Time to test the tsunami sirens

With daylight saving finishing this weekend, the tsunami warning sirens along Christchurch’s coastline will be tested at 11am on Sunday.

The 45 sirens located between Taylors Mistake in the south and Brooklands in the north will sound for up to three minutes.

“Residents living near the coast don’t need to evacuate or be alarmed. This is just a test to make sure the system is working,” says Christchurch City Council Civil Defence and Emergency Manager Brenden Winder.

The tsunami sirens in Christchurch are tested each year at the beginning and end of daylight saving time. Our tsunami sirens will sound pre-recorded voice messages.  For this test you should hear a tone, followed by 'This is a test of the tsunami warning sirens. Do not be alarmed. This is only a test.’

Find more information about the messages that will sound during a tsunami warning.

“By testing each Sunday at the beginning and end of daylight saving, we are aiming to help coastal residents recognise that they need an evacuation plan in the unlikely event of a tsunami,” says Mr Winder.

“This is the ideal time to make sure you and your family have an evacuation plan, and that you have all your essential supplies ready,”

The tsunami warning network is designed to forewarn of ‘distant source’ tsunami that could take more than three hours to reach our coastline. If there were an imminent tsunami, Civil Defence and the New Zealand Police services would alert residents using the sirens, radio, television, social media and local community groups.

People can check Christchurch City Council's interactive online map to find out if they live or work in a tsunami evacuation zone. There are also evacuation tips on the Council website.