Clocks go back an hour as British Summer Time ends

Summarised from 2 outlets · 3 reports · Updated 25 Oct, 12:57 · Archive

Clocks went back at 2am on Sunday, marking the end of British Summer Time and the return to Greenwich Mean Time.

Millions of people in Britain gained an extra hour in bed when the clocks went back at 2am on Sunday, marking the end of British Summer Time and the return to Greenwich Mean Time. The change is intended to make better use of available daylight, shifting an hour of sunlight from the evening to the morning during the winter months.

Devices connected to the internet via 5G or WiFi update automatically, but analog clocks, watches and devices not connected to the internet need to be changed manually. Mornings will become brighter earlier in the day, while sunset will arrive sooner in the evening, making the days feel shorter as winter approaches.

The practice of changing the clocks was first championed by Edwardian campaigner William Willett, who published a pamphlet called The Waste Of Daylight in 1907. Willett, a keen horse rider and outdoors enthusiast, argued that people wasted valuable daylight by sleeping through bright summer mornings. His proposals faced repeated opposition in Parliament, with legislation rejected five times between 1908 and 1916. However, the First World War changed the debate when Germany introduced daylight saving in April 1916 to conserve fuel and improve wartime productivity, prompting Britain to pass the Summer Time Act in May 1916.

Clocks go back an hour as British Summer Time ends — Image: New York Post

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How it is being reported

Here’s when daylight savings time begins — and the official time clocks go backTime to get prepared for brighter mornings and darker evenings as winter approaches.New York Post · 25 Oct, 12:45
Has the time come to stop changing the clocks? All the countries that do not observe Daylight Saving Time - as scientists call for the UK to follow suitAs autumn sets in and the nights start to draw longer, it's finally time to officially say goodbye to British Summer Time.Daily Mail · 25 Oct, 10:34
Don't forget the clocks go back an hour at 2am tonight - offering people an extra hour in bed for a Sunday morning lie-inThe fall back marks the end of British Summer Time and the return to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).Daily Mail · 24 Oct, 18:10

In this story: Britain · British Summer Time · Greenwich Mean Time · William Willett · Germany

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