The government has announced that a national test of an emergency alert system will be scheduled across UK mobile phones later this month.

The alert, which is planned for 3pm on Sunday 23 April, will see those using 4G and 5G mobile phones receive a message on the home screen of their mobile phone, along with a sound and vibration for up to ten seconds.

The Emergency Alerts system is already being used in the US, Canada, the Netherlands, and Japan, where it has been credited with saving lives during sever weather events.

The Cabinet Office said that the alerts could be used in the UK to tell residents of villages being impacted by wildfires or severe flooding.

The move comes after several pilots in East Suffolk and Reading.

Those receiving the message just need to swipe it away or click 'OK' on their phone's home screen and then continue to use their phone as normal.

The government said it is working with the emergency services and partners, including the Football Association and London Marathon, to make sure the national test has minimum impact on major events taking place on the day.

"Put the date in your diaries - at 3pm on 23 April, we’ll be testing our new national Emergency Alerts system," said Oliver Dowden, chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster. "Getting this system operational with the national test means we have another tool in our toolkit to keep the public safe in life-threatening emergencies. It could be the sound that saves your life."

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