THE next quarterly test of the all-Island public warning siren system will take place at 11am on Saturday. 

Sirens at 31 sites around the Isle of Man will sound a steady note for 30 seconds signifying all clear.

In a real emergency the sirens will sound a rising and falling note for three minutes in which case residents should go in, stay in and tune in to local radio stations to await instructions specific to the emergency.

There is no need to take any action during the routine quarterly test of the sirens on Saturday.

Emergency planning officer Martin Blackburn said: "This routine test is to make sure that the warning sirens can be operated centrally as well as from that physical location.

"We are grateful to the group of volunteer listeners who report back during each test so that we can be sure that the sirens are operating correctly.

"We can’t give detailed instructions in advance of what to do if there is a genuine emergency, since each one is different and circumstances may vary widely – hence the message is go in, stay in and tune in to the local radio stations so that the latest information can be passed to you."