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At 3pm today, Sunday April 23, the UK Government will begin a three-month test of a new national emergency messaging system which will send important alerts to people’s mobile phones.

The Emergency Alerts system will be used to warn people in the event of emergencies where there is a significant threat to life. Emergency Alerts are sent to all compatible mobile phones within a specific area of risk.

The test alert will be sent to most mobile phones across the UK, including here in Wales. Devices will make a distinct, siren-like sound for up to ten seconds, including on phones switched to silent mode.

The Emergency Alert System does do not track locations, or need any pre-registration or phone numbers to operate, and the system does not collect any personal data. Only the government and the emergency services will be able to issue the Emergency Alerts in line with agreed protocols.

A similar system is already in operation in other countries such as the US, France, and Australia.

As well as the Emergency Alerts creating a loud, siren-like sound, a message will appear on screen and will provide details about the emergency and how best to respond. People will be able to check an alert is genuine at gov.uk/alerts.

The Welsh Government has said Wales will participate in the trial in relation to severe weather-related incidents.