On Sunday 23 April 2023 at 3.00 pm, the UK Government will test the national Emergency Alert service. This new service for England, Northern Ireland and Scotland will warn you if there is a life-threatening emergency near you.

What will happen during the Government Emergency Alert Test? On your mobile phone or tablet you will hear a loud siren-like sound. A message on your screen will say:

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 an actual 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.

IMPORTANT: If you, or someone you know, has an emergency phone hidden from an abusive partner please be aware a loud alert will be activated even if your phone is on silent – you’ll need to it switch off. Be sure to use Airplane Mode or turn off emergency alerts in settings.