A siren ringing out from an atomic weapons facility prompted intrigue this morning.
The so-called 'lightning siren' at AWE in Aldermaston rang out intermittedly between 9.45am and 10.30am.
AWE - Atomic Weapons Establishment - is responsible for maintaining the United Kingdom's nuclear warhead stockpile.
The facility - nestled between Basingstoke and Reading - provides government research, design and manufacture warheads.
The secretive site handles high explosives and radioactive substances under "carefully controlled conditions", according to its website.
And that might be why residents were a little spooked this morning to hear sirens ringing out.
Burghfield Community page said the siren was a 'lightning' alarm to warn of incoming stormy weather.
A spokesman for AWE said: "Weather alerts are routinely given for our sites. Our tannoy messages are internal and for staff information only. No action need be taken by the public."
One woman replied:"Thank god that's all it is - I was about to get tooled up in my radiation suit."
Another added: "Glad to hear this - wasn't expecting the thunder just as I'd finished hanging the washing out."
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