Munich – Once a year, Germany tests its emergency alert systems to ensure they are working properly. This Thursday (September 11), it will happen again: a nationwide Warning Day will take place. In Bavaria, sirens and alert systems will also be tested—in every city and district, including Munich. Here’s what residents of the Bavarian capital need to know.
Nationwide Warning Day on Thursday – but no sirens in Munich
The most important thing first: Warning Day is only a test. This means that when alerts are sent out, there is no real danger. “The functionality of the alert systems and the process of warning the population will be tested,” the City of Munich explained.
The test will begin at 11 a.m. In many Bavarian cities and towns, sirens will sound. In Munich, however, there will be no siren signal, just as during the statewide Warning Day in March. The reason is that after the end of the Cold War (1945–1991), all rooftop sirens in Munich were gradually dismantled. Today, no such systems remain in the city.
Smartphones will sound the alarm in Munich
Instead of sirens, Munich will rely primarily on the modular warning system (MoWaS). According to the city, warning apps such as NINA, KATWARN, and BIWAPP will be used, along with Cell Broadcast technology. With Cell Broadcast, alerts are sent directly to smartphones without the need for an app. The only requirement is an up-to-date operating system: Android (Google) from version 11 or iOS (Apple) from version 16.1.
In addition, Munich’s fire department will post warnings on its social media channels during the test. The nationwide drill will end around 11:45 a.m. However, there is one limitation with the Cell Broadcast system: so far, it cannot send out all-clear messages. Since 2023, Cell Broadcast has been in use in Germany for public warnings during major emergencies.
Latest Posts
