The exact wording of the UK's upcoming emergency alert test has been revealed by the Cabinet Office. The message, which will be sent to millions of mobile devices on 7 September at around 3pm, is less than 100 words and will be accompanied by a loud siren and vibration lasting approximately 10 seconds.
The alert reads: "This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby. You do not need to take any action. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Find simple and effective advice on how to prepare for emergencies at gov.uk/prepare. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information or to view this message in Welsh. Ewch i gov.uk/alerts am ragor o wybodaeth neu i weld y neges hon yn y Gymraeg."
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden announced the national test last month as part of a new Resilience Action Plan. He said: "Just like the fire alarm in your house, it’s important we test this system so that we know it will work if we need it. The alerts have the potential to save lives."
Since the first national test in April 2023, the Emergency Alerts system has been used five times in real emergencies, including during Storm Eowyn in January, when 4.5 million people in Scotland and Northern Ireland received warnings. It was also deployed during Storm Darragh in 2024, flash flooding in Cumbria and Leicestershire, and after an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered in Plymouth in February 2024.
Tracey Lee, chief executive of Plymouth City Council, said the system "played a vital role in helping us safely evacuate over 10,000 people and coordinate a complex, multi-agency response." Similar alert systems are used in countries like Japan, the US, Finland, and Germany.
Ahead of the test, the government is running a public information campaign, including communications targeted at vulnerable groups such as victims of domestic abuse, and the first national information video in British Sign Language.
