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The sun sets earlier, but the morning is even longer
This month the clocks will ‘fall back’ as we once again move from British Summer Time (BST) to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Things are certainly feeling more autumnal now across Britain, with the leaves changing color and the daylight fading earlier. This year’s longest day in terms of sunlight, which marked the official start of summer, took place on June 21, with the days gradually getting shorter since then. And when the clocks change, we’ll experience even earlier sunsets – although the mornings will be brighter, at least for a while.
This year, the clocks go back on Sunday, October 25 – one day earlier than last year’s October 26. The reason for this shift is that the autumnal time change always occurs on the last Sunday in October. At 2 a.m. on this date, the clocks go back to 1 a.m., which means an “extra hour” in bed for some.
How will the time change affect when the sun goes down?
If the clocks have changed, much of the UK can expect sunsets before 5pm. This is the case for London, which has a predicted sunset time of 4.46pm on October 25th.
On this date, people in Edinburgh can expect the sun to set at 4.48pm, while the sun is expected to set in Cardiff at 4.59pm. And according to forecasts, Belfast will see its first pre-5pm sunset of the season at 4.58pm on Tuesday, October 27.
Why do we have British Summer Time (BST)?
Benjamin Franklin first floated the concept of daylight saving time in 1784, but British campaigner William Willett made the first formal proposal in 1907. Frustrated by the loss of morning sunlight in the summer, Willett laid out his vision in a self-published pamphlet, The Waste of Daylight, according to Royal Museums Greenwich.
Germany became the first nation to implement daylight saving time in 1916 – a year after Willett’s death – with Britain and several other World War II combatants following shortly after. While the practice has spread rapidly across the globe, its practical benefits remain a matter of debate today.
When will the clock change in 2027?
In 2027, BST will start again on Sunday, March 28. At 1 o’clock on this date, the clocks go forward to 2 o’clock. We will then observe BST until the clocks go back again on Sunday 31 October (Halloween) next year.
