New national emergency alert system Testing 3pm 23 April 2023

The Government have announced that the UK Government's new Emergency Alerts system is now live. The system will enable people to be contacted through their mobile phone if their lives are at risk in an emergency. The service will be used to warn you about life-threatening emergencies, for example severe flooding.

Emergency Alerts are messages sent to all compatible 4G and 5G mobile phones when there's a danger to your life, health or property in the area you're located. They don't need your location or phone number and only the Government and the emergency services can send them. If you don't have a mobile, you'll still be kept informed through other channels.

There will be a UK-wide test of the Emergency Alerts system taking place at 3pm on Sunday 23 April 2023. If you have a compatible phone, you will receive a welcome message. You do not need to do anything when you receive it, as it's just a test to ensure the service is working effectively.

Emergency Alerts have already been used successfully in a number of other countries, including the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan, where it has been widely credited with saving lives, for example, during severe weather.

There is a list of frequently asked questions available and for more information about the Emergency Alerts system, you can go to the GOV.UK website.

27 March 2023