The Cabinet Office issued an emergency alert at 6.45pm on Friday to 3 million people in areas covered by the Met Office’s rare red warning for wind in parts of Wales and south-west England.
The emergency alert system sent a message to every compatible mobile phone in the affected areas, containing information about the red warning and guidance on how to stay safe into Saturday.
This included a line that said: “Strong winds can cause flying debris, falling trees and large waves around coastal areas, all of which can present a danger to life. Stay indoors if you can. It is not safe to drive in these conditions.”
It was the largest use of the emergency alert system outside a test scenario – the last test being in April 2023.
It is understood residents in Devon, Bath and North East Somerset, the city of Bristol, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Somerset, Isle of Anglesey, Gwynedd, Conwy, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Bridgend, Vale of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Monmouthshire and Newport received the alert.
Mobile phones made a loud siren-like sound even if they were set on silent. The sound and vibration lasted for about 10 seconds.
The warning, which has led to the cancellation of events including Christmas attractions, is in place from 3am to 11am on Saturday.
The Met Office has warned of “damaging winds” with gusts of 90mph (145km/h) possible over the coasts and hills of West and South Wales. Forecasters say the strongest winds will begin to ease from late morning.
Source: The Guardian
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