UK Clocks Go Back Today: How Mornings and Evenings Change

ED Explainer Desk 2026-10-25 10:10 Updated: 10:40 3 min read

The UK moved from British Summer Time to Greenwich Mean Time at 02:00 on Sunday 25 October 2026, turning clocks back one hour. For households planning school runs, commutes and walks this week, daylight will fall earlier by the clock in the evening and arrive earlier in the morning. Check local sunrise and sunset times before setting plans, as they vary by place and date.

What changed when the clocks went back on 25 October

The clock change marks the end of British Summer Time (BST) and the return to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The UK changes its clocks on the last Sunday in October, with clocks going back one hour at 02:00, according to GOV.UK. At that moment, 02:00 became 01:00.

The change can affect appointments and routines around the switch. Devices connected to a network usually adjust automatically, but some clocks and appliances may need to be changed by hand. If you have an early appointment, check the time shown on your phone and any alarm clock you rely on. Scheduled devices, such as heating timers, may also need checking if they do not update automatically.

Read also: UK Clocks Went Back: Adjust Your Commute and Sleep Routine

How the time change shifts daylight

Moving the clocks back changes how daylight lines up with the time people read on the clock. Compared with the previous day, sunrise and sunset appear about an hour earlier by clock time. In practical terms, mornings are generally lighter and darkness arrives earlier in the evening.

The change does not create more daylight or shorten the day itself; it shifts the clock label attached to daylight. That difference matters when fitting journeys and outdoor plans around work or school. A departure that used to be in twilight may now take place in daylight, while an evening walk or journey home may have less light at the same clock time.

These are general effects, not exact timings for every location. Sunrise and sunset vary by place and date, and daylight times continue to change as autumn progresses. The national clock-change rule therefore cannot tell you precisely when the sun rises or sets in your town on a particular day.

Check local sunrise and sunset before planning

Before setting a walking route, school-run departure or commute, look up sunrise and sunset for your town or postcode and the date you will be travelling. A local weather service or a reliable sunrise-and-sunset listing can provide timings for that location. Check again if plans fall later in the week, rather than carrying Sunday’s times forward.

Use those timings to compare daylight with your usual departure and return times. If you travel before sunrise or return after sunset, check the light on your route and allow time to consider suitable visibility measures. What is appropriate depends on the route and your circumstances; the clock change alone cannot show what conditions will be like along a particular journey.

Check clocks, alarms and routines

A short check around the change can help prevent a missed alarm or a journey planned for the wrong light conditions:

• Confirm that manually set clocks show the correct time.
• Check alarms, heating timers and other scheduled devices if they do not update automatically.
• Look up local sunrise and sunset for the day and place you will be travelling.
• Review your usual route if you leave early or come home late, and consider whether your departure time still works in the available light.

The Royal Museums Greenwich confirms the 2026 clock-change date, while GOV.UK explains the recurring last-Sunday-in-October rule. For practical plans this week, the useful detail is local: check sunrise and sunset for where you live and when you will travel, rather than assuming one UK-wide time applies everywhere.

Source: GOV.UK

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Source check About the clock change

GOV.UK explains the last-Sunday-in-October rule; local sunrise and sunset times depend on your location and date.

Checks

• The UK change date is Sunday 25 October 2026.
• Clocks go back one hour at 02:00.
• Check local sunrise and sunset for your area before making travel plans.

Source

• GOV.UK

GOV.UK Check local daylight times

Source

GOV.UK

Scope

United Kingdom

Updated

2026-10-27 10:40

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