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Published January 23, 2025 5:15pm Updated January 23, 2025 5:16pm
Millions of phones volition blare to the dependable of a 10-second siren this evening erstwhile the Government issues an exigency alert implicit Storm Eowyn.
The Met Office earlier issued a reddish information to beingness informing for upwind crossed Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.
It volition beryllium the largest real-life usage of the exigency strategy to date, pinging to astir 4.5 cardinal handsets.
Follow our unrecorded blog for the latest updates connected Storm Eowyn
The alert volition origin mobile phones to marque a large siren-like sound, adjacent if they are connected soundless erstwhile the alert is issued.
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: ‘The Met Office has issued a reddish informing for upwind connected Friday January 24, meaning determination is simply a information to beingness crossed Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.
‘In airy of the deteriorating upwind conditions and associated disruption, and successful consultation with the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive, the Cabinet Office volition contented exigency alerts aboriginal this evening to radical affected by the warnings successful Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.
‘The exigency alert strategy volition nonstop a connection to each compatible mobile telephone successful the areas astatine astir risk, containing accusation astir the upwind warnings and guidance connected however to enactment safe.’
In Scotland, 22 areas are covered including Clackmannanshire; Falkirk; Fife; Stirling; Dumfries & Galloway; East Lothian; Edinburgh; Midlothian Council; Scottish Borders; West Lothian; Argyll and Bute; East Ayrshire; East Dunbartonshire; East Renfrewshire; Glasgow; Inverclyde; North Ayrshire; North Lanarkshire; Renfrewshire; South Ayrshire; South Lanarkshire; and West Dunbartonshire.
In Ireland, six areas are covered including County Antrim; County Armagh; County Down; County Fermanagh; County Londonderry; and County Tyrone.
What happens during the EAS alert and why?
What volition happen?
Millions of mobile phones and tablets crossed the UK volition emit a large alarm and vibrate.
The connection volition beryllium received connected 4G and 5G mobile phones, on with dependable and vibration for up to 10 seconds.
The alarm volition dependable adjacent if the instrumentality is acceptable connected silent.
Do I request to bash anything?
Phone users volition beryllium prompted to admit the alert by swiping oregon clicking the connection earlier being capable to proceed utilizing their device.
What is the intent of this system?
The system, which is modelled connected akin schemes successful the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan, is intended to beryllium utilized successful life-threatening situations including flooding and wildfires.
Who sends the alerts?
Emergency alerts will lone beryllium sent by the emergency services oregon authorities departments, agencies and nationalist bodies that woody with emergencies.
Should I crook connected determination services connected my telephone to guarantee I receive alerts?
The Government said you volition get alerts based connected your existent determination – not wherever you unrecorded oregon work, and you bash not request to crook connected determination services to receive alerts.
What if the alert comes done erstwhile I americium driving?
The Government is urging radical to not work oregon respond to an emergency alert while driving oregon riding.
You are advised to find determination harmless and ineligible to halt earlier speechmaking the message, and if determination is obscurity harmless and ineligible to stop, and cipher other is successful the conveyance to work the alert, you tin perceive to quality connected unrecorded vigor to find retired astir the emergency.
The AA said motorists whitethorn similar to power disconnected their physics devices earlier Sunday’s trial arsenic laws banning the usage of handheld phones volition inactive apply.
Can I opt retired of the alerts?
Officials stressed that it is casual to opt retired of the system if radical request their telephone to enactment concealed, either by turning disconnected the alerts or simply having the telephone switched disconnected during the test.
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