A UK-wide emergency alert service is being launched today, ahead of testing on Sunday 23 April.

The government said alerts would be sent directly to mobile phones across the UK to warn people of life-threatening events such as bushfires and severe flooding.

They will only come from the government or emergency services and will include details of the affected area along with instructions on how to respond.

Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Oliver Dowden said: “We are strengthening our national resilience with a new system of emergency alerts, to deal with a wide range of threats – from floods to bushfires.

“It will revolutionize our ability to warn and inform people who are in imminent danger, and help us keep people safe.

“As we’ve seen in the United States and elsewhere, ringing the phone can save lives.”

Alerts have been successfully tested in East Suffolk and Reading, and alerts will only be sent when there is an immediate danger to life, so it could be weeks, months or even years in between.

The government said the alerts would be safe and free to receive and would not reveal anyone’s location or collect personal data.

It is already possible to sign up for flood warnings sent directly to your mobile phone from the Environment Agency in England, and the equivalents in Scotland and Wales.

The chair of the National Council of Fire Chiefs, Mark Hardingham, said: “We’ve seen this type of system in place elsewhere around the world, and we look forward to having the facility here in the UK.

“Working with the fire services and partners, we want this system to help us help you be as safe as possible in the event of a crisis.”

“Being able to communicate warnings in a timely and accurate manner during incidents is really important to help people take action to protect themselves, their families and their neighbours,” said Caroline Douglas, Executive Director of Flood Risk Management and Coastal Erosion at the Environment Agency.