Storm Eowyn: have emergency alerts been sent, when are they sent, how to turn them on?

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Storm Eowyn saw millions sent emergency alert texts 📱
  • The UK’s emergency alert system has been deployed during Storm Eowyn.
  • Millions of people received text messages amid ‘danger to life’ conditions.
  • The system was launched in 2023 and has been used a handful of times since.

Storm Eowyn is wreaking havoc across huge parts of the country - as hurricane-force winds batter parts of the UK. Millions of Brits received text message warnings from the emergency alert system in a rare move.

First tested and trialled in 2023, it has only been used a handful of times. Residents in the worst affected areas received the message on Thursday (January 23) - but many complained about how loud the siren accompanying it was.

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It is not the first time such messages have been sent in the face of a storm. Here’s all you need to know:

Who has received an Emergency Alert message?

Storm Eowyn has caused much disruptionStorm Eowyn has caused much disruption
Storm Eowyn has caused much disruption | ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images

The system was used to send a warning ahead of the arrival of Storm Eowyn. People started to receive the alert around 6pm on Thursday evening.

It was sent to residents of Northern Ireland and Scotland, who were covered by a rare red weather warning issued by the Met Office this week. It has also previously been used during the approach for Storm Darragh in December last year.

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When are Emergency Alert texts sent?

On its website, the Government explains: “In an emergency, mobile phone masts in the surrounding area will broadcast an alert. Every compatible mobile phone or tablet in range of a mast will receive the alert.”

The alerts work on all 4G and 5G phone networks in the UK and your mobile phone or tablet does not have to be connected to mobile data or Wi-Fi to get alerts. Emergency alerts are free. You do not need to sign up for them or download an app.

There are a few reasons why you may not have received the emergency alert this week. For example if your phone was turned off or in airplane mode, it is connected to a 2G or 3G network or is Wi-Fi only.

Can you opt out of emergency alert texts?

On the Government website, it explains: “You can opt out of emergency alerts, but you should keep them switched on for your own safety.”

To opt out:

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  • Search your settings for ‘emergency alerts’.
  • Turn off ‘severe alerts’ and ‘extreme alerts’.

If you still get alerts, contact your device manufacturer for help.

How many times has the emergency alert system been used?

You might remember getting the trial text during a nationwide test of the system back in 2023. However it has been used in the cases of real emergencies a handful of times since.

The first live use of the system came in February 2024 when residents in Plymouth were evacuated after the discovery of an unexploded WW2 bomb. It was then used again in the run up to Storm Darragh in December last year with alerts sent to south west England and Wales.

For more coverage on Storm Eowyn, find out your rights about taking time off work during extreme weather and if you can keep children home from school during a storm. Also find out when it is safe to walk your dog during a storm.

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