On Sunday (tomorrow) the Government will send its first "siren" message for a new emergency alert service.
Emergency alerts have already been used successfully in a number of other countries, including the US, Canada, the Netherlands and Japan, where it has been widely credited with saving lives, for example, during severe weather events. In the UK, alerts could be used to tell residents of villages being encroached by wildfires, or of severe flooding, the Government has said.
The Cabinet Office has previously said the alerts system will "transform the UK’s warning and informing capability", meaning urgent messages can be quickly sent to almost 90% of mobile phones in any defined area.
READ MORE: Exact date and time Government emergency 'siren' will sound on UK mobile phones
People with mobile phones can expect an alert at 3pm. The test will appear on your device just as a real alert would, and you will hear an alarm and vibration for up to 10 seconds.
The message will say: "This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK Government service that will warn you if there’s a life-threatening emergency nearby. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe.
"Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information. This is a test. You do not need to take any action."
Some people are wondering how they can turn the alerts off, and this can be done easily on any iPhone. To adjust your settings, search "emergency alerts" in your phone.
Alternatively, you can click on "notifications", which is within the settings section. Scroll right to the bottom., and you should see a list of all notification-receiving apps on your device and at the very bottom should be two toggles.
One says "extreme alerts" and another says "severe alerts". Both can switched on or off here.
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
READ NEXT:
Runner who finished third in Manchester to Liverpool marathon disqualified
Paul O'Grady funeral date and details confirmed
Emmerdale's Mark Charnock wished well as he leaves UK
Good Morning Britain's Susanna Reid sends message to Kate Garraway after Derek tribute
Matalan fans praise 'beautiful' and 'flattering' £12.50 dress
