An emergency alert will be sent to every UK phone this year as the Cabinet Office has issued a new statement in preparation for a nationwide test.
The alert is sent by the Government in emergency situations and was first launched in 2023.
Government officials have said the alerts will be used to inform Britons of any emergency, including severe weather and war threats.
Although the exact date of this year’s test is yet to be announced, Britons have been told that the system will be tested at least once every two years.
A 10 second siren will be sent to every UK phone later this year
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In a fresh statement about the emergency alerts, a Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “This system is not designed to cause panic, but to ensure people are aware of imminent threats and can act quickly.
“This test is part of building national resilience and saving lives in future crises.”
So far, only two alerts have been successfully sent.
The first was a test of the system issued in 2023, while the second came at the tail end of 2024, with Scots being issued a red wind warning via the Met Office due to the threat from Storm Darragh.
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The alarm will be sent
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When the first test took place in 2023, those on the Three Mobile network, which is one of the biggest networks in the UK, reported not getting the alert.
A spokesman for the company said at the time: “We’re aware that a number of customers have not received the test alert.
“We’re working closely with the government to understand why and ensure it doesn’t happen when the system is in use.”
The Government explained that the exact timings of the alerts depended on operators’ networks, which all have different speeds.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson acknowledged that the alert did not reach some mobile phones, adding it “will be looking at this as part of our review of the test”.