Exact UK Armageddon alarm message as millions of phones to get alert

The exact message of the Armageddon alarm test has been revealed today.

The next emergency alert test will happen around 3pm on September 7, the Government has confirmed. Millions of mobile devices will receive a text of less than 100 words, with a loud siren and vibration coming from phones for around 10 seconds.

In an announcement today, the Cabinet Office said the message will say: “This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby.

“You do not need to take any action. In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Find simple and effective advice on how to prepare for emergencies at gov.uk/prepare .

“Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information or to view this message in Welsh. Ewch i gov.uk/alerts am ragor o wybodaeth neu i weld y neges hon yn y Gymraeg.”

The national test of the Emergency Alerts system was announced by Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden last month, alongside a new Resilience Action Plan to improve the way the government prepares for and responds to emergencies.

Mr McFadden, said: “At around 3pm on Sunday, September 7, millions of people across the country will read this message on their mobile phones during a critical national test of our Emergency Alerts system.

“Just like the fire alarm in your house, it’s important we test this system so that we know it will work if we need it. The alerts have the potential to save lives.”

The message, which will be sent to all 4G and 5G phone networks in the UK, will make clear that this is a test and no further action is required. It also includes a sentence in Welsh, directing speakers to a full translated version of the text.

Since the first national test of the Emergency Alerts system in April 2023, five alerts have been sent, including during major storms when lives were at risk.

The largest use was during Storm Eowyn in January, when 4.5million people in Scotland and Northern Ireland got the alert after a red weather warning was issued over risk to life. Some 3.5million people in Wales and the South West of England received an alert during Storm Darragh in 2024, and it has also been used during flash flooding in Cumbria and Leicestershire.

It was also rolled out when an unexploded World War II bomb was discovered in Plymouth in February 2024. Tracey Lee, chief executive of Plymouth City Council, said: "This was the first time the system had been used in a real emergency, and it played a vital role in helping us safely evacuate over 10,000 people and coordinate a complex, multi-agency response."

Similar emergency systems exist in countries like Japan and the US. In Finland, a nationwide test is done every month, while other countries like Germany trial it annually.

Ahead of the national test, the government is running a public information campaign to notify people it is taking place, including communications targeted at vulnerable groups such as victims of domestic abuse. The campaign has also featured the first national information video in British Sign Language .