UK launches emergency phone alerts public warning system

Alerts with siren-like beeps can be sent during events such as severe flooding, fires or extreme weather

A new government public warning system, in which alerts are sent to mobile phone users about events that may put their life in danger, has been launched in the UK with a nationwide trial planned next month.

The Cabinet Office said the emergency alert system could be deployed in events such as severe flooding, fires or extreme weather, noting that similar systems had been credited with saving lives in countries including the Netherlands and Japan.