UK threat level history
The UK terrorism threat level has risen and fallen many times since it was first made public. Seeing those changes in context tells you far more than any single snapshot — UK Terror Alert keeps the full timeline in your pocket, with the reasoning behind every change.
Recent threat-level updates
- National: Severe(Unchanged)NI: SubstantialThe UK's terror threat levels remain unchanged.
The UK's National Terrorist Threat Level and the Northern Ireland Threat Level both remain unchanged. A SEVERE national level means the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre believes an attack is highly likely, while SUBSTANTIAL in Northern Ireland indicates an attack is likely. The assessment follows ongoing investigations including a recent arrest on suspicion of failing to disclose information relating to the Manchester synagogue terror attack.
- National: Severe(Raised)NI: SubstantialThe UK's National Terrorist Threat Level has been raised to SEVERE.
This means that the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre believes an attack is highly likely within the next 6 months. The elevated level is in response to the stabbing attacks in Golders Green, London.
- National: Substantial(Unchanged)NI: SubstantialMI5 has lowered the Northern Ireland threat level from SEVERE to SUBSTANTIAL.
This means that a terrorist attack in Northern Ireland is no longer highly likely.
- National: Substantial(Unchanged)NI: SevereMI5 has raised the Northern Ireland threat level from SUBSTANTIAL to SEVERE.
In recent months, there has been an increase in levels of activity relating to Northern Ireland Related Terrorism, which has targeted police officers serving their communities and also put at risk the lives of children and other members of the public.
- National: Substantial(Unchanged)NI: SubstantialThe Northern Ireland Threat level has been lowered to SUBSTANTIAL.
This means that a terrorist is still likely.
- National: Substantial(Lowered)NI: SevereThe UK's National Terrorist Threat Level has been lowered to SUBSTANTIAL.
This still means it is deemed an attack is likely. Regarding this change, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams said “at this time there is nothing to suggest that there is any specific threat."
- National: Severe(Raised)NI: SevereThe UK's National Threat Level has been raised from SUBSTANTIAL to SEVERE.
This means a terrorist attack is highly likely. This decision is in response to yesterday’s incident in Liverpool. There have now been two terrorist incidents in the past month, reflecting the diverse, complex and volatile nature of the terrorist threat in the UK.
- National: Substantial(Lowered)NI: SevereThe UK's national threat level has been lowered from SEVERE to Substantial.
This means that a terrorist attack is no longer highly likely.
- National: Severe(Raised)NI: SevereMI5 has raised the national threat level from SUBSTANTIAL to SEVERE.
This means that an attack is highly likely but there is no specific intelligence of an imminent incident. This follows the recent terror attacks in Vienna and Nice. Priti Patel has stated that police visibility will be increased across the UK.
- National: Substantial(Unchanged)NI: SeverePolice in Reading have now officially declared that a situation involving a stabbing in which 3 people died is a "terrorist incident."
The UK's threat levels remain the same.
- National: Substantial(Unchanged)NI: SevereLondon Met police have today responded to a suspected terrorist incident at London Bridge in which 2 people were killed and 3 more injured.
The UK's threat levels, however, remain unchanged.
- National: Substantial(Lowered)NI: SevereMI5 has reduced the national threat level to SUBSTANTIAL.
While home secretary Priti Patel still believes the UK is subject to a high level of threat, this is the lowest the threat level has been since August 2014.
- National: Severe(Unchanged)NI: SevereIrish threat levels merged.
The two Irish threat levels have now been merged into one single Ireland level by MI5, as now represented in this app version 2.2 and greater. The threat levels remain unchanged.
- National: SevereNI: SevereOn July 23, 2019, MI5 reduced the alert levels from three to just two: a National threat level relating to the entire country of the United Kingdom and an Ireland threat level applying only to Northern Ireland.
A new release of this app will be coming very shortly to support these new alert levels. In the meantime, both Irish levels display the current Ireland level.
The Security Service has lowered the threat level for Northern Ireland-related terrorism in Britain to SEVERE. This means that an attack is possible, but unlikely.
The Security Service has lowered the international threat level to SEVERE after the arrest of two men in connection with the Parsons Green tube bomb that detonated on 15/09/17. The severe threat level means that an attack is highly likely.
In response to a bomb exploding on the District line at Parsons Green in London, the Security Service has raised the international threat level to CRITICAL. 29 people were injured in a bomb attack on 15/09/17 and 1000 armed police are now on the streets of london. The ring of steel surrounding the city of London is manned, with the police using mirrors to survey the undercarriage of vehicles. The critical threat level means that an attack is expected imminently. Please be vigilant.
The Security Service has maintained the international threat level at SEVERE, despite the London Bridge / Borough terrorist attack of June 3, 2017 that resulted in the death of at least 7 individuals and the injury of at least 48 more. This means that the threat from international terrorist attacks in Great Britain are considered to be highly likely. Please be vigilant.
The Security Service has reduced the international threat level from CRITICAL to SEVERE. This means that the threat from international terrorist attacks in Great Britain are considered to be highly likely, but no longer imminent. This action was taken in response to the arrest of several people in relation to the Manchester arena terrorist attack. The threat of international terrorism has thus been reduced.
The Security Service has changed the international threat level from SEVERE to CRITICAL, the topmost level. This means that a terrorist attack is expected imminently in Great Britain. This is in response to the Monday, May 22 2017 terrorist attack in Manchester and the fact that the Security Service cannot be sure that suspect Salman Abedi acted alone. This threat level indicates an the expectation that further attacks could be imminent. Please be vigilant.
Showing the most recent updates. The app holds the full history going back over a decade, and notifies you of every new change.
A public record since 2006
The UK threat level system has been published openly since August 2006. Before then, threat assessments existed but were not routinely shared with the public. Making the level public meant that, for the first time, anyone could see the same headline judgement that informs official planning — and track how it moved over time.
When the level has reached Critical
Critical — meaning an attack is highly likely in the near future — is the rarest and most serious setting, used only for short periods. It has been reached on a small number of occasions, including in 2017 in the immediate aftermath of major attacks, before being lowered again once the immediate danger was judged to have passed. For most of the period since 2006 the level has sat at Substantial or Severe, reflecting a persistent but not imminent threat.
Why the history matters
A single threat level tells you the assessment today. The history tells you the trajectory — whether the picture is tightening or easing, how long the current setting has held, and what kinds of events have moved it in the past. That context is hard to piece together from news coverage after the fact, which is why a maintained, dated timeline is one of the most useful things the app provides.
The full timeline, on your iPhone
UK Terror Alert records every change to the UK and Northern Ireland threat levels going back over a decade, each with the date and the rationale given at the time. When the level changes, you get an instant push notification — and the new entry is added to the history automatically. If you want the background on the levels themselves first, see the UK terrorism threat level explained.
UK Terror Alert is an independent app. It is not affiliated with HM Government, MI5, the Home Office, JTAC or Counter Terrorism Policing. The history is compiled from publicly available official information; refer to the official sources for the definitive record.