There will be a national test of the UK Emergency Alerts service today at 3pm (Sunday 23 April 2023).
Emergency Alerts is a UK government service that will warn the public if there is a danger to life nearby, such as an extreme weather event. In an emergency, mobile phones will receive an alert with advice about how to stay safe.
Your mobile phone (or tablet) could:
• make a loud siren-like sound
• vibrate
• read out the alert
The message will be received on 4G and 5G mobile phones even if devices are on ‘silent’. The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.
The test time of 3pm was selected to cause minimal disruption to society, and it avoids the most regular church worship times. However, any churches with services arranged for the afternoon, or have events taking place in church buildings at that time, should prepare for a brief spell of interruption at 3pm.