The clocks in the UK go back one hour at 2:00 AM on Sunday 25 October 2026. At that moment British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) ends, the clock drops back to 1:00 AM, and the UK returns to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+0) until the clocks go forward again on Sunday 28 March 2027.
UK clock changes at a glance
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Clocks go back | Sunday 25 October 2026, 2:00 AM BST becomes 1:00 AM GMT |
| Clocks go forward | Sunday 28 March 2027, 1:00 AM GMT becomes 2:00 AM BST |
| Winter time | GMT, UTC+0 |
| Summer time | BST, UTC+1 |
| The rule | Last Sunday in October and last Sunday in March |
How the rule works
The UK changes its clocks on the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October. That's the same pattern the EU follows, which is why London, Dublin, Paris and Berlin all shift on the same weekend. The change happens in the early hours so it disrupts as few trains, shifts and flights as possible.
Most phones, laptops and smart speakers update on their own. Oven clocks, car dashboards and older wall clocks don't, and those are usually what catch people out on the Sunday morning.
What changes for time differences abroad
The UK moving its clock doesn't mean everyone else does. Countries without daylight saving stay put, so their gap with London grows by an hour. Countries that change on different dates create a short, awkward mismatch.
| Place | Gap during BST | Gap from 25 Oct (GMT) |
|---|---|---|
| India (IST) | 4h 30m ahead | 5h 30m ahead |
| Nigeria (WAT) | Same time | 1 hour ahead |
| UAE (GST) | 3 hours ahead | 4 hours ahead |
| Singapore (SGT) | 7 hours ahead | 8 hours ahead |
| New York (ET) | 5 hours behind | 4 hours behind until 1 Nov, then 5 |
| Sydney (AEDT) | 10 hours ahead since 4 Oct | 11 hours ahead |
The mistake people make on this corridor
The one that bites every year is the US week. America doesn't change its clocks until Sunday 1 November 2026, so for seven days New York is only four hours behind London instead of five. A recurring 2 PM UK call with a New York team lands at 10 AM there that week, not 9 AM, and somebody always turns up an hour early or late.
Do I lose or gain an hour when the clocks go back?
You gain an hour. The clock goes from 2:00 AM back to 1:00 AM, so the night of Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 October 2026 is 25 hours long. In March it works the other way round and you lose an hour of sleep.
Why does the UK still change its clocks?
Because the Summer Time Act 1972 still requires it. Moving to GMT in winter gives brighter mornings in Scotland and the north of England, which has historically been the main argument against staying on summer time all year. There's no current UK plan to stop.
Does the time difference with India change when the clocks go back?
Yes. India doesn't use daylight saving, so when the UK drops back to GMT the gap widens from 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes. Any standing UK to India call needs checking that week.
Scheduling Around the Clock Change
Wenya adjusts for UK clock changes automatically, so a meeting you suggest in WhatsApp, iMessage or Telegram lands at the right time for everyone. Try it at wenyawanna.ai