Christchurch’s tsunami sirens will undergo routine testing on Sunday.

The 45 sirens located between Brooklands and Taylors Mistake will sound for up to three minutes at 11am on 7 April.

Christchurch City Council’s Civil Defence and Emergency Management Manager Brenden Winder said, “If you are near the coast on Sunday morning and hear the sirens going off, you don’t need to evacuate or be alarmed. This is just a test to make sure the system is working.”

The tsunami-warning network is designed to trigger an advanced warning of a distance-source tsunami that could take more than three hours to reach the Christchurch coastline.

The warning sirens are tested each year at the beginning and end of daylight saving. 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.”

Winder said, “While this weekend’s siren testing is routine, it’s also an ideal time to make sure you and your family have an evacuation plan and have all your essential supplies ready.”

If there was 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.