BBC 'fail' as emergency 'armageddon alarm' doesn't go off when expected

The BBC's live coverage of the emergency 'armageddon' alarm didn't exactly go as planned as the alarm didn't go off when it was expected to.

Watch it all unfold in the video below:

The alert, which gave us all a fright, was heard by millions of Brits this afternoon (23 April) as part of a wider security system in the UK government’s Resilience Framework. It’s designed to warn the public if there is a ‘danger to life’ nearby.

The BBC had live coverage leading up to the 3pm alarm test, but it didn’t go as planned. As many Brits on social media have reported, the alarm sounded a minute ahead of schedule, meaning the broadcasters were unprepared for when the high-pitched sound started to ring out from mobile phones.

At 14:59, a journalist was interrupted by the alarm, which led to an immediate shift to live shots across the UK, including Glasgow and Cardiff, to capture people's reactions. However, it was all suspiciously quiet in the studio and in high streets shops because people received the alarm at different times, according to testimonies on social media.

Other social media users reported that they eventually heard the alarm from their phones at 3pm on the dot, while others didn’t hear it at all.

Watch the video below to see what you should've spotted on your phone this afternoon:

One person tweeted: "Knew it was coming, but they still kept me on my toes a MINUTE EARLY. #emergencyalert."

A third quipped: “"F***ERS DID IT A MINUTE EARLY," one Twitter user complained.”

While someone else said: "1 minute early I'm suing the government for lying #emergencyalert."

And someone else said: “Still recovering from that fucking alarm. I was prepared for 3pm and this lot decided to do it early.”

“Only in the UK would the alarm meant to be at 3pm and they do it a minute early,” another social media critic joked.

Others have complained that after all the build-up leading up to today’s test, they didn’t hear a thing.

Another person on Twitter wrote: "Huh... i didn't get the screeching phone alarm. Well if a nuke goes off least i won't know about it."

A second added: "Fact I didn’t get that alarm is a bit concerning."

The newly launched system already exists in other countries, including the US and Canada, and this test will help pave the way for the system to be introduced in the UK.

Twitter

The goal is to warn folks about unfolding emergencies like weather disasters, warfare and acts of terrorism.

The message received by thousands today read: "This is a test of Emergency Alerts, a new UK government service that will warn you if there's a life-threatening emergency nearby.

"In a real emergency, follow the instructions in the alert to keep yourself and others safe. Visit gov.uk/alerts for more information.

"This is a test. You do not need to take any action."

Prior to the alarm, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden assured people they can simply 'swipe away' or press OK on the notification, just like a normal notification.