This new warning system will take the form of a platform that will feed on information from a multitude of different channels and will warn Luxembourg citizens in case of bad weather such as storms or floods. Alerts will include text messages, press releases, and notifications through the GouvAlert application, which is already in use.
The system should be operational by the end of the year with the integration of a module allowing targeted text messages to be sent to people living in a specific area. The Ministry of Home Affairs confirmed the news at a technical briefing on Friday morning.
By the summer of 2023, the authorities hope to be able to offer a ‘Cellbroadcast’, which allows an emergency notification to be sent to the mobile phones of people in a risk area. The big advantage of this option is that everyone affected by the risk can be notified directly, even those who have just arrived in the area. The push is also more effective than a simple text because it can send out a stronger signal, according to Pol Henrotte, project coordinator at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
In a first phase, the GouvAlert application will be further developed, users will of course be able to receive alerts but also subscribe to news feeds, such as the one on food safety. In the future, the application will also be tested every first Monday of the month in parallel with the sirens in the various municipalities of the country.
The authorities want to automate the warning system as much as possible in order to react as quickly as possible in the event of danger. The country’s weather stations could be linked to the platform, as could the Galileo warning system, which operates via satellite.
