Set the alarm for 10:20 p.m.

Web alarm clock for 10:20 p.m.

While preparing well ahead of the weather, you can set a 10:20 pm alarm as the point to secure the roof before the night wind arrives. That leaves the earlier evening free for gathering ropes, checking loose sheets, and placing a torch where you can reach it. With 11:00 pm approaching, the alarm marks when planning ends and the final roof check begins.

Because this roof job depends on a timely warning, keep the phone or computer awake until the alarm sounds. A browser alarm cannot alert you after its page has been closed or the device has gone to sleep, so the roof may remain unsecured when the wind picks up. Keep the screen powered, leave this page open, raise the volume, and test that you can hear the sound from where the tools are stored.

Before climbing or moving materials at 10:20 pm, tell the other people in the house what the alarm means. The sound could wake children or startle someone resting, while footsteps and shifting roofing materials may carry through the rooms. Place the device near you rather than beside a sleeping area, use a clear but moderate volume, and arrange help earlier if another person will steady a ladder or pass up equipment.