A nuclear emergency siren was heard across Portsmouth this morning when HMNB Portsmouth carried out mandatory statutory testing at 9:30am, with the two-tone alarm sounding for one minute.
The alarm echoed through streets surrounding the naval base today (June 25), following a safety announcement over the intercom system. The test forms part of routine statutory requirements under the Royal Navy’s nuclear accident response procedures.
Local regulations from Portsmouth City Council and Gosport Borough Council stipulate when these tests must be conducted as part of their nuclear safety programme framework.
HMNB Portsmouth had issued advance notice yesterday, stating: “Please note there will be a complete test of the Naval Base’s nuclear emergency alerting siren at 9:30am tomorrow (June 25) which may be audible beyond the base perimeter.
“Testing the alarm three times annually is a statutory obligation, and this test is being undertaken in coordination with Portsmouth and Gosport local authorities. The two-tone siren will sound for one minute during the test.”
The exercise represents one of three mandatory annual tests required under nuclear safety regulations governing the naval facility.
