Overview

• The Cabinet Office confirmed the nationwide test will occur at around 3 pm on Sunday, September 7, sending alerts to an estimated 87 million 4G and 5G devices across the UK.
• During the exercise, compatible phones and tablets will vibrate and emit a ten-second siren before displaying a message directing users to gov.uk/prepare.
• Published guidance details how to disable test alerts in device settings, explains bilingual English and Welsh messaging, and outlines provisions for users with hearing or vision impairments.
• The drill fulfils a legal requirement for triennial testing and aims to validate system performance while familiarising the public with life-saving warnings.
• Since its April 2023 launch, the Emergency Alerts service has been activated five times for events including Storm Éowyn, Storm Darragh and an unexploded World War II bomb in Plymouth.