UK Emergency Alert Tests 2025

[Woolos 22]

The test is due again on Sunday 7th September at 1500 on mobile phones

Sirens blare from millions of phones in national test of emergency alerts

PM Keir Starmer said the test was "an important step in keeping people safe during national emergencies".

www.bbc.co.uk

At around 15:00 on Sunday, mobiles vibrated and sounded for about 10 seconds in the second test of the system.

British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said "tens of millions of phones successfully sounded" in the test, which he said was "an important step in keeping people safe during national emergencies".

 

[nlogax]

We did in central Scotland at the start of the year with Storm Éowyn.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jan/23/storm-eowyn-red-weather-warning

More than 4.5 million people in Northern Ireland and Scotland have received a 10-second siren sound on their phones, after a rare red weather alert warned of what could be the strongest storm in generations.

The Met Office said the arrival of Storm Éowyn could bring gusts of up to 100mph and “flying debris resulting in a danger to life”.

The red warnings for Friday, an upgrade of existing amber warnings, covered all of Northern Ireland and parts of central and southern Scotland, including Edinburgh, Glasgow and Ayr.

 

[Buzby]

Yes on Vodafone, no on 3UK (Although they say this is now corrected). We’ll see!

 

[ainsworth74]

I got the original test a few years ago (I'm on EE but my mum on 3 didn't get one as was noted at the time as being a major issue!) but nothing since, I don't think anything has happened around here serious enough to need one!

Have to say it's a bit bonkers it's taken this long to getting around to testing it again. Since we disposed of the national siren system (obviously some areas with specific risks have retained sirens) at the end of the Cold War it seems a bit of an oversight there's no way of raising an alarm of danger quickly and to everyone in an area.

 

[DarloRich]

there's no way of raising an alarm of danger quickly and to everyone in an area.

is there a conspiracy theory associated with this system? I dot like to miss the latest crack pot "thinking"!

Since we disposed of the national siren system (obviously some areas with specific risks have retained sirens)

i remember them being tested in Darlo when I was a kid

 

[ainsworth74]

is there a conspiracy theory associated with this system? I dot like to miss the latest crack pot "thinking"!

I can't recall exactly what it was now but I do recall some people getting extremely het up when the first test happened a few years ago. There was a reasonable criticism that it could cause issues for people who have a hidden second phone (women suffering domestic violence was an example given) but most complaints seemed to trend towards the crackpot end of things!

i remember them being tested in Darlo when I was a kid

Showing your age the nationwide system was discontinued around 1992(ish)!

Up here on the coast we got a siren test once a week at 10am on Tuesdays from the Wilton Industrial site (née ICI Wilton). Not sure if they still test as regularly anymore but it went off about a year or so ago as I was walking home from work (so presumably there was an actual incident of some description!) and it was during a period when Russia was really rattling the nuclear sabre which made for quite a sombre walk home even though there was no way it could be warning of nuclear strike.

 

[DarloRich]

Showing your age the nationwide system was discontinued around 1992(ish)!

it was in the 80's :-0

and it was during a period when Russia was really rattling the nuclear sabre which made for quite a sombre walk home even though there was no way it could be warning of nuclear strike.

Even as a youngster I always thought all the warnings would do is create panic. Best to be oblivious!

I get using it for floods and such but for something catastrophic..................

 

[sor]

Since we disposed of the national siren system (obviously some areas with specific risks have retained sirens) at the end of the Cold War it seems a bit of an oversight there's no way of raising an alarm of danger quickly and to everyone in an area.

If you meant that it took to long to get an emergency alert system at all on mobiles, I agree. I assume there was a new focus when the government wanted to send out all those COVID announcements but couldn't do so easily, and especially not to a targeted area. It took quite literally days for the network operators to send that "stay at home" text to all of us.

My understanding is that the broadcasters took on a lot of that alerting responsibility. If the PM needed to speak to the country on a matter of urgency, it can be done fairly easily as it is all so centralised. BBC Local Radio used to be the go to place for that kind of thing (I remember both listening for snow school closures and phoning them up to tell them that my school had been closed!)

 

[bleeder4]

I have the emergency alerts turned off in my phone settings. After every Android update I do go back in and check, as some of the updates sneakily turn it back on again!

 

[ainsworth74]

it was in the 80's :-0

Ah yes that dim and distant past people keep telling me about

Even as a youngster I always thought all the warnings would do is create panic. Best to be oblivious!

I get using it for floods and such but for something catastrophic..................

Yeah you do have to question the utilty of the four (sort of maybe if we're lucky) warning of nuclear doom don't you? Floods, chemical leaks, etc etc makes sense but nuclear Armageddon less so.

If you meant that it took to long to get an emergency alert system at all on mobiles, I agree. I assume there was a new focus when the government wanted to send out all those COVID announcements but couldn't do so easily, and especially not to a targeted area. It took quite literally days for the network operators to send that "stay at home" text to all of us.

Yes that's what I was driving at broadly. I have a vague memory of getting a text in about 2011/12 (and it was an SMS text) that was apparently some sort of test of a national warning system but never heard anything about it before or after that and not all my friends got one then either.

My understanding is that the broadcasters took on a lot of that alerting responsibility. If the PM needed to speak to the country on a matter of urgency, it can be done fairly easily as it is all so centralised. BBC Local Radio used to be the go to place for that kind of thing (I remember both listening for snow school closures and phoning them up to tell them that my school had been closed!)

That's true to be fair. I suppose it felt like what was missing was that push button to send warning of "something" (whatever that something might be) immediately in a situation where there might not be time to arrange for the PM or someone to be on air or at times of day when people might not be watching TV or listening to the radio. Or increasingly even at times of day when they might be! I rarely have live TV or radio on so if that's how we're broadcasting an emergency I'm up the creek!

I have the emergency alerts turned off in my phone settings. After every Android update I do go back in and check, as some of the updates sneakily turn it back on again!

As far as I'm aware this alert overrides that setting.

 

[pdeaves]

As far as I'm aware this alert overrides that setting.

Government website itself says https://www.gov.uk/alerts/opting-out

Opting out of emergency alerts
Emergency alerts contain life-saving information and should be kept switched on for your own safety.
You can opt out of emergency alerts. For example, victims of domestic abuse with a concealed phone may find it appropriate to turn off alerts.

(then specific instructions)

So it looks like it doesn't override the setting.

 

[jfollows]

I have it turned off.
I’ve managed for 63 years without it and don’t see the need.
If I get an alert on Sunday I will be annoyed.

No conspiracy theory, I just don’t trust them not to extend it more and more and more to cover trivial things, such as “it might rain a bit”.

 

[DarloRich]

I have it turned off.
I’ve managed for 63 years without it and don’t see the need.
If I get an alert on Sunday I will be annoyed.

dont let it worry you - not worth it

 

[bleeder4]

I have it turned off.
I’ve managed for 63 years without it and don’t see the need.
If I get an alert on Sunday I will be annoyed.

No conspiracy theory, I just don’t trust them not to extend it more and more and more to cover trivial things, such as “it might rain a bit”.

Yes, that's the same reason why I have it turned off as well. The possibility of it being abused. Plus if there actually is something serious going on, I think I'd rather live in blissful ignorance to be honest!

 

[DarloRich]

The possibility of it being abused.

could you explain that further?

 

[frankmoh]

I've seen warnings on the exterior LED display at Southwark Station for some reason. Also the PA at Waterloo.

Not Waterloo East though.

Also why did I learn this was happening ay train stations and not on my actual phone?

 

[Tester]

could you explain that further?

'See it, Say it, Sorted'

 

[ainsworth74]

Government website itself says https://www.gov.uk/alerts/opting-out


(then specific instructions)

So it looks like it doesn't override the setting.

Ah fair enough I must have been getting myself confused with something else! Thanks for the correction

 

[bleeder4]

could you explain that further?

Let's say there is a bad storm moving in and I live right in its expected path. I don't need an emergency alert to tell me that, I'll be able to see on the weather forecast that there's a storm coming. The emergency alert system should just be used for stuff like nuclear attacks, end of the world stuff, not for localised weather events.

 

[MrJeeves]

Ah fair enough I must have been getting myself confused with something else! Thanks for the correction

There's another level of alert which will always bypass the operating system settings. The UK hasn't used this alert, and evidently does not plan to, but it's unknown whether the functionality exists in the system that was developed by central government and the mobile network operators.

Let's say there is a bad storm moving in and I live right in its expected path. I don't need an emergency alert to tell me that, I'll be able to see on the weather forecast that there's a storm coming.

Very helpful for an unexpected flash flood while you're fast asleep!

You must have very impressive skills of information digestion while dreaming.

 

[jfollows]

Let's say there is a bad storm moving in and I live right in its expected path. I don't need an emergency alert to tell me that, I'll be able to see on the weather forecast that there's a storm coming. The emergency alert system should just be used for stuff like nuclear attacks, end of the world stuff, not for localised weather events.

I agree, it’s like extending 30mph speed limits further and further into open countryside because “we can be seen to be doing something”. I’m happy to take my chances with the weather and I don’t believe the alert system will tell me anything useful. If you dig my body out from underneath a pile of bricks I’ll accept that you can say that I was wrong.

A flash flood when my bedroom is two stories up isn’t a major concern.

It’s all about being seen to do something rather than doing something useful in my opinion.

 

[MrJeeves]

A flash flood when my bedroom is two stories up isn’t a major concern.

Have you never visited any place other than your bedroom?

 

[jfollows]

Have you never visited any place other than your bedroom?

Not often when I’m fast asleep, no.
I also live on high ground close to a river.

 

[4COR]

Let's say there is a bad storm moving in and I live right in its expected path. I don't need an emergency alert to tell me that, I'll be able to see on the weather forecast that there's a storm coming. The emergency alert system should just be used for stuff like nuclear attacks, end of the world stuff, not for localised weather events.

Though, you could conceivably have a situation like flash flooding (Lynmouth, Boscastle) where residents may be unaware of what is happening - the rain doesn't have to be right on top of you.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Didn’t receive it last time, don’t expect it this time. In the pub it was about 70% of those present who had got it.

 

[MrJeeves]

Not often when I’m fast asleep, no.

Rather impressive to have never stayed at a family member's home, friend's home, or a hotel!

 

[4COR]

A flash flood when my bedroom is two stories up isn’t a major concern.

If the two stories beneath you disappeared because of the flood, you might reconsider that!

 

[DarloRich]

Let's say there is a bad storm moving in and I live right in its expected path. I don't need an emergency alert to tell me that, I'll be able to see on the weather forecast that there's a storm coming. The emergency alert system should just be used for stuff like nuclear attacks, end of the world stuff, not for localised weather events.

That doesn't explain "misuse".

using your example: you may know the weather is bad. You may not know the dam at the top of the valley is going to fail.

A flash flood when my bedroom is two stories up isn’t a major concern.

it might be if the first & ground floors get washed away by the tidal wave described above.................

 

[Bletchleyite]

That doesn't explain "misuse".

using your example: you may know the weather is bad. You may not know the dam at the top of the valley is going to fail.

In the US it's often misused for things like missing children "look out" notifications. These are a great idea (we don't have them in the same way) but should be done using a normal SMS type notification - this alerting system really needs to be reserved for "you're going to die if you don't act" type stuff - floods, nuclear war etc, certainly nothing below a red weather warning.

 

[Peter Mugridge]

There's another level of alert which will always bypass the operating system settings. The UK hasn't used this alert, and evidently does not plan to, but it's unknown whether the functionality exists in the system that was developed by central government and the mobile network operators.

Even that level can be turned off, but it's a bit of a pain to find it in the phone.

Chances are they'll do a phone update on the morning of that Sunday which will sneakily turn it back on again...?