Don't forget to put your clocks forward tonight as British Summer Time 2023 begins this weekend.
It's that time of the year when people ask: "Do the clocks go forward or back tonight?"
British Summer Time (BST) starts on the final Sunday of March, with clocks going forward one hour.
This year BST starts tonight in the early hours of Sunday, March 26.
What time do the clocks change tonight?
Clocks go forward 60 minutes tonight, from 1am to 2am.
Unfortunately, the 'spring' forward means that we lose an hour in bed - as the country switches from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to British Summer Time (BST).
Most modern technology devices - such as smartphones and laptops - will change the time automatically. However, traditional watches and clocks will have to be changed manually and you have to wind them forward an hour.
A simple way to remember which way the clocks change is to think ‘spring forward' in spring when we lose an hour, and 'fall back' in autumn when we gain an extra hour in bed.
Currently in the UK, clocks go forward one hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March.
When is British Summer Time?
British Summer Time (BST) is the period when clocks are one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
This is sometimes called Daylight Saving Time, with more daylight in the evenings and less in the mornings.
When the clocks go back an hour – as they do again on Sunday, October 29, 2023 when British Summer Times ends – the UK is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
- BST is GMT +1 hour.
The decision to change the clocks on a Saturday night/Sunday morning was made because it would be the least disruptive option for schools and businesses.
An early promoter of British Summer Time was William Willett - the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay singer Chris Martin. One of Coldplay's hit singles was even called 'Clocks'.
Willett died in 1915. A year later in 1916, Parliament passed the Summer Time Act, which established the practice of putting the clocks forward an hour during the summer months.
Double summer time (GMT + 2 hours) was used during World War Two.
When do the clocks change in 2024?
According to www.gov.uk, clocks will go forward again in 2024 on Sunday, March 31 - which is also Easter Sunday next year.
Clocks will go back in the autumn next year on Sunday, October 27, 2024 when we revert to Greenwich Mean Time.
For more on the history of when the clocks go forward, visit the Royal Museums Greenwich website www.rmg.co.uk/stories/topics/when-do-clocks-go-forward
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