The Doomsday Clock announcement could see the world move closer to disaster, according to experts.
12:50, Tue, Jan 27, 2026 Updated: 12:50, Tue, Jan 27, 2026
Doomsday clock announcement 2026 (Image: Getty)
The Doomsday Clock announcement on Tuesday could see scientists warn that the end of days is drawing closer and the world holds its breath.
The announcement, held annually, sees world-leading experts on nuclear weapons, climate change, biological threats and disruptive technologies give their verdict on how close the world is to 'midnight'. In 2025, the time was moved to 89 seconds (1 minute, 29 seconds) before midnight, the closest it has ever been set to midnight since its inception in 1947.
With Donald Trump threatening to invade Greenland, war rumbling on in Ukraine, and the Middle East fraught with instability, this year could see the clock move even closer to midnight. Alicia Sanders–Zakre, head of policy at the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, told the Daily Mail the clock is likely to move closer to midnight as the threat of nuclear weapons use has "increased in the last year."
FOLLOW OUR BLOG BELOW FOR MORE UPDATES.
Creation of the doomsday clock
The Doomsday Clock was first introduced in 1947, shortly after the end of the Second World War.
It was created by scientists concerned about the long-term consequences of nuclear weapons and the risk they posed to humanity.
The idea was to use a simple, striking image to highlight global dangers and push leaders to take action.
Who is announcing the Doomsday Clock time?
The time of the Doomsday Clock is announced by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the organisation responsible for maintaining the symbolic clock.
The update is delivered during a live press conference by members of its Science and Security Board, alongside leading global experts.
They will outline the reasoning behind the latest setting and explain what global risks influenced their decision.
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What is the Doomsday Clock?
The Doomsday Clock is a symbolic representation of how close scientists believe the world is to a major global catastrophe.
Rather than acting as a real countdown, it is used to highlight rising risks to humanity, with midnight representing the point at which civilisation would face irreversible damage.
The clock is updated by a group of international experts, who assess global threats and move the hands accordingly to reflect the level of danger facing the world.
Welcome to our live coverage
Scientists from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists are set to reveal how close they believe humanity is to global catastrophe, with midnight symbolising disaster for civilisation.
The symbolic clock has become one of the world’s most recognised measures of global risk, and today’s update will be watched closely around the world.
The announcement is due at 3pm UK time, and we'll be bringing you the key updates and reactions as they happen.
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