Northland tsunami siren network testing this month

Tsunami sirens throughout Northland will be tested on the morning of Sunday 30 September as part of twice-yearly checks coinciding with the start and finish of daylight saving.

The siren network - from Te Hapua in the north to Mangawhai in the south and Ruawai in the west - will sound twice: firstly at 10am for 10 minutes and again at 10.30am for 30 seconds, and will be monitored for any faults.

Northland has 190 outdoor tsunami sirens, more than any other region in the country with 109 sirens in the Whangarei district, 60 in the Far North and 21 in the Kaipara district.

New plug-in indoor tsunami sirens - synchronised with the outdoor sirens – will also be part of the daylight saving checking for the first time.

The indoor sirens have been available since June for those who, for whatever reason, are unable to hear local outdoor tsunami sirens and will sound at the same time and for the same length of time as the outdoor sirens.  

New indoor siren owners are being urged to monitor their units at testing time - checking to see the unit is sounding and its accompanying blue flashing light is working. 

“It’s important to remember that indoor sirens must not be turned off during testing (or a genuine tsunami warning),” says Victoria Harwood, spokesperson for the Northland Civil Defence Emergency Management (CDEM) Group.

 The indoor sirens were developed by Northland CDEM Group and Northpower (which assembles them in Whangarei). They are now in Northland tsunami evacuation zone businesses, schools, homes, campgrounds, a surf club, homes and baches. 

To hear Northland’s outdoor and indoor tsunami sirens online visit www.nrc.govt.nz/tsunamisirens