Exactly what happened at 3PM UK time today. What cellphones—and other gadgets— did or didn’t do.
Today in the U.K. was the first test of Emergency Alerts, a new system similar to that already in place in the U.S, Canada and other countries to warn people of emergencies such as weather incidents. It worked with an audible alarm sounding on every cellphone. Well, that was the theory, but what actually happened was different.The timing was off
It actually arrived around 30 seconds before 3PM UK time for some phones, catching some broadcasters off guard, it seems. Other phones came a moment or two later.When it arrived, it said:
Severe Alert
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 other safe.
Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.
This is a test. You do not need to take any action.
