Today, between 12:00 and 13:00, Austria will carry out its annual civil defence test alarm across the entire country. During this hour, various siren signals will sound in all regions to ensure the proper functioning of the national warning system.

Authorities emphasise that there is no reason for concern — the alarms are only part of a routine test. The purpose is to check the technical reliability of the sirens and to familiarise the public with the different warning tones that might be used in an actual emergency.

For more than three decades, Austria has maintained a comprehensive warning and alert system consisting of approximately 8,300 civil defence sirens installed in all municipalities.

In addition to the traditional sirens, Austria is now introducing “AT-Alert”, a modern public warning system that uses Cell Broadcast technology. This new feature enables authorities to send emergency alerts directly to mobile phones, reaching as many people as possible in real time.

“The combined use of sirens and mobile alerts strengthens Austria’s emergency preparedness and ensures rapid communication with residents in the event of natural disasters, major accidents, or other threats”, it is explained on the webpage of the Interior Ministry of Austria. 

For more information, you can also visit www.at-alert.at.