The new emergency alert?

Jaberwok No, mobile phones are not complicated, just very difficult to use if you have dyspraxia and your finger tips have no feeling.

We were flooded about 6 years ago-totally unheard of in all the time I’ve lived here and so unexpected. We’d have really appreciated a warning.

Mr J and I are both in our 80's and we have smart phones and have done so for years. They're not that complicated!!!

It may be sucking eggs to some people,but surely it's better to be safe than sorry. We used to live on Exmoor near the river Barle and even in those far off days the river authorities would ring if requested (we did) to warn of the risk of flooding. It never did flood badly enough to threaten our home, but we were always glad to be made aware that it could and to be extra vigilant. A warning of very hot weather can be useful so that again you can take necessary precautions if badly affected, also make sure outdoor animals have adequate water, and cover.

I help out teaching the elderly (I am 75) how to use a computer and most of them don’t have smart phones either.

Yes Polly as I do but there are still a very large number who don’t, Mr B for one.

Barmeyoldbat

Will it work on non. Smart phones, do you receive the message by text? I am thinking of the people who don’t use smart phones, mainly the elderly and some like my late daughter

Sorry, but my friends and I are all quite elderly........and we all have smartphones

Heavy rain with possible threat of flooding would be useful but an alert to say that it is going to be very hot???? Rather silly and anyone who needs it........well!!!

Sounds like a good idea, but I suppose it will only really be worthwhile if people take notice of the warnings and act on them. If warnings are frequent and sometimes prove to be unnecessary people may ignore them.

Will it work on non. Smart phones, do you receive the message by text? I am thinking of the people who don’t use smart phones, mainly the elderly and some like my late daughter

Our BBC forecasts are constantly wrong. I often see sunny conditions are forecast for say, 2pm on a certain day and looking out of the window I can see it’s pouring with rain.

I was getting warnings on my phone of extreme heat last week. Obviously I didn't know as I was flaked out in my boiling hot room.
It would be important to people in danger of flooding to be alerted in time.

Saggi You clearly do not live in a flood zone. Flooding can be very localised and sudden. Likewise blizzards, and very high winds.

Weather forecasts are vague and unreliable and my experience is that the BBC is a lot more unreliable than most.

You are also assuming everyone has smart phones. I have dyspraxia - and a smart phone, but dyspraxia makes it difficult for me to make use of the facilties smart phone offers. I have problems with sequencing, plus difficulty using those very tiny symbols. Not helped by being right handed and having 3 fingers of my right hand where the finger tips are numb

The whole point of alerts is that they warn of a near and present danger, and are not vague warnings about heatwaves due this week

Dont we already get enough info from tv and radio ….do we really not know when snow is about to happen …or a heatwave is imminent !? If you can receive this message then you already must have a smart phone ….if you have a smartphone just download the BBC weather app. Never know it to be wrong!

I already get flood alerts as I live next to a very big river lol

In the US tornadoes are frequent and very life threatening so warnings are well justified, we do get flood warnings in the UK.
We don’t need SMS warnings of “hot weather”that’s over the top

A good idea I think. I assume that those who are unhappy will not be appearing on local new bulletins next to their flooded out houses moaning because 'nobody warned them'!

watermeadow

Will it also tell us how to suck eggs?

Does anyone actually know how to suck eggs?

I haven't heard about these but if they are as useful as the rain and thunderstorm warnings I shan't bother.
So far no thunderstorms or floods and only the merest patch of drizzle.
Some other unfortunate soul must be getting my share

Damn good idea. I gather that it has been trialled....

Good idea I think.

I think its a great idea - just hope its also for fire. My friend in NZ received an alert on her phone at 1am which potentially saved her life as the fire in the village she lived in in the South Island completeley destroyed the majority of homes

Is it going to apply when we have 2cms of snow? I always like to be well prepared!

From memory( I am in the area that had the test messages) they don’t come through as ordinary text messages. They also have a distinctive sound alert. As I nearly always have my phone on silent it must be able to bypass that. Could be embarrassing in church but then I guess everyone else’s phones would sound at the same time and I’d rather be aware of the event than not.
It will hopefully mean people will take notice and not put themselves at unnecessary risk.

Given the amount of scam texts I receive (including ones that appear to come from the same number as the genuine NHS service), I wonder how secure these will be? I know it’s only information but people could be fooled into clicking through to something nasty…