diff --git a/src/components/SightingsWidget/SightingWidget.tsx b/src/components/SightingsWidget/SightingWidget.tsx
index 1e730f7..240ae39 100644
--- a/src/components/SightingsWidget/SightingWidget.tsx
+++ b/src/components/SightingsWidget/SightingWidget.tsx
@@ -68,6 +68,11 @@ export default function SightingHistoryWidget({
   const { dispatch } = useAlertHitContext();
   const { sessionStarted, setSessionList, sessionList } = useNPEDContext();
 
+  const processedRefs = useRef<Set<number | string>>(new Set());
+
+  const hasAutoOpenedRef = useRef(false);
+  const npedRef = useRef(false);
+
   const reduceObject = (obj: SightingType): ReducedSightingType => {
     return {
       vrm: obj.vrm,
@@ -84,9 +89,6 @@ export default function SightingHistoryWidget({
     // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
   }, [mostRecent, sessionStarted, setSessionList]);
 
-  const hasAutoOpenedRef = useRef(false);
-  const npedRef = useRef(false);
-
   const onRowClick = useCallback(
     (sighting: SightingType) => {
       if (!sighting) return;
@@ -101,6 +103,40 @@ export default function SightingHistoryWidget({
     [sightings]
   );
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!rows?.length) return;
+
+    for (const sighting of rows) {
+      const id = sighting.vrm;
+      console.log(processedRefs.current.has(id));
+      if (processedRefs.current.has(id)) continue;
+      const isHot = checkIsHotListHit(sighting);
+      const cat = sighting?.metadata?.npedJSON?.["NPED CATEGORY"];
+
+      if (cat === "A" || cat === "B" || cat === "C") {
+        npedSound();
+        setSelectedSighting(sighting);
+        setSightingModalOpen(true);
+        processedRefs.current.add(id);
+        break; // stop after one new open per render cycle
+      }
+
+      if (isHot) {
+        hotlistsound();
+        setSelectedSighting(sighting);
+        setSightingModalOpen(true);
+        processedRefs.current.add(id);
+        break;
+      }
+    }
+  }, [
+    rows,
+    hotlistsound,
+    npedSound,
+    setSightingModalOpen,
+    setSelectedSighting,
+  ]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     rows?.forEach((obj) => {
       const isNPEDHitA = obj?.metadata?.npedJSON?.["NPED CATEGORY"] === "A";
@@ -132,7 +168,6 @@ export default function SightingHistoryWidget({
 
     if (firstNPED) {
       setSelectedSighting(firstNPED);
-      console.log("first");
       npedSound();
       setSightingModalOpen(true);
       npedRef.current = true;
@@ -144,13 +179,7 @@ export default function SightingHistoryWidget({
       setSightingModalOpen(true);
       hasAutoOpenedRef.current = true;
     }
-  }, [
-    hotlistsound,
-    npedSound,
-    rows,
-    setSelectedSighting,
-    setSightingModalOpen,
-  ]);
+  }, [hotlistsound, npedSound, setSelectedSighting]);
 
   const handleClose = () => {
     setSightingModalOpen(false);