The Buzz · London Civic Wire

Did you hear Western's siren during Tuesday's tornado warning?

Your alarm went off for *this*?

Good morning from the Forest City — yes, the other London. The one that actually matters to us. Let's get into it.

You know, Londoners, we all experienced those crazy storms on Tuesday, right? The skies turned green, the rain came down in sheets, and for a minute there, it felt like the world was ending. But amidst all the phone alerts and the general chaos, some of you might have heard something else – a loud, wailing siren that just didn't sound like any emergency vehicle I've ever heard tearing down Richmond Row. Well, turns out, that wasn't your imagination, or some new city-wide warning system, it was Western University.

### Western's Wailing Warning

Look, I've been covering this city for a decade, and I've never heard anything quite like it. When Environment Canada issued that tornado warning for London, it seems Western University decided to activate their campus emergency siren. Now, for folks living right on the edge of campus, or even a bit further out in say, Old North, that sound definitely carried. It’s primarily meant to warn students and staff on campus about immediate threats, telling them to shelter in place. Most of us are used to the cell phone alerts, which are great, but a physical siren? That's a bit of a throwback, isn't it?

* **What was it?** Western University's campus emergency siren. * **When did it happen?** During Tuesday's tornado warning. * **Who heard it?** Primarily those on or near the Western campus.

For anyone who heard it and wondered what in the blue blazes was going on, now you know. It's a reminder that even our biggest institutions have their own ways of dealing with emergencies, and sometimes those ways spill over into the rest of the city. It certainly got people talking around the Covent Garden Market on Wednesday morning, that's for sure.

Brendan Fanshawe-Okafor, MiTL Sports Desk, London.

Keith and the crew probably had a few laughs about this one – catch their take live at mornings.live.

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