Set the timer to 132 seconds

How to use the online timer

With the Shipping Forecast playing, you can start a countdown for two minutes and twelve seconds, put the phone down and carry on packing a waterproof or checking the route to the harbour. The interval suits a brief stretch of the broadcast when you need a clear signal to bring your attention back without watching the clock.

While the coastal areas and wind directions are being read, your phone may dim or lock before the countdown finishes. That does not usually stop the elapsed time being tracked, so the signal can still sound while the screen is dark. Keeping the volume audible matters more than leaving the display lit, especially if you have stepped across the room to find gloves, charts or keys.

For catching a compact part of the forecast, a digital countdown gives a precise endpoint that a mechanical kitchen timer with a ring may not mark cleanly at such a short interval. The broadcast’s measured delivery can make a few seconds useful: begin at the first word of the relevant sea area, then use the signal as a cue to listen closely or note the conditions before the announcer moves on.