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We all knew it was coming, but the UK Government’s second nationwide emergency alert test to all mobile phones in the country on Sunday afternoon still managed to take many people by surprise.
The test – first announced back in July - came two years after the very first UK-wide test of the system back in April 2023, following trials in East Suffolk and Reading in 2021.
Alongside the alerts which require no action, the service has been used for real since the first test, such as when an unexploded bomb from the Second World War was found in Plymouth in February 2024, and in December when red weather warnings were issued for Storm Darragh.
In January, around 4.5 million people in Scotland and Northern Ireland received an emergency alert about a red weather warning for Storm Éowyn.
Explaining why a second national test was being carried out, Pat McFadden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said at the time of the announcement: “Just like a fire alarm in your house, it’s important we test the system so that we know it will work if we need it.”
The government also said regular testing is in line with what’s done in other countries such as Japan and the USA.
The message received by mobile phones on Sunday read: “This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby.
“You do not need to take any action. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.
“Find simple and effective advice on how to prepare for emergencies at gov.uk/prepare.
“Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information or to view this message in Welsh.”
The alert was sent out at 3pm (BST) and stopped sending 20 minutes later.
And sure enough, despite having a heads up, it still gave a good number of people a fright:
The memes soon followed:
A Coronation Street reference in truly British fashion:
Including one referencing an explosion from the 2002 film Spider Man:
Even the fictional police force Sanford Police (yes, off of Hot Fuzz) joined in the fun by joking that those who did not receive an alert are “not scheduled to survive the upcoming extinction level event”, with this being “for the greater good”:
One person’s enjoyment of Formula 1 was disrupted:
Another joked about their phone making a sound after being on silent for five years:
And others bragged and claimed they “didn’t even flinch”:
More information about the emergency alerts - including how to opt out if necessary - can be found on the GOV.UK website.
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