The clocks in the UK will go back by one hour at 2am on Sunday, October 25, marking the end of British Summer Time (BST) and giving everyone an extra hour in bed.
The change reverts the clocks to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), as confirmed by the Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG), which said: "On the last Sunday of October in the UK, the clocks go back by one hour." The RMG added: "The clocks will go back in the UK on Sunday, October 25, at 2am."
Sunset times shift earlier
In 2026, the clocks change earlier than in previous years, as they always occur on the final Sunday of October, which this year falls on October 25, nearly a week before the month ends. The change means sunset will occur more than an hour earlier than the day before.
On October 24, sunset is expected at 6pm in Cardiff, 5.46pm in Newcastle, 5.50pm in Edinburgh, and 6.09pm in Cornwall. But on October 25, after the change, sunset will be at 4.59pm in Cardiff, 4.44pm in Newcastle, 4.48pm in Edinburgh, and 5.07pm in Cornwall.
Why do the clocks change?
The practice of changing clocks has historical roots. The RMG noted: "A campaign at the beginning of the 20th century successfully argued in favour of changing the clocks during the summer months to avoid wasting time in the morning."
The earliest idea of daylight saving time is traced to Benjamin Franklin in 1784, but it was not until 1916 that the Summer Time Act was passed, establishing that for a set period each year, legal time should be one hour ahead of GMT. Double summer time (GMT + 2 hours) was introduced during the Second World War.
Arguments for and against
The debate over changing clocks continues. According to the RMG, arguments in favour include reducing energy consumption for environmental reasons, having longer evenings to support leisure and tourism, encouraging people to exercise more outdoors, and reducing road accidents.
Arguments against include the inconvenience of changing clocks twice a year, safety concerns about darker mornings, and concerns from some farmers about the effect on livestock routines. Some argue the practice is now redundant since many people spend most of their time in well-lit homes, shops, and offices. For warmer regions, longer evenings may actually increase energy consumption as people use air-conditioning units for more hours.
The RMG concluded: "It's an ongoing debate that strongly depends on people's geographical location, occupation and lifestyle."
