Blaring sirens on smartphones to warn Australians of major disasters under emergency alerts overhaul

Alerts to be sent for bushfires, floods, biosecurity threats and other events which put lives at risk

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Australians will soon receive intrusive alerts on their smartphones to warn of impending emergencies as governments overhaul warning systems for natural disasters and other serious events.

The $132m AusAlert system will be rolled out through a series of trials from June, replacing state-based text messaging systems which often struggle because of demand in major emergencies.