National emergency alert test to be held on 7th September

• Emergency Alert to be sent to mobile phones across the UK in the second ever national test of the system

• Alert will sound at around 3pm on Sunday 7 September 

• Test comes as the government publishes a Resilience Action Plan with new steps to secure the country and deliver the Plan for Change

Mobile phones in the UK will be sent a test Emergency Alert at around 15:00 on Sunday 7th September 2025, as part of plans to strengthen the country's preparedness. 

The Emergency Alerts system is used to warn if there's a danger to life nearby, including extreme weather. It allows vital information and advice to be sent to people rapidly in an emergency.

During the test, mobile phones will vibrate and make a loud siren sound for roughly ten seconds, even if they are set to silent. A message will also appear on phone screens, making it clear the alert is only a test. There are approximately 87 million mobile phones in the UK.

The test will be just the second of its kind and follows a government commitment to test the system regularly to make sure it works optimally and familiarise the public with the alerts. This is in line with standard practice in other countries, such as Japan and the USA.

Ahead of the national test, the government will be running a public information campaign to notify people that the test is taking place, including communications targeted at vulnerable groups, such as victims of domestic abuse. The campaign will also feature products in British Sign Language.

Pat McFadden, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said:

“Emergency Alerts have the potential to save lives, allowing us to share essential information rapidly in emergency situations including extreme storms. Just like the fire alarm in your house, it's important we test the system so that we know it will work if we need it. 

“This test is part of our action plan to build resilience across the whole country and secure the nation under the Plan for Change - from the £1 billion we're investing in a new network of National Biosecurity Centres to the £4.2 billion we're investing to build a new generation of flood defences to protect local communities.”

Since the first national test of the Emergency Alerts system in April 2023, five alerts have been sent, including during major storms when lives were at risk.

The largest ever use of the system saw approximately 4.5 million people in Scotland and Northern Ireland receive an alert during Storm Éowyn in January 2025, after a red weather warning was issued, meaning there was a risk to life. 

Approximately 3.5 million people across Wales and the South West of England received an alert during Storm Darragh in December 2024. The storm went on to kill two people. 

Other activations have included when an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered in Plymouth, as well as during localised flash flooding in Cumbria and Leicestershire.

The news comes as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, unveils a new Resilience Action Plan to improve the way the government prepares for and responds to emergencies. The Resilience Action Plan, to be published on Tuesday, sets out: 

• The government will raise awareness of GOV.UK/PREPARE, which gives information on simple and effective steps people can take to be more prepared for an emergency.

• The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology is investing £370 million to better secure the UK's telecommunications networks through research and investment in new technology and infrastructure.

• The National Situation Centre and the Devolved Governments are going to sign a data sharing MoU to ensure that every nation in the UK has the best available data to prepare and respond to crises.

The government will also publish an update on the implementation of the 2023 Biological Security Strategy on Tuesday, outlining further action being taken to secure the country from biological risks, including:

• £15m funding will be made available in FY25/26 via the Integrated Security Fund to help strengthen biosecurity capability across government

• A Pandemic Preparedness and Response Research Framework will be published by the Department for Health and Social Care, helping to coordinate scientific research to prepare for the next pandemic.

• The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) will invest £1m through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) across projects with Kromek Group, Cambridge Consultants Ltd, University of Glasgow, Queens University Belfast and Cardiff University to develop new, novel methods to detect and attribute biological incidents.

• A new network of National Biosecurity Centres, announced in the National Security Strategy and backed by over £1.3 billion of investment, will bolster the UK's defences against biological incidents, accidents and attacks.

The announcements follow the publication of the National Security Strategy last month, which set out the largest sustained increase in national security spending since the Cold War, as the government takes more action to secure the county. 

In June, DEFRA announced it was investing £4.2 billion in new flood defences to keep communities safe.

This Autumn will also see the Department for Health and Social Care and the UK Health Security Agency deliver the largest pandemic exercise in the country's history. 

For the first time, the government can reveal that preparations for pandemic exercise (‘Exercise Pegasus') are already underway. Exercise Alkarab, an initial simulation, took place in May with more than 150 participants from across the UK, including  health officials and government ministers. 

ENDS 

Notes to editors: 

Stakeholder quotes

• "The Government's emergency alert system proved to be an invaluable tool during the Keyham bomb operation. It allowed us to reach thousands of residents instantly with clear information at a critical moment. This was the first time the system had been used in a real emergency, and it played a vital role in helping us safely evacuate over 10,000 people and coordinate a complex, multi-agency response. It demonstrated just how powerful timely communication can be in protecting our communities." — Tracey Lee, Chief Executive, Plymouth City Council

• “By their nature, emergency incidents occur with very little notice. They can develop at speed and across wide area's which puts lives at risk. This system has the ability to send an alert to those whose lives may be at risk, to ensure they can act to help themselves and others. We have seen where this process has had a significant impact, including extreme weather events and when we had to evacuate a large area of Plymouth due to WWII bomb.” - Glen Mayhew QPM, Assistant Chief Constable Local Policing

• “The Resilience Action Plan is an important further step on the road to building a resilient nation that is better prepared for the threats and hazards that we are increasingly facing.  Particularly welcome are the measures to support individuals, households, communities and businesses increase their own preparedness and resilience, and for there to be a better understanding of their vulnerabilities to risk.” - Lord Toby Harris, Chair, National Preparedness Commission

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On Background

What time will the test take place? 

The test will take place at around 15:00 BST on 7th September 2025.

Why is the test taking place?

Regular testing ensures the system is functioning correctly, should it be needed in an emergency. 

Who will receive the test alert? 

The test will function like a real life Emergency Alert.

Emergency Alerts work on all 4G and 5G phone networks in the UK. Your mobile phone or tablet does not have to be connected to mobile data or wifi to get alerts.

However, you will not receive alerts if your device is turned off; connected to a 2G or 3G network; wifi only; or not compatible.

How many mobile phones are there in the country?

There are approximately 87 million mobile phones in the UK.  

What will the test look and sound like? 

Devices will vibrate and make a loud siren sound for roughly ten seconds. A test message will also appear on screens. 

What will the test message say? 

The government will publish the test message in due course. It will make clear the alert is only a test. You can see all previous alerts at: https://www.gov.uk/alerts/past-alerts 

Do other countries run similar tests? 

Lots of other countries operate similar emergency systems and run regular tests, including Japan and the United States of America. 

Some countries test their systems monthly, such as Finland, while other countries test their systems annually, such as Germany. 

What about my personal data? 

Data about you, your device or location will not be collected or shared.

The emergency services and the UK government do not need your phone number to send you an alert.

What should drivers do? 

It is illegal to use a hand-held device while driving. Find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message.

What are you doing to support victims of domestic abuse? 

Emergency alerts contain life-saving information and should be kept switched on for your own safety.

However, there may be some scenarios where it is sensible to opt out of alerts, including victims of domestic abuse with a concealed phone.

The government will continue ongoing engagement with domestic violence charities and campaigners in the run up to the test, to ensure people know how to switch off alerts on a concealed phone. 

How do victims of domestic violence turn off the alerts? 

How you opt out depends on your device. 

Full instructions telling you how to opt out are available at: https://www.gov.uk/alerts/opting-out

If you still get alerts after opting out, contact your device manufacturer for help.

What are you doing to support deaf, hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted people? 

During the test, audio and vibration attention signals will let you know you have received an alert, if accessibility notifications have been enabled on your mobile phone or tablet.

The government will continue ongoing engagement with disability charities and campaigners in the run up to the test.