The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) sent a test alert out to New Zealanders just after 6pm this evening.
The civil defence agency said it expected the test will trigger alerts on more than 5 million phones across Aotearoa.
Alerts came through from 6.17pm this evening.
"The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) will be conducting its annual nationwide test of the Emergency Mobile Alert (EMA) between 6pm and 7pm this Sunday evening," NEMA said in a media release this morning.
"Emergency Mobile Alert is an information channel for alerting people to threats to their life, health or property. In an emergency, an alert can be sent to targeted areas affected by serious hazards.
"If you get an alert, stop, read the message, and take it seriously. It will tell you what the emergency is and what to do. It will also tell you which agency sent the message and if needed, where to go for more information."
Many Kiwis will be familiar with the alert system due to flooding events around the country in 2023.
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