News · West London ·
Clocks go back as British Summer Time ends and darker evenings arrive in West London
The clocks went back an hour in the early hours of Sunday 25 October, so households from Southall to Slough had an extra hour in bed and evenings now get dark before 5pm.
British Summer Time ended in the early hours of Sunday 25 October, when the clocks went back one hour at 2am to 1am.
The change put the UK back on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Most people got an extra hour in bed, but it also brought the start of the darker evenings that will last through the winter.
Across West London, sunset moved from just before 6pm to about 4.45pm overnight. From that Sunday on, it has been getting dark before 5pm.
What needed changing
Smartphones, computers and most internet-connected devices update on their own. Many other clocks have to be changed by hand, including car dashboards, ovens, microwaves, central heating timers and older wall and bedside clocks.
It is worth checking any timers set to switch on heating, lights or appliances, as they may still be running an hour out of step.
Shift workers, carers, and anyone travelling to work or catching a flight from Heathrow that weekend were advised to double-check their times. The overnight change can also affect medication schedules that are tied to the clock.
Darker evenings ahead
The evenings will keep getting shorter until the winter solstice on Monday 21 December, the shortest day of the year. In December, sunset in London comes shortly before 4pm.
Darker school runs and commutes mean pedestrians, cyclists and drivers are being urged to take extra care. Wearing bright or reflective clothing, using bike lights and allowing more time on the roads in the late afternoon all help.
The lighter mornings will not last long either. By late November, many people will be leaving home in the half-light again.
When the clocks go forward again
British Summer Time returns on Sunday 28 March 2027, when the clocks go forward one hour at 1am. That means an hour less in bed, but lighter evenings from then on.
In the UK, the clocks go forward on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October. The system dates back to the early 20th century, and every so often there is debate about whether to scrap the twice-yearly change.
For now, the arrangement stays as it is. West London has about five months of GMT ahead before the evenings start to stretch out again in the spring.