Millions of people across the UK will soon receive a test emergency alert on their mobile phones as the Government plans to ensure the nation's readiness for crises. Dubbed the "Armageddon alert", this system was introduced in 2023 and has been activated during urgent situations, such as the recent Storm Darragh, when it advised over 3 million individuals to stay indoors due to fierce 90mph winds.
The upcoming nationwide drill aims to verify the effectiveness of the alert system. When the test occurs, all 4G and 5G phones within signal range will sound a siren-like noise and vibrate for approximately 10 seconds.
Although the exact date for this exercise is yet to be disclosed, it will be extensively publicised, with an estimated 87 million devices expected to receive the test alert.
Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, emphasised the importance of regular testing to the Mirror: "Most countries that have this system test it quite regularly and so we don't want it just to be once years ago and then everybody forgets it exists. This should be part of our armoury in warning people about major risks."
The UK follows the lead of nations such as the US, Canada, the Netherlands, and Japan, which utilise similar alerts for imminent threats like extreme weather conditions. In Britain, the system is also employed for events like wildfires or significant floods, reports the Mirror.
When the alert is received, individuals are not required to take any action; they can simply dismiss the message by swiping it away or pressing 'OK' on their phone's home screen. The content of the test message is expected to read: "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."
People wishing to avoid receiving these alerts can disable them in their device's settings; however, authorities recommend keeping them activated for safety. The system uses mobile phone masts to send the message to all compatible phones within range, ensuring personal phone numbers remain private.
Following the concerns raised by domestic violence campaigners about risks to victims' safety prompting potential exposure of hidden mobile phones during initial trials, additional guidance on how to switch off the feature has been made available.
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English (United States) ·