UK to Conduct Nationwide Emergency Alert Test on September 7, 2025

On July 8, 2025, the UK government revealed that a major nationwide test of the Emergency Alerts system will be conducted on September 7, 2025, at around 3 p.m. The alert system is crucial for warning the public about life-threatening situations such as severe weather, flooding, and fires. The tests are essential for verifying that the system functions correctly and for familiarising the public with the alerts. This is not the first test, with previous ones taking place including in April 2023, which helped identify and fix issues with certain networks.

Emergency Alerts operate across all 4G and 5G networks in the UK, and recipients will hear a loud siren accompanied by a vibrate and message on their device. These alerts are broadcast from cell towers and do not require phone numbers to operate. The system has also been used locally for storm and flood warnings, such as during Storm Éowyn in early 2025.

Participants might see an alert lasting about 10 seconds, designed to sound and appear as a test message. The message structure for September’s test remains undisclosed, but previous tests issued clear instructions that no action was needed unless an actual emergency occurred.

users can opt out of receiving certain alerts via their phone settings, although the process might vary depending on the device. Users are urged not to read or respond to alerts while driving or engaged in other activities that could compromise safety.

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