A planned emergency alert comes to the South West this weekend which will see people's phone screens light up at 3pm on Sunday (April 23). The new public alarm system is part of a new Government plan which will alert people in life-threatening situations, such as floods and extreme weather.
Similar systems are already in places including in the US, Japan and the Netherlands with ministers claiming they could "save your life". The alerts work on all 4G and 5G phones; you do not need to sign up or pay.
Mobile phone users will be notified with a message which reads: "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. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information. This is a test. You do not need to take any action."
