BREAKING: Emergency alert to be sent to millions of phones tonight over Storm Eowyn sparking siren

Some 4.5million radical volition get an exigency alert astatine 6pm aft the Met Office issued a uncommon 'red alert' informing up of Storm Eowyn hitting parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland

Millions of radical volition get an exigency alert to their phones TONIGHT arsenic the UK braces for Storm Eowyn.

In the biggest ever alert, immoderate 4.5 cardinal radical volition perceive a siren from their phones astatine 6pm, which volition besides vibrate for up to 10 seconds, to present the warning. It volition beryllium sent to radical successful parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, wherever the Met Office has issued a uncommon 'red alert' warning.

The "Armageddon alert" system, archetypal launched successful 2023, is deployed successful emergencies, specified arsenic during the caller Storm Darragh erstwhile implicit 3 cardinal radical were told to enactment indoors to debar 90mph winds.

Forecasters pass that winds could scope up to 100mph, with "flying debris resulting successful information to life". People are besides urged to beryllium alert of the hazard of ample waves successful coastal areas, unsafe driving conditions owed to fallen trees, and imaginable powerfulness cuts and harm to buildings.

The Met Office warned those successful affected areas to debar travelling and "stay indoors if you can".

The Cabinet Office said: "The Met Office has issued a reddish informing for upwind connected Friday 24th January, meaning determination is simply a information to beingness crossed Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.

"In airy of the deteriorating weather conditions and associated disruption, and successful consultation with the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive, the Cabinet Office volition contented Emergency Alerts aboriginal this evening to radical affected by the warnings successful Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland. The Emergency 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.

"Mobile phones volition marque a large siren-like dependable adjacent if they are acceptable connected silent. The dependable and vibration volition past for astir 10 seconds. Approximately 4.5 cardinal radical volition person the Emergency Alert successful the largest existent beingness usage of the instrumentality to date.

"The UK Government has good rehearsed plans successful spot for terrible wintertime upwind and is moving with teams from devolved governments, section authorities, the exigency services and different nationalist bodies to coordinate the effect to immoderate disruption."

Schools successful Scotland person been advised to adjacent connected Friday for the information of children and staff. The Met Office informing states: "Keep yourself and others safe; debar travelling by roadworthy during perchance unsafe conditions. It is not harmless to thrust successful these conditions."

"Don't hazard wounded to others oregon harm to your property. If you tin bash truthful safely, cheque for escaped items extracurricular your location and unafraid them. Items include; bins, plot furniture, trampolines, tents, sheds, and fences. Being extracurricular successful precocious winds makes you susceptible to injury. Stay indoors if you can."

Schools successful Scotland were besides advised to adjacent connected Friday for the information of children and staff.

This is the 5th ever usage of the exigency alert system. Last week, the Cabinet Office announced it would transportation retired a nationalist trial aboriginal this year, which volition spell to astir 87million phones. The day for the proceedings volition beryllium publicised successful advance.