What will actually happen if the Doomsday Clock hits midnight as update given soon

The Doomsday Clock will update later this afternoon (28 January) which means we're all probably feeling a little anxious about what it may reveal.

With last year's update remaining closer to midnight than ever, it's not looking promising.

The Doomsday Clock at 90 seconds to midnight in 2023 (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

What is the Doomsday Clock?

It sounds terrifying, and it kind of is.

The Doomsday Clock is a metaphor designed to show just how close humanity is to global catastrophe caused by man-made technologies.

Essentially, it's used as a warning, communicating to the public just how close to self-destruction we are, namely through the use of nuclear weapons, having first started running in 1947.

Conflicts, climate change and other world events tend to contribute to how close to midnight the clock is set.

It was created by artist Martyl Langsdorf for the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists magazine. At the time, she explained she set the time at seven minutes to midnight because 'it seemed the right time on the page... it suited my eye'.

The Doomsday Clock is a metaphor designed to reflect how close we are to global catastrophe (Getty Stock Image)

What happens if the Doomsday Clock hits midnight?

If the clock hits midnight, it's not looking good for us as a planet.

"When the clock is at midnight, that means there's been some sort of nuclear exchange or catastrophic climate change that's wiped out humanity," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists president and CEO Rachel Bronson told CNN.

"We never really want to get there and we won't know it when we do."

Bronson explained that the team ask two questions when assessing the clock each year.

"Is humanity safer or at greater risk this year, compared to last year, when we last set it?" she told Metro.

"And is humanity safer, or at greater risk this year compared to the last 75 plus years?"

Bronson also added that rather than sparking panic, the idea is to kickstart conversations about the future of the planet.

The Doomsday Clock back in 2002 (Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

What time is the Doomsday Clock currently?

The last couple years have shown the hands of the clock remaining at 90 seconds to midnight - the most dangerous position since it was first created.

This is the same as was set in 2023.

Prior to that, the clock had stood at 100 seconds to midnight which was closer to destruction than at any point since it was created 78 years ago.

The Doomsday Clock announcement will be available to watch on a YouTube livestream at 3pm GMT today (28 January).