Millions of phones will blare with the sound of a 10-second siren this year as part of a drill to prepare the UK for potential danger.
The announcement about this year’s test alert comes as the government issued a warning about the UK needing to ‘actively prepare’ for the possibility of the country coming under ‘direct threat’.
It also comes after the world has been watching the Middle East amid fears of a wider conflict igniting after tensions between Iran and Israel boiled over.
The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is designed to warn the public if there is a danger to life nearby.
When it was last tested, the message that appeared on phones said: ‘This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK Government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.
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‘Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information. This is a test. You do not need to take any action.’
After this year’s alert (the exact date will be announced in the future), the system will be tested once every two years.
The practice test of the system comes as the government’s National Security Strategy stressed the importance of Brits being prepared for any emergency – weather, war, and more.
Earlier this year, the European Union went as far as warning the nearly 450,000,000 people who live within its borders to stockpile emergency supplies to last 72 hours in case of war or natural disaster.
The advice, issued to nearly half a billion people across 27 countries, includes telling people to buy bottled water, energy bars, a torch, and waterproof pouches for IDs.
And EU households could get a handbook to help them prepare for ‘various crises, from potential conflict to climate disasters, pandemics and cyber threats.’
The EU’s announcement came after France decided to issue 20-page survival manuals, with 63 measures on how the French can protect themselves from armed conflict, natural disasters, industrial accidents and nuclear leaks.
It also included the essentials needed in these scenarios, like six litres of water, canned food, batteries, a torch, paracetamol and bandages.
But the French government insisted it was not released because of the looming threat of Vladimir Putin.
Instead, it said the manual has been in the works since 2022, after the COVID-19 pandemic, to prepare the country for a similar type of scenario.
Many countries in the EU are already well prepared for natural disasters, including Finland, where Metro toured one of the underground bunkers which will serve as a refuge for Finns in case of war or emergency.
The nation has an astounding 50,500 bomb shelters in case of emergency or conflict – a stark contrast to those available and operational in the United Kingdom.
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