What time do the clocks go forward this weekend

In the UK, the clocks change two times each year, once in the spring and once in the autumn. The clocks move forward by one hour on the last Sunday of March and revert back by one hour on the last Sunday of October. The adjustment aims to make better use of natural daylight in the spring and summer seasons, as sunrise and sunset will take place later in the day.

This change is anticipated to provide brighter evenings for those commuting, engaging in outdoor activities, and participating in local events as the season transitions. Most smartphones, computers, and various digital devices tend to update on their own, but households should remember to manually check clocks in appliances like ovens, microwaves, and on car dashboards.

What time do clocks go forward this weekend?

In 2026, the clocks go forward one hour at 1am on Sunday, 29 March and back one hour at 2am on Sunday, 25 October – hence the phrase, “spring forwards, fall back”.

This means that we will have more daylight later into the evening from the end of March, and we will enter British Summer Time (BST).

The time change is always done in the early hours to avoid disrupting travel, businesses and daily routines.

People change the clocks for daylight saving to align working hours more closely with daylight, improving productivity and reducing the need for artificial lighting during the workday.

While you initially lose an hour of sleep when the clocks go forward an hour in March, you gain an extra hour of daylight, which is handy if you work full-time and want to enjoy the longer evenings.

When did the clocks start changing?

The initial clock adjustment was implemented by the German Government in 1916 amid World War One to conserve energy – the more extended daylight hours were, the less electricity was needed.

Many European Governments followed suit, including Britain, and so BST was born, with the current system in place since 1971.

The approach was taken even further during World War Two, when the UK introduced British Double Summer Time. This was where clocks were moved two hours ahead of GMT during the summer.

Even in winter, when clocks were set back, they remained one hour ahead of GMT, again to maximise usable daylight and support wartime productivity.

Although originally a wartime measure, daylight saving became a lasting feature in many countries, continuing to shape daily routines, work patterns, and how people experience daylight throughout the year.