Mobile phones in the UK will be sent an ‘Emergency Alert’ at around 3pm on Sunday, September 7, as a test of national preparedness, the Government says. Phones will vibrate and make a loud siren sound for roughly ten seconds, even if they are set to silent. A message will also appear on phone screens, stating it’s only a test.
Ahead of the test, the Government will run a public information campaign to notify people, including communications targeted at vulnerable groups, such as victims of domestic abuse. The campaign will also feature products in British Sign Language.
Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said: “Emergency Alerts have the potential to save lives, allowing us to share essential information rapidly in emergency situations including extreme storms. Just like the fire alarm in your house, itโs important we test the system so that we know it will work if we need it. This test is part of our action plan to build resilience across the whole country and secure the nation under the Plan for Change – from the ยฃ1 billion weโre investing in a new network of National Biosecurity Centres to the ยฃ4.2 billion weโre investing to build a new generation of flood defences to protect local communities.”
Since a first test of the system in April 2023, five alerts have been sent, such as during major storms. The largest use of the system saw about 4.5 million people in Scotland and Northern Ireland receive an alert during Storm รowyn in January 2025, after a red weather warning was issued, meaning a risk to life. And about 3.5 million people across Wales and the South West of England received an alert during Storm Darragh in December 2024.
Emergency Alerts work on all 4G and 5G phone networks in the UK. Your mobile phone or tablet does not have to be connected to mobile data or wifi to get alerts. However, you will not receive alerts if your device is: turned off; connected to a 2G or 3G network; or wifi only. Instructions telling you how to opt out are at https://www.gov.uk/alerts/opting-out.
Plan
Meanwhile the Cabinet Office is due to publish a ‘Resilience Action Plan’ about the way UK Government prepares for and responds to emergencies.
