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Original poster

Air raid sirens.. do we have them here?

105 replies

SpikyJugs · 12/03/2022 11:47

Watching the news and hearing the air raid sirens going off constantly in Ukraine, it has made me curious.

Do we have them installed in major cities in the UK? Would they go off if we detected an invading aircraft? Are they sitting there ready to go if a threat occurs, or do the military bring them in if we think we're likely to need them?

How do they work? Does someone get information about an incoming aircraft and switch them on?

I think they're incredibly haunting and I can't imagine how frightened the poor people of Ukraine must be hearing them go off constantly

OP posts:
Notgettingbetter · 12/03/2022 11:50

I'm curious now too... I doubt we do though.

TotoAnnihiliation · 12/03/2022 11:52

There is one in Birmingham that gets tested every now and then.

EduCated · 12/03/2022 11:52

I know around here that the old WW2 sirens were removed, and I’m not aware of any in place.

I know in other areas they were retained and some are used for things like flood warnings or escaped prisoners.

Terfydactyl · 12/03/2022 11:53

There are some where I live. I've heard them be tested every year maybe for the last 20 years. Usually they give me the shock of my life and they were tested this week and everyone I was with tensed up and asked if this was it.

BloomingTrees · 12/03/2022 11:54

I know in Paris they do, as they test them the first Wednesday of the month at midday.

HashtagShitShop · 12/03/2022 11:55

If I remember rightly, bracknell (or near there) has one for when/if broadmoor prisoners go walkies.

Original poster
SpikyJugs · 12/03/2022 11:55

@EduCated

I know around here that the old WW2 sirens were removed, and I’m not aware of any in place.

I know in other areas they were retained and some are used for things like flood warnings or escaped prisoners.

Bloody hell, I'd crap myself if I heard one go off!

They're extremely evocative. I imagine the old WW2 ones were hand cranked, but i presume now they're automated?

OP posts:
Original poster
SpikyJugs · 12/03/2022 11:55

@Terfydactyl

There are some where I live. I've heard them be tested every year maybe for the last 20 years. Usually they give me the shock of my life and they were tested this week and everyone I was with tensed up and asked if this was it.
Yeah not the best timing!!! I'd shit a brick
OP posts:
MrsMoastyToasty · 12/03/2022 11:55

There's a siren in Avonmouth on the outskirts of Bristol. It's because it's an industrial area with chemical factories and oil refineries and is used to warn of major incidents. I believe its tested every month. (I can't hear it because I live the other side of the city. )

SamphiretheStickerist · 12/03/2022 11:56

Some were kept and are used for flood warnings.

A couple of years ago I got a text message that scared the shit out of me. It was a test message, checking the modern equivalent. I had to look it up on another phone because I assumed I had been hacked. It was real and you couldn't miss it as it sat on top of everything else I had open and was very bright, noisy and noticeable.

Tidypidy · 12/03/2022 11:56

There's one at the army camp in the town where I live. It goes off every 11 November at 11am.

Original poster
SpikyJugs · 12/03/2022 11:57

[quote CraftyGin]www.hitc.com/en-gb/2022/02/24/does-the-uk-have-air-raid-sirens/[/quote]
Thank you! I should have just googled it!!

OP posts:
Ablababla · 12/03/2022 11:58

We had one test every month where I grew up but I always thought that was something to do with the nearby power station. Never heard them where I now live.

Wagsandclaws · 12/03/2022 11:59

We have a siren near our village as I live in Somerset and there are a few quarries around here.

I understood that you'd get a message on your phone if anything was 'incoming' so to speak.

The sirens sound eerie though that's for sure.

Crabwoman · 12/03/2022 12:00

According to Wikipedia we have about 1200 active sirens in the UK. They are mostly used in areas with flood risks, chemical incidents and near oil refineries or nuclear power stations.

From what I have read, most people will be notified of any emergency by telephone/text.

Cocolapew · 12/03/2022 12:01

We have a siren in my town in NI. The fire station was mostly unmanned years ago and the siren used to go off to call the firefighters to it.

SedentaryCat · 12/03/2022 12:02

We live quite near to a former airbase (now being used by the army) - the air raid siren goes off occasionally, usually during exercises, but once in the middle of the night a couple of summers ago. Allegedly by accident and the person responsible was reprimanded.

Apart from that I'm not aware of any nearby any more. There used to be one close to my grandparents house in Oxford but that was removed 30 odd years ago.

And yes, utterly terrifying if they go off in the night.

Original poster
SpikyJugs · 12/03/2022 12:03

That article above that @CraftyGin linked to says UK govt have introduced a new text message system that sends a message to your phone and overrides everything else. Which seems sensible - except I don't have a phone signal in the rural area where I live. Mind you, i doubt my area would be a prime target for any incoming missile...

The article said that a missile launched from moscow would take around 20 mins to reach London.

As a fan of apocalyptic disaster movies, I also imagine that any warning would be immediately broadcast across all TV platforms. But that would only be for an unusually important event I imagine. The constant sirens that Ukraine are experiencing i imagine are triggered by sightings of fighter jets?

OP posts:
FourOclock · 12/03/2022 12:04

Our neighbouring farmer has one set up as his security alarm for his farm. No idea how he got hold of it. So the whole bloody village knows when he's forgotten the alarm code Grin

Duchessfloofy · 12/03/2022 12:05

Our city which has a military base in it , has one and tests it every three months or so. I hate it and feel sick everytime. It is the worst noise ever. They didn't test it end oflast month (when I think it was due) thank God as would have been very scary.

TimBoothseyes · 12/03/2022 12:07

We hear one every Wednesday at 1.30pm. It's to warn of the blasting due to happen in the nearby quarry. It caused quite a commotion last week when a jet from the nearby military base went over about 3 minutes later.

CharlotteRose90 · 12/03/2022 12:08

We have some in West Yorkshire and they are used to announce floods now. bloody scary to hear.

MintJulia · 12/03/2022 12:09

@HashtagShitShop

If I remember rightly, bracknell (or near there) has one for when/if broadmoor prisoners go walkies.
It was there until about 2004 I think, then they stopped using it.

I grew up near there. It was drummed into us as kids, if the siren goes off, find a familiar adult and stay put. Don't move until a parent collected us.
I was bumbling through Wokingham at the age of 30 and the siren went. I nearly died of fright, wanted to take cover in the police station instead of act like a rational grownup. GrinGrin

Halsall · 12/03/2022 12:10

When I was growing up, the air-raid siren used to be sounded as the fire-alarm to alert the village fire-crew. This was some time after the war, I hasten to add!