The temperatures are starting to drop, marking the end of summer – even if it’s not going quietly. Nonetheless, autumn is well and truly on the way and that also marks the end of British Summer Time (BST).
For those who aren’t a fan of dark mornings, that means you’ll gain one hour of sleep.
The custom of changing the clocks twice a year has been around in the UK for over a century, taking place once in March and once in October.
There’s still a little while until the clocks change but the date is already known, as it always happens on the last Sunday of October.
In 2019, the European Parliament voted to scrap mandatory daylight saving but Britain has no plans to, err, see the light.
This is what it all means for the UK.
When do the clocks go back?
The clocks go back on Sunday, October 27 at 2am.
Usually, your smartphone and laptop will update automatically. However, analogue clocks and other digital clocks, like car and oven clocks, often need to be changed manually – so make sure they've been updated!
Why do the clocks go forward?
The custom of changing the clocks by an hour began more than 100 years ago. In 1916, Parliament passed the Summer Time Act, thereby creating BST.
It was the result of a campaign started in 1907 by William Willett, to stop people wasting valuable hours of light in the summer months and to save fuel during the war.
Germany was the first country to adopt the clock-changing plan in April that year and the UK followed in May.
While Daylight Savings Time is observed in most places in Europe, North America, and Australasia, most places in Africa and Asia don't observe the practice.
Incidentally, Willett is an ancestor of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. Whether or not this was the inspiration for the band’s song Clocks is up for debate on Genius.
When will the clocks go forward again?
The clocks will go forward on Sunday, March 30, 2025.
For the next three months, it will duly become ever darker until we reach Winter solstice.
Meanwhile, the longest day next year, also known as the Summer solstice, can be enjoyed on June 21.
