The UK gov is sending out emergency alerts on 23rd April to your phone, here’s how it’ll sound
It’ll last ten seconds but you can turn it off
A UK-wide emergency alert service has recently been launched for the first time ever by the government ahead of a test on Sunday 23rd April. The alerts are going to be sent directly to mobile phones across the UK to warn people about life-threatening events such as wildfires and dangerous flooding, the government has said.
Just today the government announced people in the UK will receive the emergency alert in the afternoon on 23rd April and it will last for ten seconds.
The alerts will only come from the government of emergency services and will include details of the area impacted along with instructions on how to respond. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden said: “We are strengthening our national resilience with a new emergency alerts system, to deal with a wide range of threats. It will revolutionise our ability to warn and inform people who are in immediate danger, and help us keep people safe. As we’ve seen in the US and elsewhere, the buzz of a phone can save a life.”
The new service was first tested in East Suffolk and Reading. Alerts will only be sent when there is an immediate risk to life, so it may be a very long period between them. Here’s everything we know about the emergency government alert being sent on 23rd April including the time it’s being sent out:
What will the government alert look and sound like on 23rd April
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The alert will appear on your device and you will hear a loud siren and vibration which will last up to 10 seconds. You will have to acknowledge the alert before using your phone again. It will appear as a notification and may include phone numbers or website links for more information. It’s very similar looking to a low battery notification.
What time will the government emergency alert go off on 23rd April?
It was announced just today that the government will be sending out the alert at 3pm on 23rd April 2023. You can hear what the alert will sound like here.
Can I turn off the government alert message ahead of 23rd April?
Yes, if you don’t want to receive the alerts you can opt out in your device settings. It’s important to note the government won’t be using emergency alerts to spam people. The alerts are only used to warn us about an immediate threat to life.
Executive director for floor and coastal erosion risk management at the Environment Agency, Caroline Douglas said: “Being able to communicate warnings in a timely and accurate manner during incidents is really important to help people take action to protect themselves, their families and their neighbours.
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