Brits in Australia warned phones will all go off at the same time next week | World | News

Every Brit in Australia is being warned that their phones, smartwatches and tablets must switch off at the same time later this month.

All compatible electronic devices, including phones, tablets, and smartwatches, will light up and sound a siren for 10 seconds.

On these devices a message will also appear saying: “TEST MESSAGE – AUSALERT

“This is a TEST of Australia’s new emergency alert system, AusAlert. NO ACTION IS REQUIRED.

“In a true emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit www.ausalert.gov.au for more information.

“This message has been approved by the Australian Government.”

The person receiving the message does not need to do anything after the test.

In a true emergency, the system will tell users the type of threat, where it is located, how serious it is, what precautions residents should take, and where they can find more information.

AusAlert is touted as the best way to quickly send reliable messages to those who need help. With Australia being 32 times larger than the UK, the system can send targeted messages to ‘areas as small as 160 metres’.

This means individual messages can be created for the various natural disasters Australia faces each year.

Wildfires occur frequently throughout the summer months across the country, while tropical cyclones often hit northern coastal areas.

Test alert will be sent on Monday, July 27 at the following times: