Why first Wednesday of month sirens did not sound across France today

France’s emergency warning sirens remained silent today in a rare lapse of the routine test that takes place every first Wednesday of the month at noon. We look at why the authorities chose to break with tradition.

The 2,133 emergency sirens typically blare out a test warning for 1 minute 41 seconds between 11:45 and 12:15 depending on the commune.

In case of a real emergency, the sirens repeat this after a five second pause.

While some communes do not have these sirens, which are located in ‘high risk’ areas such as industrial zones, they can be heard from afar blaring across the land.

Called the Système d’alerte et d’information aux populations, or SAIP, they are intended to alert people of imminent, grave or ongoing danger in the event of a major incident such as a cloud of toxic gas, nuclear accident or other catastrophe.

The SAIP’s predecessor, the Réseau National d’Alerte, dated from World War Two. It was replaced by the present system in 2011. The updated system can be combined with other technologies, such as the new FR-Alert warning system

Read more: What is France’s FR-Alert warning system?

However, on Wednesday, November 1 the sirens remained silent to allow people to enjoy the bank holiday in peace.

The test will take place instead on Wednesday November 8 at the same time.

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