About Emergency Alerts


There are no current alerts


Emergency Alerts is a UK government service that will warn you if there鈥檚 a danger to life nearby.

In an emergency, your mobile phone or tablet will receive an alert with advice about how to stay safe.

The government does not need to know your phone number or location to send you an alert.

Reasons you might get an alert

You may get alerts about:

  • severe flooding
  • fires
  • extreme weather

Emergency alerts will only be sent by:

  • the emergency services
  • government departments, agencies and public bodies that deal with emergencies

What happens when you get an emergency alert

Your mobile phone or tablet may:

  • make a loud siren-like sound, even if it鈥檚 set on silent
  • vibrate
  • read out the alert

The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds.

An alert will include a phone number or a link to the 188体育 website for more information.

You鈥檒l get alerts based on your current location - not where you live or work. You do not need to turn on location services to receive alerts.

What you need to do

When you get an alert, stop what you鈥檙e doing and follow the instructions in the alert.

If you鈥檙e driving or riding when you get an alert

Do not read or respond to an emergency alert while driving or riding.

Find somewhere safe and legal to stop before reading the message. If there鈥檚 nowhere safe and legal to stop, and nobody else is in the vehicle to read the alert, you can listen to news on live radio to find out about the emergency.

It鈥檚 illegal to use a hand-held device while driving or riding.

If you cannot receive emergency alerts

If you do not have a compatible device, you鈥檒l still be informed about an emergency. The emergency services have other ways to warn you when there is a threat to life.

Emergency alerts will not replace local news, radio, television or social media.

If you鈥檙e deaf, hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted

If you have a vision or hearing impairment, audio and vibration attention signals will let you know you have an emergency alert.

Alert languages

Emergency alerts will be sent in English. In Wales, they may also be sent in Welsh.