Millions of Brits will receive an ‘Armageddon alert’ through the Government carrying out a nationwide test.
The emergency alerts were first launched in 2023 and have been deployed in emergencies since. The recent Storm Darragh, when over three million people were told to stay indoors amid 90mph winds.
All phones with 4G and 5G will emit a siren and vibrate for up to 10 seconds to deliver the warning and test for future emergencies. The exact date when this is set to happen will be announced later this year, but will be widely publicised.
Around 87 million devices will receive the alert.
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden told 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.”
Countries such as the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan use similar alerts to warn about dangers such as weather events. In the UK, it will be used for incidents such as wildfires or severe flooding.
Those who receive the alert do not need to do anything and can simply swipe it away or press ‘OK’. The test message previously said: “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.”
If you do not wish to receive the alert, you can opt out of it in your device’s settings. However, teh Government advises the public to keep it on to ensure people remain safe.
The alert is sent through mobile phone masts, meaning the Government does not have your phone number. When it was first trialled, domestic abuse survivors raised concerns stating it would alert abusers to their hidden mobile phones.
As a result, work was done to inform people of how to turn the alert off as to not risk their safety.
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