Tourists in the Canary Islands have been alerted to an emergency warning system test taking place on September 26. The test, targeting Gran Canaria, will also impact Tenerife and Fuerteventura. The ES-Alert system aims to send civil protection alerts to mobile phones with a data connection in the area. Phones will receive a message with the word “TEST” that can be accepted to stop the notification. This feature is available on devices running Android version 11 or higher, or iOS version 15.6 or higher.
The government has assured residents not to panic if they receive the alert, especially drivers who are advised to pull over in a safe place to read and accept the message. The system is designed to provide vital safety instructions during emergencies such as fires, floods, volcanic eruptions, or severe weather events. The test is part of coordinated efforts involving the Government of the Canary Islands, the General Directorate of Emergencies, and the Emergency and Security Coordination Center (CECOES) 112.
Previous deployments of the ES-Alert system were during forest fires in La Palma and Tenerife. The notification will be in English for devices set to a language other than Spanish. However, the alert won’t reach phones in airplane mode or switched off. The government recommends informing elderly relatives about the alert system to prevent unnecessary alarm. The test seeks to refine the system’s effectiveness in providing timely information and instructions during emergencies in the region.