When the alert went off, be honest, did you think the Russia had launched one?

Same

I was upstairs and my phone was on charge downstairs and I didn’t hear it! I noticed the message though at about 7.30

No.

Living in a city with a naval nuclear dockyard I thought for a second there was a radiation leak.

We were just pulling away in the car when it went off and my first thought was that something was wrong with the car, my second was why is my phone making a funny noise.

I also thought my phone was overheating, then thought there was a local fire. Didn't think of attacks - I will next time though.

I never got one so would be up shitcreek if there was a Russian attack.

I panicked for a moment and thought we had been invaded but then realised that happens everyday and it’s not considered an emergency

Completely agree. When it comes to ‘urgent safety alerts’ the priority should be for people to understand the message. They are potentially risking the lives of the majority of the population. So many people have silenced the alerts as a result of the confusion caused last night, it’s pretty disgraceful really.

No assumed the fires were getting closer.
they are about 15 miles away and our air quality is terrible and the smell is lingering everywhere. Feel so sorry for the firefighters

The decision to send it out only in Welsh first was insane. All those poor people absolutely shitting themselves whilst trying to type the message into Google translate with shaky hands. Yes absolutely they need to acknowledge the Welsh language exists and use it but FFS just send the message in English and Welsh at the same time.

I assumed it was wildfires, possibly an evacuation warning, based on where I am. However, along with more than 80% of the Welsh population, I had to wait 5 minutes for the English message to come through to find out.
Plaid making a point, regardless of safety, or even coherent Welsh, according to my Welsh speaking friends.

I did for a second, then DH said it was about the fire, so I assumed there was a fire nearby and we were in danger (as in be on high alert or evacuate).

I don’t think they should use alerts like this. It should be for genuine emergencies otherwise people will just start ignoring them.

It did cross my mind that a nuke was on its way so I said cheerio to the dog and hoped our government had launched one in return.

I'm in Scotland so didn't get the alarm, but I remember when they did the test one last year and it was whilst I was driving and I honestly nearly crashed the car. I heard of people getting it in the middle of the night as well. I suppose that would mirror an actual emergency but jeez, it's bloody loud.

I suppose it also stops idiots pretending that they ‘didn’t know’ the country is like a bloody tinder box, so more of them can be arrested for setting fire to things ‘accidentally’ ie out of arrogant stupidity and negligence.

Aliens 👽

Quite a few people on this thread did not know what it was, so plenty of people here living under rocks.
I had the alert once before when they first tested it but had not committed that sound to memory, so did not know what it was yesterday.

I was outside, the phones were inside and I thought it might be the neighbour's smoke alarm.

The thread has been useful for me as I have now turned off the alert sound, and it will only vibrate next time.

No. Had already seen the first thread about it so was actually looking it up on the government website when it went off. My cat however from his reaction clearly thought another fox had got through the cat flap and was eating his food, next doors dog was in the garden again, and there was a national shortage of dreamies. He was furious with me for allowing the false alarm.

Nope.

My first thought was 'what the fuck is this, its all in Welsh' 😂I live in Wales and the first one came through in Welsh. Had to ask my DD to translate, which she did. Then we got a second one in English.

But no, we assumed it was to do with the wildfire situation in the UK which was clear (if you have been following the news) had become an emergency situation.

Yes I did, but then I went to check my phone and sadly it was a weather warning instead.

Oh well, another day living in clown world I guess. 🤡

Nope. Didn't even cross my mind.

I don't think the Government would even put out an alert if we had missiles inbound.

There would be no time for anyone to do anything other than mass panic.

I don't know of a safe place to run to, and the chance of me getting there in under five minutes, amid a crowd of other panicking people, is nil.

When it went off, given the huge number of wildfires recently, and especially after what happened in Stourbridge, my first thought was that it was a local alert, warning of fires nearby.

I sort of hoped so...I don't want to die under the "care" of the NHS. Nuke would be much kinder.

I didn't actually hear it over the racket my kids were making, so I just read the message on the screen the next time I picked my phone up.

I think it’s a legitimate response to a request from emergency services. If it prevents one fire from breaking out, it could save many millions of pounds, people’s homes, land and wildlife and even human lives.