Yesterday, a blunder resulted in British iPhone users receiving various severe weather alerts, including warnings about “extreme high temperatures” of 39F (4C). Some notifications indicated a “significant risk to life” …
The alerts were issued under the authority of the UK Met Office, but BBC News reports that they stemmed from an erroneous test conducted by a third-party company whose name has not been disclosed.
Messages warned of severe weather conditions such as high temperatures, snow, ice, and rain across various regions on Thursday. The test notifications, sent by a third-party aggregator, were not meant for public viewing […]
The alerts included information indicating that the Met Office’s test warnings were generated through a meteorological aggregator that transmits weather alerts to various platforms, including Apple devices. It’s believed that the error occurred during the aggregation process.
While some recipients expressed concern over the alerts, others found humor in the situation.
“Just checked, it’s 5° outside, yet there’s a severe weather alert stating ‘extreme high temperature warning’ ⚠️ from the UK Met Office. Light rain ends in 10 minutes, so I’m going out in my t-shirt.”
“Has someone been enjoying a drink @themetoffice, or is 41F really considered a high temperature for Cumbria at this time of year?”
“Apparently, there’s a SEVERE HIGH TEMPERATURE warning – time to put on my bikini!”
The Met Office confirmed that the issue has been resolved, but further test alerts might still be received for a brief period due to multiple aggregators utilizing the same feed.
Photo by Caleb George on Unsplash
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