Tsunami warning sirens will sound across Cadiz on Thursday evening, residents have been warned.
It comes as the city is testing a new alert system designed to prepare locals for the threat of a devastating tidal wave.
Three sirens installed at strategic points across the provincial capital will be activated at 6.30pm on Thursday, September 17.
But residents and visitors have been told not to panic and not to take any action when they hear them.
The alarms are part of a test designed both to check that the new equipment works correctly and to familiarise the public with the sound they would hear in the event of a genuine tsunami threat.
Three sirens across Cadiz
The three devices were donated to Cadiz by UNESCO in recognition of the city’s work on tsunami preparedness and prevention in recent years.
They have been installed at Centi, a University of Cadiz building on Calle Benito Perez Galdos; the Junta de Andalucia building in Plaza de Asdrubal; and the Nuevo Mirandilla stadium.
Thursday’s exercise will be purely a test of the warning system, meaning members of the public do not need to evacuate or take any other action when the alarms begin sounding.
The exercise is intended to ensure the sirens function as expected while giving residents an opportunity to recognise the warning signal before it is ever needed in a real emergency.
More sirens planned
Cadiz City Council plans to expand the system once Thursday’s test has been completed.
Authorities intend to purchase another five or six sirens, which would be positioned around the city according to technical criteria designed to provide full coverage.
Cadiz has stepped up its preparations for a potential tsunami in recent years, with its exposed Atlantic location making emergency planning for such an event particularly important.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
