It's just a drill: Tsunami sirens to be tested today across Auckland Region

People by the water in Rodney and Waitakere should hear the updated tsunami sirens at midday today. Photo / File

People by the water in Waitakere and Rodney should hear tsunami warning sirens and voice instructions today as emergency alerts are tested.

The tsunami sirens - which will sound at midday today Sunday September 25 - have been recently updated and now include five loud "whoops" and voice instructions telling people what to do.

Civil Defence New Zealand said the Auckland Region had a network that was triggered in the event of a tsunami threat.

The team tested the network twice a year at the change of daylight saving and said the changing of clocks also served as a reminder to test their smoke alarms.

Civil Defence said there were also other ways the community would be warned if there was a tsunami threat including official warnings via Emergency Mobile Alert(EMA), radio, television or social media.

The areas in the testing zone include Omaha, Point Wells, Whangateau, Waiwera, Ōrewa in Rodney and Te Henga/Bethells Beach, Piha, Karekare, Huia, Little Huia, Whatipu, Te Atatū, and Herald Island.

WHAT DOES THE SIREN SOUND LIKE?

The tsunami sirens have been updated and will be a combination of alert sounds, and voice instructions on what you should do.

The voice message is deliberately recorded slowly to compensate for the reverberations and echoes that occur when using large public address systems in a wide-open space.

New tsunami siren pattern & test message:

"Attention Please. This is a test of the Auckland Emergency Management Tsunami Siren Network. The next sound you hear will be the standard emergency warning signal."

Siren tone (5x "whoops")

"In the event of a siren activation, follow the instructions that accompany this signal. Thank you."

Check and listen to the siren sound sample here

EVACUATION

In a tsunami emergency, always follow the instructions of the emergency services.

Create an emergency plan for your home and whānau and practice it so everyone knows what to do in an emergency and what you need to take if you are evacuating. If you need help with your plan, check out getready.govt.nz.

If you are asked to evacuate, please do so by moving to high ground or as far inland as you can, preferably without using your car. Practice evacuating with your whānau.

Stay in your safe area and listen to the radio for information. Do not return to your home unless the official 'All-Clear' message has been given. A tsunami is a series of waves, and the danger may take several hours to pass.

Only return to your home if it is safe to do so. Remember your home or neighbourhood may have been damaged.