Government alert?!?!

Don’t give them ideas!😂

I agree becaause there are no reasons not too. Ie clear punishments.

We were driving on the motorway and my DH who was driving almost jumped out of his skin when our phones started going off! He’s just got a new car which has various alerts which his old one didn’t have, so until we worked out that it was the phones (which were put away so not to hand, so it wasn’t obvious) he thought that something was seriously wrong with the car!

Horrendous isn't it .

If we had better water companies ,more resovoirs etc we wouldn't be quite so desperate right now.

They need to sort out the water companies .

I'm in Scotland and this thread is the 1st I've heard about it so its clearly not uk wide

Probably a bit more to this than meets the eye ....

I will be very unlikely to pay attention to future alerts after that ridiculous one. I don't understand why it was necessary, or the timing (far too late after the heatwave), who even decides these things? It was a terrifying sound while I was enjoying a peaceful walk picking blackberries in a local lane - a totally unnecessary intrusion IMO. Sensible people will be, well, sensible, and idiots will go on being idiots.

To be fair, the Fire and Rescue Service made a request to the government to put out the alert.

Attached is a screenshot of the fires in South Wales, which the South Wales Fire & Rescue Service today declared a mayor incident, and have requested military support.

I woke up this morning to the smell of smoke, and hazy smoke IN BATH. To the degree that Avon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service had to put out an announcement stating that it was the prevailing winds bringing the smoke from South Wales.

We don't need any more fires!

But maybe the fire fighters are exhausted and stretched after dealing for quite a while now but weren't months ago. They are dealing with more fires than normal

Some of the fires take days and multiple appliances. They are supposed to rotate the people but there shifts are getting so long.

See my other post, it's been a threat for months

If it makes one person think twice and not start a fire it is worth it. Those poor people who lost their homes, the PP boasting about having a portable bbq tonight, the kids on the hill near me watching the eclipse with a fire ... it takes one spark. It's really lucky nobody died in the house fires today - hearing the man on the news whose brother had to run in and save the dog, it's scary.
Most other countries have then but wow, do we moan about things in the UK!
As for Welsh/English - had it been in English first people would have moaned too. At least you know now there will be a follow up.

I think it’s a misuse of the system. These alerts should be used to save lives and put people out of immediate danger. Such as if a terrorist is in your area or a hurricane or even a wildfire that is getting close to your property.

Asking you not to light a bonfire via an alert is ridiculous. A text would suffice. These alerts have to be used appropriately. I’ve already spoken to people who have turned the alarm system off on their phones because of this misuse today. They are dangerous to people driving or in other vulnerable situations. Sometimes the risk is worth it, today it absolutely was not.

These alerts should not be used this way it annoys or desensitizes people so when one pops up saying "nuke/bombs" incoming they are likely to ignore it

It is a potential imminent threat in many areas

Did we not have some from covid times? Anyway, just like then I didn't get an alert. Partner did tho, wondered what was going on.

The Covid ones weren't alerts, they were more public information messages, There was no alert sound, they just popped up on the phone like a government texts iirc

A few days ago, the forecast for where I am was predicting rain over the weekend. Now none.
That seems to be a recurrent thing right now... rain forecast then no rain forecast as it gets closer to the time.

I honestly think it's misuse. Get it. Very serious case of lighting fires etc, but this message shouldn't be..... Dont do this......

I don't disagree that wildfires are a threat - they've been awful for months here, smoke across big parts of the region, and national politicians seem to have ignored them. Everyone already knows about them.

I think the loud warning sound should be for "imminent emergency, stop whatever you are doing and look at your phone right now", there should be a lesser level for "here's a message we want to send everyone in general", without the piercing noise.

I have switched mine off but I heard next doors anyway. Husband miffed as he starts work at 3am so was asleep in bed.

I got the first one at seven and a second one about 15 minutes ago. Very strange!

We don't have any rain forecast for the next 5 days at least here.

We were enjoying an evening event at the zoo and specifically in the woodland section with the bears and wolves at the time. With all the alarms going off I thought we had an escapee and it scared the life out of me!

But I'd rather these things go out than not. I'm off to check my settings because I couldn't read the full message before it disappeared which is a bit useless.

Of course the irony is that today is the last day of hot weather, and rain is forecast within the next 48 hours. There will be no more 30° temperatures this year. The two-month-long heatwave is now finished and so of course today is the day they send out the alert 😂