Tsunami warning test early April

Tsunami warning sirens on Christchurch's coastline will be tested at 11am on Sunday 3 April, 2016.

The sirens, located from Brooklands to Taylor’s Mistake, will sound for up to three minutes.

Each year the Christchurch City Council tests the tsunami warning system on the Sunday that Daylight Saving begins and ends.

Head of Civil Defence Emergency Management and Rural Fire Alicia Palmer says, “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 sirens will only be heard within a few blocks of the beach, as these areas are most at risk from a possible tsunami.

If the sirens continue to sound for more than 10 minutes, it means there could be a tsunami and residents may need to evacuate the area.

The tsunami warning system is designed to forewarn of a ‘distant source’ tsunami that could take more than three hours to reach our coastline. In the event of a tsunami, Christchurch Civil Defence Emergency Management and the New Zealand Police would alert residents using the sirens, radio, TV and local community groups.

A comprehensive guide to tsunami is on the Christchurch City Council website.

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