It’s that time of year again. After a months and months of chilly nights, grey mornings and dark afternoons, we’re finally going to get some more light in our lives thanks to the arrival of spring and daylight saving.
At the end of this week, we’ll be pushing time an hour forward and moving from Greenwich Mean Time into British Summer Time (aka Daylight Saving Time). Our days will become longer, the sun will go down later and we’ll once again get to enjoy warm golden hour walks, trips to the beach, beer garden gatherings and music festivals.
So, here are all your questions about daylight saving and clocks going forward, answered.
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When do the clocks go forward in the UK 2025?
Do we lose or gain an hour when daylight saving starts?
It can get confusing but the clocks going forward means that we skip an hour in the day (1am becomes 2am), so we’ll lose an hour of sleep. Initially, mornings will be slightly darker but you’ll notice that evenings will be lighter as the sun sets later.
Why do we have daylight saving in the UK?
Daylight saving became a thing in the UK in 1916 as a way of making better use daylight hours and getting maximum sun. Back then, it meant people could work for longer and save fuel during the war. More than 70 countries around the world also follow daylight savings.
Is daylight saving bad for us?
There are scientists that say turning the clocks back and forth messes with our natural body clock and argue that daylight saving should be scrapped altogether. You can read more about that here.
When do clocks go back again?
We’ll turn our clocks back again in the autumn on October 26.
Spring 2025
This is your reminder to get planning for the sunnier, longer days ahead. Organise a beach day with Time Out’s guide to the UK’s best hidden beaches, dare to dip with our list of the best wild swimming spots, book a weekend break to one of our favourite places to visit or check out all the exciting stuff happening in London as the days get longer.
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