The clocks went back an hour overnight as British Summer Time ended

British Summer Time ended at 2am on Sunday 25 October 2026. The clocks in the UK went back one hour, to 1am, and the country returned to Greenwich Mean Time.

The period when the clocks are one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time is called British Summer Time. It gives more daylight in the evenings and less in the mornings, and is sometimes called daylight saving time.

The change back happens on the last Sunday of October each year. The hour between 1am and 2am was lived twice overnight: once on summer time and once on Greenwich Mean Time.

What changes today

From today, sunrise and sunset both come an hour earlier by the clock than they did yesterday. Mornings are lighter at the usual waking time. Evenings get dark sooner, so for many people the journey home from work will now be in the dark.

The length of the day is not affected. Daylight keeps shortening at the steady rate it does every autumn. What moves is the clock hour attached to it.

Clocks to check

Phones, computers and other devices connected to a network usually change by themselves. Many clocks do not. Ovens, microwaves, car dashboards, central heating timers, wall clocks and some alarm clocks may still show summer time and need setting back by hand.

Heating timers are worth a look. A timer left on summer time will switch the heating on an hour earlier than expected by the new clock.

Night shifts

Anyone working through the night of the change may have worked an extra hour. Royal Museums Greenwich notes that night workers can be affected, and that the law limits night work to an average of eight hours in any 24. Whether the extra hour is paid depends on the contract and the employer.

Sleep

The autumn change gives back the hour taken when the clocks went forward on Sunday 29 March 2026.

The dates for 2027

The clocks will go forward one hour at 1am on Sunday 28 March 2027, when British Summer Time begins again. They will go back at 2am on Sunday 31 October 2027.

The same dates apply across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The rules follow a fixed pattern: forward on the last Sunday of March, back on the last Sunday of October.