How to use the online alarm clock
Waking at 7:14 pm gives you a quiet moment to shake off sleep before listening to the Shipping Forecast on BBC Radio 4. Set the alarm for this exact time rather than relying on a glance at the clock. You will have 46 minutes before 8:00 pm, enough to get up, find the station and settle somewhere you can hear the broadcast clearly.
Because the Shipping Forecast depends on sound, check that silent mode will not suppress the alert and set the volume to a level that will wake you without startling everyone nearby. Keep the browser running until the alarm fires. If it stops running or the computer goes to sleep, the Shipping Forecast alarm cannot sound, so use a separate alarm clock when missing the broadcast would disrupt your plans.
Once you are awake for the evening broadcast, notice whether conversation, traffic or household noise is likely to build as 8:00 pm approaches. Choose your listening spot now and keep the radio close enough that changing background sound will not bury quieter passages. Headphones can help in a busy room, while a low speaker volume may suit a calm house where others are winding down.
Common questions
Will it still be right when the clocks change?
Yes. It reads your device's local clock, so the move between GMT and BST at the end of March and October is picked up automatically, as long as the computer's date, time and time zone are set correctly.
Can I use this on a phone?
It works in a mobile browser, but phones lock the screen and suspend background tabs far more readily than a laptop does, which can stop the alarm sounding. For anything important, a desktop or a plugged-in laptop is the steadier option.
Does the alarm still work if I close the tab?
No. Everything runs inside this page, so closing the tab — or quitting the browser altogether — ends the countdown there and then. Leaving it open in the background is all it asks, and switching to another tab makes no difference.
What happens if my laptop goes to sleep before 7:14 pm?
The tab sleeps along with it and the alarm will not sound on time, if at all. If you are relying on it, change the power settings so the machine stays awake, or keep a phone alarm running as well.
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