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Emergency Alert - 23rd April at 3pm

Emergency alerts is a UK government service that will warn you if there's a danger to life nearby. In an emergency, your mobile or tablet will receive an alert with advice about how to stay safe. On Sunday 23rd April 2023 at 3pm, there will be a national test of the UK Emergency Alerts service.

Reasons you might get an alert

You may get alerts about:

  • severe flooding
  • fires
  • extreme weather

Emergency alerts will only be sent by:

  • the emergency services
  • government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies

What happens when you get an emergency alert

Your mobile phone or tablet may:

  • make a loud siren-like sound, even if it's set on silent
  • vibrate
  • read out the alert

The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.

An alert will include a phone number or a link to the Gov.UK website for more information. You'll get alerts based on your current location - not where you live or work. You do not need to turn on location services to receive alerts.

Visit https://www.gov.uk/alerts for further information and advice.

If you or someone you know is a victim or survivor of domestic abuse with a secret phone, the government's Emergency Alert system could reveal your phone even when on silent. This video from Refuge shows how to turn off emergency alerts on your mobile phone to prevent it being detected in the event of an emergency alert.