The emergency alert is used to warn if there is a danger to life nearby, in instances like extreme weather.

The alert has been scheduled to take place on 7 September, in its second ever nationwide drill.

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) – which can sound an alarm through mobile phones and tablets - has been deployed four times since it was launched in 2023. It was most recently used in January this year, when 4.5m people in Scotland and Northern Ireland received the alert over Storm Eowyn.

What is the emergency alert system?

The Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a government service aimed at warning people if there’s a danger to life nearby. 

The system causes a mobile phone or tablet to make a loud siren-like sound that lasts about 10 seconds, even if it's set on silent, along with advice on how to stay safe and a phone number or link to the government website for more information. It may also cause a device to vibrate or read out the alert.

The alert was used in areas hit hardest by Storm Darragh this winter. Localised flash flooding in Cumbria and Leicestershire, and the discovery of a Second World War bomb in Plymouth in February 2024, also triggered the alert for nearby residents.

According to the government website, you may get alerts about: severe flooding, fires or extreme weather.

It says emergency alerts will only be sent by the emergency services or government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies. 

"You’ll get alerts based on your current location - not where you live or work," says the website. "You do not need to turn on location services to receive alerts."

If driving or riding when you receive the alert, the advice is to not read or respond to it but to find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message.

"If there’s nowhere safe and legal to stop, and nobody else is in the vehicle to read the alert, you can listen to news on live radio to find out about the emergency," it adds.

When will the emergency alert system be sent to phones?

The emergency alert system will be tested at around 3pm on 7 September.

The national exercise that its test is part of is expected to be held on different days over several months in the autumn, involving thousands of participants across the UK. 

During the test, the UK’s approximately 87 million mobile devices will ring out with a high pitched alarm and vibrate for approximately 10 seconds, while a message will appear on the screen making it clear the alert is only a test.

Ahead of the national test, ministers are spearheading a public awareness campaign to ensure people understand when it is taking place.

How to turn off emergency alert system on iPhone and Android

It is possible to turn the emergency alert system off by opting out, for example if you are the victim of domestic abuse and have a secret phone you do not wish to alert your abuser to.

To do this on iPhone, go to ‘settings’ and in your search bar type in ‘emergency alerts’ and turn off Severe alerts and Emergency alerts.

To opt out on Android phones and tablet, search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’ then turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’. 

If this does not work on either iPhone or Android, contact the device manufacturer. By Ellen Manning, Yahoo News