On Sunday afternoon, phones across the UK suddenly lit up and wailed with loud sirens as the government carried out its second nationwide test of the emergency alert system.
At exactly 3pm, millions of devices on 4G and 5G networks buzzed, flashed, and blared, pausing everything from live sporting events to casual Sunday afternoons at home. The message explained the alerts are designed to warn people if there’s ever a life-threatening emergency nearby.
Some fans at the Women’s Rugby World Cup match in Brighton and a cricket game in Southampton looked around in surprise as the siren cut across play. The Super League derby in Hull was even pushed back by a few minutes to avoid clashing with the alert. Rugby fans in Northampton were also caught off guard when the alarm rolled through the stands.
Not everyone’s phone went off, though. Some Sky News readers reported silence, while others scrambled to check why. Officials explained this could be down to several reasons: no signal, devices switched off, phones set to airplane mode, or emergency alerts turned off.
The government stressed that the system, first trialled in 2023, is an important safety measure. It’s already been used five times for real emergencies, including warnings about severe weather during Storm Eowyn earlier this year and when a massive 500kg World War II bomb was discovered in Plymouth last February.
The alerts are expected to play a crucial role in warning the public during extreme weather, flooding, fires, or other sudden dangers. Photo by Unknown author, Wikimedia commons.