National testing of the UK’s new Emergency Alerts system on Sunday 23 April at 3:00pm

Posted on April 20th, 2023

The UK government’s new Emergency Alerts system is live and will enable people to be contacted via their mobile phone when lives are in danger.

It will be used to warn you in the event of emergencies, such as severe flooding.

Emergency Alerts are sent to all compatible mobile phones within an area of risk. They don’t track your location, need your phone number, or collect personal data. Only the government and the emergency services will be able to send them. If you don’t have a mobile phone, you’ll still be kept informed through other channels.

If you get an Emergency Alert on your phone, you’ll hear a loud, siren-like sound. A message on your screen will tell you about the emergency and how best to respond. You’ll be able to check an alert is genuine at gov.uk/alerts

To ensure the Emergency Alerts system works effectively, there will be a nationwide test on Sunday 23 April at 3:00pm.

If you receive an alert, read the alert carefully and follow the instructions.

You can opt out of receiving emergency alerts; for more information on how to opt out please go to gov.uk/alerts

To find out more about Emergency Alerts, visit gov.uk/alerts