October: one extra hour
At 2:00am BST the time becomes 1:00am GMT, so the hour from 1am to 2am happens twice. Mornings get lighter and evenings get darker earlier.
Dates & time · UK clock changes
The clocks went back on Sunday 25 October 2026
The clocks went back 1 hour at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026. Next: forward 1 hour at 1am on Sunday 28 March 2027.
154days until the clocks go forwardThe UK is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) now.Next change: Sunday 28 March 2027
Darker evenings
What time it gets dark after the clocks go back
On Sunday 25 October, civil twilight ends in London at 17:21 GMT, 62 minutes earlier on the clock than the evening before (18:23 BST on Saturday 24 October). Sunset moves from 17:49 BST to 16:47 GMT. It gets dark first in Aberdeen (17:20 GMT) and last in Belfast (17:40 GMT) of these 12 cities.
| City | (BST) | (GMT) | Dark earlier on the clock | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset | Civil twilight ends | Sunset | Civil twilight ends | ||
| London | 17:49 | 18:23 | 16:47 | 17:21 | 62 minutes |
| Birmingham | 17:54 | 18:29 | 16:52 | 17:27 | 62 minutes |
| Manchester | 17:53 | 18:29 | 16:51 | 17:27 | 62 minutes |
| Leeds | 17:49 | 18:26 | 16:47 | 17:24 | 62 minutes |
| Newcastle | 17:47 | 18:24 | 16:44 | 17:22 | 62 minutes |
| Glasgow | 17:55 | 18:33 | 16:53 | 17:31 | 62 minutes |
| Edinburgh | 17:50 | 18:29 | 16:48 | 17:27 | 62 minutes |
| Cardiff | 18:01 | 18:35 | 16:59 | 17:33 | 62 minutes |
| Belfast | 18:05 | 18:42 | 17:03 | 17:40 | 62 minutes |
| Liverpool | 17:56 | 18:32 | 16:54 | 17:30 | 62 minutes |
| Plymouth | 18:07 | 18:41 | 17:05 | 17:39 | 62 minutes |
| Aberdeen | 17:43 | 18:23 | 16:40 | 17:20 | 63 minutes |
Civil twilight ends when the centre of the Sun is 6° below the horizon. Worked out for each city centre with the NOAA solar calculator equations and rounded to the minute, the same calculation as the Halloween dark times page. London matches the US Naval Observatory to the minute: sunset 17:49 and end of civil twilight 18:23 BST on Saturday 24 October, 16:47 and 17:21 GMT on Sunday 25 October. Hills, buildings and cloud can make it look dark sooner.
Lighter mornings, darker evenings
Sunrise and sunset before and after the clocks go back
In London, sunset moves from 17:49 BST on Saturday 24 October to 16:47 GMT on Sunday 25 October: an hour earlier on the clock, though the sun itself sets only 2 minutes earlier than the day before. A week later, on Sunday 1 November, it sets at 16:33. Sunrise moves from 07:40 to 06:42, so mornings are lighter.
| City | (BST) | (GMT) | (GMT) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunrise | Sunset | Sunrise | Sunset | Sunrise | Sunset | |
| London | 07:40 | 17:49 | 06:42 | 16:47 | 06:54 | 16:33 |
| Birmingham | 07:49 | 17:54 | 06:51 | 16:52 | 07:04 | 16:38 |
| Manchester | 07:53 | 17:53 | 06:55 | 16:51 | 07:08 | 16:36 |
| Leeds | 07:51 | 17:49 | 06:53 | 16:47 | 07:06 | 16:33 |
| Newcastle | 07:54 | 17:47 | 06:56 | 16:44 | 07:10 | 16:29 |
| Glasgow | 08:07 | 17:55 | 07:09 | 16:53 | 07:23 | 16:37 |
| Edinburgh | 08:02 | 17:50 | 07:05 | 16:48 | 07:19 | 16:32 |
| Cardiff | 07:52 | 18:01 | 06:54 | 16:59 | 07:06 | 16:46 |
| Belfast | 08:10 | 18:05 | 07:12 | 17:03 | 07:26 | 16:48 |
Worked out for each city centre with the NOAA solar calculator equations (the Sun’s upper edge on a flat horizon, with standard refraction), rounded to the minute. London and Edinburgh agree with the US Naval Observatory tables to within a minute. Hills, buildings and weather can make it look earlier or later.
Clock-change shift calculator
Night shift hours when the clocks change
Enter a shift in UK time. The calculator counts the real time worked, so a night shift that spans the clocks going back is an hour longer than the clock face shows, and one that spans the clocks going forward is an hour shorter.
Clock-change shift hours
Runs in your browser, with no run limit
Result
Actual time worked9 h
Clock-face time8 h
Clock change+1 hour (clocks went back)
After unpaid break9 h
Decimal hours after break9
Shift Saturday 24 October 2026 22:00 BST to Sunday 25 October 2026 06:00 GMT: clock face 8 h, actual time worked 9 h, +1 hour (clocks went back), paid after a 0-minute unpaid break 9 h (9 hours).
Whether the extra hour is paid depends on your contract and employer: hourly workers should check how their hours are recorded. For an ordinary shift with no clock change, use the shift length calculator.
Every change to 2030
UK clock change dates, 2026 to 2030.
Worked out from the GOV.UK rule: last Sunday in March and last Sunday in October. The 2026 and 2027 dates match the GOV.UK table.
| Year | Clocks go forward (BST starts) | Clocks go back (GMT returns) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | , 1am → 2am | , 2am → 1am |
| 2027 | , 1am → 2am | , 2am → 1am |
| 2028 | , 1am → 2am | , 2am → 1am |
| 2029 | , 1am → 2am | , 2am → 1am |
| 2030 | , 1am → 2am | , 2am → 1am |
What it means for you
Before the clocks change.
March: one hour less
At 1:00am GMT the time jumps to 2:00am BST, so there is no 1am hour that night. Evenings stay light for longer.
Night work and timers
A night shift that spans the change is an hour longer in October and an hour shorter in March. Work out yours with the night shift hours calculator. Check heating, oven and car clocks by hand.
Other countries differ
The United States changes on different dates, and many countries never change. Dealing with the US? See the UK–US time difference this week: New York is 4 hours behind the UK, not 5, in the weeks between the UK and US clock changes. Use the time zone converter for other places.
Further reading: Royal Museums Greenwich – When do the clocks go back?
More date tools
Related date and time tools.
Time zone converter
Convert a time between UTC offsets, including GMT and BST.
Shift length calculator
Work out paid hours for overnight shifts after breaks.
Days until Christmas
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Countdown timer to any date
Count down to any date and time you choose.
Helpful answers
Clock change FAQs.
What time is sunset in London after the clocks go back?
In London, sunset moves from 17:49 BST on Saturday 24 October to 16:47 GMT on Sunday 25 October: an hour earlier on the clock, though the sun itself sets only 2 minutes earlier than the day before. By Sunday 1 November 2026 it sets at 16:33 GMT.
What time does it get dark after the clocks go back?
On Sunday 25 October, civil twilight ends in London at 17:21 GMT, 62 minutes earlier on the clock than the evening before (18:23 BST on Saturday 24 October). Sunset moves from 17:49 BST to 16:47 GMT. It gets dark first in Aberdeen (17:20 GMT) and last in Belfast (17:40 GMT) of these 12 cities.
Do I get an extra hour in bed when the clocks go back?
Yes. When the clocks go back, 2:00am becomes 1:00am, so that night is 25 hours long and you gain an hour. The clocks last went back on Sunday 25 October 2026, and the next time is Sunday 31 October 2027. You lose an hour when the clocks go forward in March.
Will my phone change the time automatically?
Smartphones, computers and most internet-connected devices change by themselves if automatic date and time is turned on. Ovens, older car clocks, some central heating timers and wall clocks usually need changing by hand.
When do the clocks go forward in 2027?
The clocks go forward 1 hour at 1:00am GMT on Sunday 28 March 2027, when British Summer Time (BST) begins.
What is the rule for UK clock changes?
GOV.UK states that the clocks go forward 1 hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March and back 1 hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October. The UK is on GMT in winter and on BST (GMT+1) in summer.
How many hours is a night shift when the clocks go back?
One hour more than the clock face shows. A 22:00 to 06:00 shift on the night of Saturday 30 October 2027 to Sunday 31 October 2027 lasts 9 hours of real time, not 8. When the clocks go forward, on the night of Saturday 27 March 2027 to Sunday 28 March 2027, the same shift lasts 7 hours.
What happens to 1am–2am when the clocks go back?
It happens twice. At 2:00am BST the clocks go back to 1:00am GMT, so the times from 1:00am to 1:59am occur first in BST and then again in GMT. A shift that starts or ends in that hour needs to say which one it means.