The public are being urged to expect an emergency alert sound on their mobile phones this afternoon.
The alert will cause your device to vibrate and let out a 10-second siren-like sound, even if it’s on silent mode.
It will appear on your device’s home screen and you must acknowledge it before you can use other features.
They appear as a notification and may include telephone numbers or website links containing further information.
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Why will people receive an emergency alert?
It comes after the Met Office issued a rare red alert for tomorrow, which covers all of Northern Ireland from 7am until 2pm with forecasters warning of “very dangerous conditions” and “widespread disruption”.
It is the first one issued for NI by the Met Office since the forecaster moved to impact-based warnings in 2011.
The forecaster has warned there is a danger to life. Emergency preparations are being made ahead of the storm’s arrival.
Schools, businesses and airports are expected to ground to a halt ahead of the extreme weather front.
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When did emergency alerts begin?
The UK Emergency Alert System was rolled out two years ago, when phone users were braced to hear a loud beeping noise sound off on their devices at 3pm on Sunday 23 April as a test for the system.
Who sends emergency alerts?
The alerts will only ever come from the Government or emergency services, and when they will issue a warning, they will always include the details of the area impacted, and provide instructions about how best to respond.
When the initiative was rolled out in 2023, it was stated that Emergency Alerts will be used very rarely – only being sent where there is an immediate risk to people’s lives.
The service was used successfully in a number of other countries, including the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan, where it has been widely credited with saving lives, for example, during severe weather events.
Has an emergency alert been used in real life situations since it began in 2023?
In the UK, alerts are used to tell residents of villages being encroached by wildfires, or of severe flooding.
The alert has been used in real life four times since it was first trialled in 2023.
It was issued on January 6, 2025 to warn people along the River Soar that it was likely to flood.
A month earlier, an alert was sent to people in Wales and southwest England ahead of Storm Darragh.
Another one was sent by Plymouth City Council to warn people that a World War Two bomb was going to be transported through the streets after being found in a local garden.
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Can I turn off emergency alerts on my device?
You can opt out of the emergency alerts system in your phone’s settings, just search for “emergency alerts”, and turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’.
You will not receive alerts if your device is turned off or in airplane mode.
News Catch Up – Thursday 23 January