UK clocks go back this Sunday, ending British Summer Time

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 17:39 · Archive

UK clocks go back one hour at 2am on Sunday, 25 October, marking the end of British Summer Time.

UK clocks will go back one hour at 2am on Sunday, 25 October, marking the end of British Summer Time and the return to Greenwich Mean Time. The clocks will stay on winter time until 28 March next year.

The seasonal adjustment was first established in the UK during the First World War through the Summer Time Act 1916, aimed at conserving fuel and making the most of available daylight. The idea was initially put forward in 1907 by British builder William Willett, the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay singer Chris Martin, who argued that brighter mornings were being wasted. The Royal Meteorological Society notes that Willett proposed advancing the clocks by twenty minutes on each of four Sundays in April, then reversing them by the same amount on four Sundays in September. However, the House of Commons rejected the Daylight Saving Bill and Willett died of flu in 1915.

The phrase 'spring forward, fall back' is commonly used to help people remember which way the clocks move. Many contemporary smartphones and internet-enabled devices now adjust the time automatically. The debate over whether adjusting the clocks twice annually remains sensible has continued since the measure's inception, with no current proposals to abolish the practice.

How it is being reported

• When do the clocks go back 2026? Date, time and what to knowThe clocks will go back by one hour at 2am on Sunday, 25 October, marking the end of British Summer Time and the return to Greenwich Mean TimeDevonLive · 23 Oct, 17:01
• Get ready - it's time for the clocks to go back in the UKThe clocks go back at 2am on Sunday, ending British Summer Time, a change that owes something to the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay singer Chris Martin, who campaigned for the clocks to move forward before each summer began.North Devon Gazette · 22 Oct, 13:00

In this story: UK · William Willett · Chris Martin · Coldplay · Royal Meteorological Society

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