Yesterday, a blunder resulted in British iPhone users receiving various severe weather alerts, including one that noted “extreme high temperatures” of 39F (4C). Several alerts indicated a “significant threat to life” …
While the alerts were attributed to the UK Met Office, BBC News reports that this was a result of a failed test conducted by an unnamed third-party company.
Notifications indicated severe weather conditions, including high temperatures, snow, ice, and rain across different regions of the country on Thursday. The test alerts, issued by a third-party aggregator, were not meant for public viewing […]
According to the alerts, the Met Office test warnings were sent through a meteorological aggregator that disseminates weather alerts to various platforms, including Apple devices. It is believed that the mistake occurred during this aggregation process.
Responses to the alerts varied, with some recipients expressing concern while others found it amusing.
“Discovered it’s 5° outside and there’s a severe weather alert stating ‘extreme high temperatures warning’ ⚠️ from the UK Met Office. Light rain is supposed to end in 10 minutes, so I’m heading out in my t-shirt.”
“Has someone been overindulging @themetoffice or is 41F really considered a high temperature for Cumbria this time of year?”
“Apparently there’s a SEVERE HIGH TEMPERATURE warning – better put on my bikini!”
The Met Office confirmed that the error has been resolved, but since multiple aggregators utilize the feed, further test alerts might still be issued briefly.
Photo by Caleb George on Unsplash
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