Many people have reacted to an emergency alert ordered by the Government which went off at 6pm to tell people of the dangers of Storm Eowyn, set to arrive on Friday
An emergency alert sent to millions of Brits has caused panic in several places, ahead of the arrival of Storm Eowyn.
The storm is set to bring “very dangerous conditions” with widespread disruption to Northern Ireland and Scotland , where the red warnings have been issued. This is the first red warning issued for Northern Ireland since the Met Office moved to impact-based warnings in 2011. Amber and yellow warnings for snow , rain and wind are in place for the rest of the UK.
To prepare Brits affected by the worst of its fury, some 4.5 million people were sent a warning to their phones at 6pm, which wailed a siren and vibrated for several seconds. It was delivered to people in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, where the Met Office has issued a rare ‘red alert’ warning.
Users have been taking to social media after they received the alert. One wrote: “Not the emergency alert about bad weather jumpscaring me. The alarm is so aggressive, but at least it worked this time? Stay safe all my Scottish peeps.”
Another added: “OMG, I just got a cruel emergency alert. I jumped out my skin.” Another said: “Did anyone get one of those government emergency text alerts on their phones about 5 minutes ago? Man I nearly had a heart attack.
“I was expecting the worst, WWIII was happening. No it was a severe weather alert for extremely high winds.”
The “Armageddon alert” system , first launched in 2023, is deployed in emergencies, such as during the recent Storm Darragh when over 3 million people were told to stay indoors to avoid 90mph winds.
Forecasters warn winds could reach up to 100mph, with “flying debris resulting in danger to life”.
People are also urged to be aware of the risk of large waves in coastal areas, dangerous driving conditions due to fallen trees, and potential power cuts and damage to buildings. The Met Office warned those in affected areas to avoid travelling and “stay indoors if you can”.
The Cabinet Office said: “The Met Office has issued a red warning for wind on Friday 24th January, meaning there is a danger to life across Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland. In light of the deteriorating weather conditions and associated disruption, and in consultation with the Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Executive, the Cabinet Office will issue Emergency Alerts early this evening to people affected by the warnings in Northern Ireland and parts of Scotland.
“The Emergency Alert system will send a message to every compatible mobile phone in the areas at most risk, containing information about the weather warnings and guidance on how to stay safe. Mobile phones will make a loud siren-like sound even if they are set on silent.
“The sound and vibration will last for about 10 seconds. Approximately 4.5 million people will receive the Emergency Alert in the largest real life use of the tool to date.
“The UK Government has well rehearsed plans in place for severe winter weather and is working with teams from devolved governments, local authorities, the emergency services and other public bodies to coordinate the response to any disruption.”
