The Auckland Council has advised that the region’s tsunami sirens will be tested at noon on September 30.

Coinciding with the start of daylight savings, the test sequence will be three sets of tones, each signalling a specific action that people would be advised to take in an emergency. Each will sound for one minute and there will be 15 seconds between each set. In an emergency, tones will sound for longer.

“It’s important to regularly test the sirens to make sure they are working and so that Aucklanders know what they sound like,” Auckland Emergency Management acting director Sarah Sinclair said. “There is no cause for alarm when the sirens are tested and the public aren’t required to do anything.”

In addition to testing the tsunami sirens, the Auckland Emergency Management will also be testing the Red Cross Hazards app, as well as sending messages to those signed up to emergency alerts.

The tsunami sirens are one of several public warning systems placed in the Auckland region. They are located in Rodney at Point Wells, Whangateau, Omaha, and Waiwera. In Waitākere, sirens are located at Bethells Beach Te Henga, Piha North, Piha South, Karekare, Whatipu, Little Huia, Huia, Te Atatu South, Harbour View Road, Te Atatu Peninsula North, Westpark Marina and Herald Island.

“It is important to be prepared for emergencies like a tsunami by finding out if you live in a tsunami evacuation zone and what you need to do to be safe,” Sinclair added.