Millions of mobile phones will give off a loud 10-second siren next month as the Government tests the UK’s ‘armageddon alert’ system. The alarm will be accompanied by vibrations and a message on the device's home screen - even if the phone is on silent. People will be unable to use other features on their phones until they acknowledge the alert, which is set to be sent on Sunday, April 23. Modelled on similar schemes in the US,
Canada,
Japan and the Netherlands, the system is intended to be used in situations where there is an immediate danger to life. Initially focusing on the most serious severe weather-related events, the system has the ability to get a message to 90 per cent of mobile users within the relevant area. Alerts would include details of the area impacted and instructions about how to respond, WalesOnline reports . READ MORE: Daily bus strikes spark 'do not travel' warning Only the government or emergency services would send the messages - and many people may not receive an alert for months or years. However people can opt out by searching their device settings for emergency alerts and then turning off severe and extreme ones - but officials advise against this as they could be life-saving. Alerts are secure, free to receive, and one-way, with the Cabinet Office insisting it would not reveal anyone’s location or collect personal data. “We are strengthening our national resilience with a new emergency alerts system, to deal with a wide range of threats – from flooding to wildfires," Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Oliver Dowden said. "It will revolutionise our ability to warn and inform people who are in immediate danger, and help us keep people safe. As we’ve seen in the US and elsewhere, the buzz of a phone can save a life.” Tests have already taken place in East Suffolk and Reading. It is thought the scheme could eventually be expanded to cover terrorist incidents, but officials said much more information about how the alerts system operates in the
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