With one month to go Pat McFadden is now rallying the nation to get ready for the second ever national test of the UK’s Emergency Alerts system.
An emergency alert drill next month will be “one of the biggest safety exercises” in UK history, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Pat McFadden said mobile phone alerts could save lives during raging storms or when wildfires break out.
On Sunday September 7 at around 3pm, mobile phones connected to 4G and 5G networks will vibrate and emit a siren sound for up to 10 seconds.
The public won’t need to do anything, just swipe the message away or click ‘OK’ on the phone home screen. The test will be just the second of its kind and follows a government pledge to test the system regularly to make sure the alarm works and get the public used to it. It follows similar alarms in other countries such as Japan and the USA. It comes after everyone in the UK with WhatsApp was put on red alert and told to follow three new rules.
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With one month to go Mr McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, is now rallying the nation to get ready for the second ever national test of the UK’s Emergency Alerts system. He said: “From major storms to wildfires, this system could save your life in an emergency. Just like the fire alarm in your house, it’s important we test the system so that we know it will work if we need it. It’s part of our Plan for Change to secure the nation and keep people safe.
The Government has previously used the system for real, including in January during Storm Eowyn to warn people in Scotland and Northern Ireland about severe weather.
Approximately 3.5 million people across Wales and south-west England received an alert during Storm Darragh last December and a 500kg unexploded Second World War bomb found in a Plymouth back garden triggered a warning in February last year.
“This test will be one of the biggest public safety exercises in our nation’s history,” Mr McFadden said. “Mark the date, spread the word, and take a moment to think about how you would respond in a real emergency.”
In addition to vibrations and a noise, mobile phone users will receive a message.
It will read: “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.”
The largest use of such an alert came during Storm Éowyn in January 2025, 4.5 million people in Scotland and Northern Ireland got an alert warning of life-threatening conditions. It was also rolled out when an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered in Plymouth in February 2024, helping evacuate 10,000 residents in just hours. Since the first national test of the Emergency Alerts system in April 2023, five alerts have been sent, including during major storms when lives were at risk.
Ahead of the national test, the government is running a public information campaign to notify people it is taking place, including communications targeted at vulnerable groups such as victims of domestic abuse. The campaign has also featured the first national information video in British Sign Language.
Last week, the full text of the test message was revealed for the first time. It will say: “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 .
As well as making clear the test is just a drill, the message will point the public to GOV.UK/PREPARE, a one-stop site offering advice about steps households can take to prepare for emergencies.
The test follows the publication of the Resilience Action Plan, which set out a raft of measures to secure the nation. This included investing £4.2 billion in new flood defences to more than £1 billion in a network of National Biosecurity Centres, ensuring communities across the country will be better protected from threats like extreme weather and pandemics.
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