Watch Doomsday clock announcement live: How close is Earth to catastrophe?

Scientists expect the Doomsday Clock will move closer to midnight, signalling that global destruction looms. President Trump's comments on climate issues and nuclear weapons have contributed to a "darkening global security landscape" and could push forward the clock, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.

The clock is used to predict how close the world is to catastrophe and takes numerous factors which could contribute to the end of humanity into account, including climate change, emerging technology and the risk posed by nuclear weapons.

Last year the clock hand move forward from five to three minutes to midnight. This is the closest to midnight the clock has been since during the Cold War. The clock stopped at two minutes in 1953 when the hydrogen bomb was being tested.

Scientists said last year's move was the result of increasing existential dangers which "threaten the very existence of civilisation and therefore should be the first order of business for leaders who care about their constituents and their countries."

The event will be streamed live at 10am EST (3.00pm GMT).