In an emergency, call 911. Alert London only sends alerts. It can't receive reports.
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About Alert London
What is Alert London?
Alert London is the City of London's emergency alert service. It sends alerts to residents when an emergency affects their area.
You must register to receive alerts. Registration is voluntary.
What will I be notified about?
Alerts are about emergencies and public safety matters that affect the area where you live. Examples include severe weather, flooding, a drinking water advisory, an evacuation or a major road closure.
The City decides when an alert is sent. Alert London is used only for emergency and public safety alerts.
Does it cost anything to register?
No. Registration is free and the City does not charge for alerts.
Your phone provider may charge its usual rates for the calls and text messages you receive.
Can I use Alert London to report an emergency?
No. Alert London sends alerts to residents. It cannot be used to report an emergency.
In an emergency, call 911.
Do I need a smartphone or an app?
No. Alerts can be sent to any phone that receives calls, including a home phone, and to any email address.
A mobile phone is needed only for text messages.
How do I know a message is really from Alert London?
An alert tells you what is happening and what to do. It will never ask for your password, your banking information or a payment.
If you are not sure that a message is real, call us using the contact details on this page.
Registering
How do I register?
Select Register for alerts and fill in the form. You will be asked for your name, your address, an email address and a password. You can also give a mobile phone number and a home phone number.
We then send a code to your email address. Enter the code to finish creating your account. You will not receive alerts until your email address is confirmed.
Registration takes a few minutes.
Why do you need my address?
Alerts are sent by area. We use your address to notify you about emergencies near you.
If we cannot find your address on the map, you may miss an alert for your area. Check that the street number, street name and postal code are complete.
Which address should I register?
Register the address where you want to be notified about an emergency. For most people this is their home.
Enter the street number, street name, city and postal code.
Can I register more than one address?
An account holds one address. To be notified about a second address, such as your workplace or a family member's home, register again with a different email address.
I can't register online. Can someone help me?
Yes. Call or email us using the contact details on this page and we will help you register.
I did not get my confirmation code. What should I do?
Check your junk or spam folder first. A code is valid for 10 minutes.
If the code has not arrived or has expired, select Send a new code. You can ask for up to 5 codes in 30 minutes.
An account whose email address is not confirmed within 7 days is removed. If this happens, register again.
Do I need to confirm my home phone?
No. A confirmation code is sent by text message and a home phone cannot receive one. A home phone is called when an alert is sent by phone call. The same is true of a work phone.
Mobile phones and email addresses show as Confirmed or Not confirmed under My details. Confirming them tells us that the number or address is yours and was entered correctly.
Getting alerts
How will I be notified?
By phone call, text message or email. The City chooses how each alert is sent, using the contact details in your account.
A phone call plays a recorded message. A text message and an email say what is happening and what to do.
You may be contacted in more than one way about the same emergency.
How do I confirm that I received an alert?
Some alerts ask you to confirm that you received them.
On a phone call, press the number you are told to press. To hear the message again, press the star key.
By text message, reply with one of the choices given in the message.
By email, select the link in the message and confirm on the page that opens.
Once you confirm, we stop trying to reach you about that alert.
What happens if I miss the call?
A message may be left on your voicemail. We may also try your other phone numbers and your email address, and we may call again.
Keep more than one way to reach you in your account so that a missed call is not the only attempt.
Will I receive test messages?
When the City holds an exercise, the messages are sent only to people who have been asked to take part.
An exercise message begins with the word EXERCISE and states that it is not a real emergency.
My neighbour was notified and I was not. Why?
Alerts are sent to the addresses inside the affected area. Your neighbour's address may be inside the area and yours outside it.
It may also be that we could not find your address on the map, that your phone number or email address is out of date, or that you replied STOP to an earlier text message.
Sign in and check My details. A message appears there if your address could not be found.
Can I choose which alerts I receive, or at what time of day?
No. Alert London is used only for emergencies and public safety matters, and these can happen at any hour.
You can choose how you are reached. Under My details, add or remove phone numbers and email addresses, and put the best way to reach you first.
Can I be notified in French?
Yes. Under My details, choose French as the Language for alerts. You can change it at any time.
The language of this website and the language of your alerts are set separately.
Your account and privacy
How do I change my address, phone number or email address?
Sign in and go to My details. Select Change beside your name or your address, make the change and save it.
To change a phone number or email address, add the new one and remove the old one. We send a code to the new number or address so you can confirm it.
The email address you sign in with cannot be changed. To sign in with a different one, delete your account and register again.
How many phone numbers and email addresses can I add?
Up to 10 in total, for example a mobile phone, a home phone and a work email address.
Your account must always keep at least one.
I forgot my password. What should I do?
On the Sign in page, select Forgot your password? and enter the email address you registered with. We will send you a link to choose a new password. The link works for 2 hours.
If the message does not arrive, check your junk or spam folder.
Why is my account locked?
An account is locked for 15 minutes after 5 sign-in attempts with the wrong password. This protects your information.
Wait 15 minutes and try again, or reset your password. Resetting your password unlocks the account.
I am moving. What should I do?
If you are moving within London, sign in and change your address under My details. Alerts are sent by area, so an old address means you may be notified about the wrong area.
If you are leaving London, delete your account.
How do I stop text messages?
Reply STOP to any text message from Alert London. You will get no more text messages at that number.
Phone calls and emails are not affected. To stop those, remove the number or address under My details, or delete your account.
To get text messages again, reply START.
How do I stop all alerts?
Sign in, go to My details and select Delete my account.
Deleting your account removes your name, address, phone numbers and email addresses. You will no longer receive alerts. This cannot be undone.
You can register again at any time.
How is my personal information used?
The City of London collects your name, address and contact details to send you emergency and public safety notifications by phone call, text message and email.
You can change your details at any time under My details. You can withdraw your consent at any time by deleting your account.