Thursday, September 11
What was that noise? Berlin sounds sirens in test of early warning system
For the first time in more than three decades, sirens rang out across Berlin on Wednesday morning as Germany conducted its annual bundesweiter Warntag, or Nationwide Warning Day.
At exactly 11 a.m., a rising and falling tone sounded for one minute throughout the city. At 11:45 a.m., this should be followed by a continuous one-minute signal giving the all-clear. The test was broadcast simultaneously on several channels: radio, television, warning apps such as NINA, railway announcements, digital information boards and mobile phones via the Cell Broadcast system. Loudspeaker trucks and local authority sirens should further add to the noise.
More than 200 sirens have been installed in Berlin in recent years, with most concentrated in the city centre. The Interior Senator, Iris Spranger (SPD), explained that the network is designed to operate even during power cuts (like the one currently going on in Köpenick), with solar panels and backup batteries ensuring each unit remains self-sufficient. By the end of the year, the number of sirens is expected to rise to 450.
Officials emphasise that the purpose of the exercise is both practical and educational: to test the reliability of warning systems and to remind residents how they would be alerted in the event of storms, cyberattacks, blackouts or other large-scale emergencies.
