There will a national test of the UK Emergency Alerts service this month.
On Sunday 23rd April 2023, the Government will test a new service that is intended to notify people about potential life-threatening events via their mobile phones. The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.
The alert will say:
“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 an actual 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.”
In future, emergency alerts will only be sent by the emergency services, or government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies. Alerts could warn of severe flooding, fires or extreme weather and will apply to your current location, rather than where you live or work.
If you do not want to receive these emergency alerts, you can opt out by going into the settings on your mobile phone, locating the emergency alert sections (usually in notifications) and turning whichever alerts you do not want to receive off.
For more information visit https://www.gov.uk/alerts