On Sunday, all mobile phones and devices across Britain and Northern Ireland received a test message alert as part of a new UK emergency warning system. The message entitled “Severe Alert” told users it was a “test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby.” At 3pm on Sunday, mobile phones sounded a loud siren-like alarm and vibrated to alert users to the incoming emergency message. The UK emergency warning system is designed to alert the public of life-threatening emergencies such as extreme weather, flooding, or fires. The Road Safety Authority (RSA) advised drivers in Border counties that they may receive an emergency “alert” message during the test and assured members of the public not to be alarmed or startled if their phone makes a loud alarm sound, vibrates, and flashes to flag the incoming test message. The RSA also reminded drivers never to use their mobile phones while driving and to find somewhere safe and legal to pull over and read the message in the case of a real-time emergency.
