Brits shocked as they receive 'Severe Alert' test early
The UK Government 'Armageddon alarm' finally went off today but some Brits were left terrified after it came sooner than expected.
People on social media have been sharing their fright after the long-awaited test alarm arrived on their phones at 14:59, a minute ahead of schedule.
If you jumped out of your skin when the loud, wailing alarm rang out from your phone a minute before 3pm, you're not alone.
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Some people have gone as far as saying they'll 'sue the government' for keeping us all on our toes.
"F***ERS DID IT A MINUTE EARLY," one Twitter user complained.
Another person stated: "Knew it was coming, but they still kept me on my toes a MINUTE EARLY. #emergencyalert."
A third quipped: "1 minute early I'm suing the government for lying #emergencyalert."
A fourth tweeted: "TELL ME WHY IT WENT OFF A MINUTE EARLY BRUH #emergencyalert."
The government previously said that we'd all hear the alarm on our phones, regardless of whether your phone is on silent or not.
Other countries have set up similar warning systems for emergencies such as weather, geological, medical emergencies, warfare and acts of terrorism.
The message received by people across the country today said: "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 others safe. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.
"This is a test. You do not need to take any action."
The new UK Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden, assured people they can simply 'swipe away' or press OK on the notification, just like a normal notification.
He said: "Keep calm and carry on - that is the British way, and it is exactly what the country will do when they receive this test alert at 3 pm today.
"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."
A government spokesperson recently explained the importance of the test. Speaking to LADbible, they shared: "Emergency Alerts will be a vital tool in helping us better respond to emergencies, both nationally and locally.
"We have worked closely with the emergency services to develop this and carried out extensive trials ahead of its national rollout. We expect to update shortly."