on that. Every two years is what we would probably advise ministers but we’re yet to get a view on that.”
