Well that just made me jump a mile!

[naiveandrestles]

And could I find my phone?! Obviously not!

May the odds be ever in your favour

I don’t get this?

“Yes they should’ve done this years ago like the US etc but they didn’t”
But they did?

”and so they’ve now decided they need a more direct alert system so they’re testing it”
but we have had the system, they have not just decided one is needed.

A quick google:
The UK's national emergency alert system has been used five times to send real, live alerts since its first national test in April 2023. These alerts have been issued during severe weather events, such as Storm Eowyn and Storm Darragh, and to warn residents about the removal of an unexploded World War Two bomb in Plymouth.

Ours (On 3 network) didn’t go off last time, so I was expecting an alarm like a loud smoke alarm!
What’s the point if it’s not going to be loud enough to alert people???

I was having a kip on the couch when my went off. To say I shit myself is an understatement

Three of us in the house and all our phones went off within seconds of each other at 3pm. Really quite loud. Poor cat very confused, wondering what the hell we are all doing.

I found if you left it to go on without pressing ok that after a few seconds a voice starts reading the message out to you, including the Welsh bit.

Odd! Ours was really quite loud. If I hadn't been expecting it I would have had a fright.

I think it's the same as a flood alert. Im signed up to those and I get an automated call. Generally in the middle of the night. That always makes me jump too!

It didn't work well enough last time

How does a silent alarm test work? Surely it defeats the objective.

I know in other countries they can be used for missing child alerts.

We received weather warning alerts using this system, but I assume flooding, chemical spills (where you need to stay indoors and close windows), wild fires (if you live near areas where these can be problematic) are all things they can be used for.