How to use the online alarm clock
Halfway through an evening task, it is easy to lose track of when to break away and check the river after the downpour. An alarm set for 9:56 pm gives that interruption a definite moment, just before 10:00 pm, so the river level can be checked without repeatedly watching the clock or abandoning what is already under way.
Because the river check depends on hearing the alert, the signal is worth testing earlier with the same browser volume and sound settings. A brief trial shows whether the tone is audible from the room where the current job is happening. This browser alarm cannot prompt a river check if its page has stopped running or the computer has fallen asleep, so a separate alarm is sensible when stepping away from the screen or relying on the reminder for longer.
Returning indoors after looking at the river can make a bright screen feel harsh against the darker evening surroundings. At 9:56 pm, keeping the display dim and using warmer screen colours reduces the abrupt contrast while checking whether the alarm is set. Place the phone or laptop where the alert remains audible without leaving a glowing display directly in view, especially in a room with low lighting.
Common questions
Can I change the sound?
Yes, there is a short list of tones to pick from before you press Start. Softer sounds are easy to sleep through, so a firmer bell tends to be the safer choice for anything early in the morning.
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.
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