Northland’s six-monthly tsunami siren test will take place at the end of daylight saving on Sunday, 6 April. This year marks the first test of the newly installed upgraded sirens.

The new sirens will sound once at 10 am for around a minute, and their performance will be closely monitored for any faults.

Unlike the old system, the new sirens can be largely monitored remotely, reducing the need for prolonged testing.

The upgraded network, which will comprise more than 90 outdoor tsunami sirens, aims to enhance the safety of coastal communities across Northland by providing more effective tsunami warnings.

With more than 80 sirens expected to be operational for this test, the new system will already cover approximately 97% of the area previously served by the old network. The remaining sirens are anticipated to be installed by the end of April.

While the old sirens will not be tested, they will remain operational until the new network is fully functional.

The indoor siren network will not be tested during this April’s test but will continue to remain active and be used if there is a tsunami warning. Those who have indoor sirens are encouraged to check their siren on April 6 by pressing the test button, similar to testing a smoke alarm.

The new sirens will use the same tone as the current sirens but will also intermittently broadcast a voice warning message about the threat and the required action. For the test, the message will be "test only, test only. This is a test of the Northland tsunami siren network; no action is required". The siren sound has been kept the same to avoid confusion for residents already familiar with it.

Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesperson Zach Woods emphasised the importance of community feedback for this first test. "With any new tool or system, it’s important to get feedback so we can ensure the system is working as it should and improvements can be made. To make this process simpler, feedback forms will be available on the Northland Regional Council website and the Civil Defence Northland Facebook page from the day of the test so residents can provide their feedback. Could you hear it? Was the test message clear? Let us know."

Woods added that whether you are in an area with sirens or not, people should also be aware of the risk of local source tsunamis (those generated on or close to the coast), which could arrive ahead of any official warning. "Everyone who spends time on the coast needs to know the natural warning signs of a tsunami - a strong earthquake that is hard to stand up in or one that lasts longer than a minute, or out-of-the-ordinary sea behaviour, such as a sudden rise or fall and/or unusual noise."

He said Northlanders can check whether they live, work, or play in a tsunami evacuation zone, and plan the quickest route to safety, using the interactive maps at: www.nrc.govt.nz/evacuationzones.

These maps were recently updated with more accurate modelling and information. The evacuation zones have also been simplified to make them easier to understand with the use of one blue evacuation zone.

Northland’s outdoor tsunami sirens are funded and owned by the region’s four councils (Northland regional, Far North, Whangarei, and Kaipara district).

To find out more about the upgrade project, visit: www.nrc.govt.nz/sirenproject.

To hear Northland’s new outdoor sirens online, visit: www.nrc.govt.nz/tsunamisirens

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