UK to finally test 'armageddon alert' system nationwide within weeks

The UK’s ‘armageddon alert’ system will finally be trialled nationwide in the coming weeks, the Sunday Mirror understands.

Millions of people across the UK will hear a loud alarm from their mobile phones, along with a test alert message.

Labour has urged the government to get a move on introducing the long-delayed system, designed to warn people if there is “danger to life” nearby.

Fleur Anderson, Labour’s Shadow Paymaster General said the trial was “long overdue from a Tory government that has been haphazard in preparing for emergencies, leaving a trail of broken promises in their wake.”

She added: “While Britain faces increasing global threats, not least from Putin’s Russia, this saga has dragged on far too long and left our country lagging far behind on keeping the public safe.

“While the Tories have been caught asleep at the wheel, Labour has a plan for a more resilient Britain to ensure government is alert to the threats our country faces.”

Ministers have been promising to introduce the emergency alert system since 2013.

In August last year the Government promised it would be launched in October.

Labour's Fleur Anderson said the system was long overdue (NurPhoto/PA Images)

And the Government’s National Resilience Framework, published in December, again promised it would be launched in “early 2023” - but so far only local testing has been completed.

Officials trialled the system in Reading in 2021, sending sirens wailing from iPhones and Android devices for ten seconds, along with a message saying it was only a test.

One local wrote on BerkshireLive’s Facebook Page: “I nearly wet myself!”

Others also wondered what the noisy siren meant, with one comment stating that “it scared the life out of me!”

It’s understood the imminent national testing will focus on flooding and extreme weather-related events.

A Government spokesperson said: "Emergency Alerts will be a vital tool in helping us better respond to emergencies, both nationally and locally.

“We have worked closely with the emergency services to develop this and carried out extensive trials ahead of its national rollout. We expect to update shortly."