How to use the online alarm clock
Get your torch, waterproofs and safe viewing point ready before checking the river after the evening downpour. Setting the alarm for 7:56 pm now means you can finish preparing without repeatedly watching the clock, with 8:00 pm close enough to use as a final check that everything you need is to hand.
While you wait, the alarm page may sit behind another page as you look at rainfall information or local flood updates. Browsers sometimes reduce activity on pages left in the background, so keep this one open and return to it shortly before 7:56 pm. A browser alarm cannot safeguard your river check if the computer goes to sleep or the browser is closed; use a separate alarm as a backup if missing the time could leave you assessing conditions later than intended.
Your river check falls at an evening hour when traffic, voices and general neighbourhood noise may be easing, while running water can sound more prominent after heavy rain. Pause at a familiar, well-lit position and listen before moving closer: changing water noise may help you notice stronger flow, but darkness can hide the bank’s edge. Stay on a firm public path and make the observation from a distance rather than stepping onto wet ground.
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 7:56 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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