When do the clocks go back in 2026?
The clocks go back by one hour on the last Sunday in October. British Summer Time ends and the UK returns to Greenwich Mean Time for the winter.
The clock moves back from 2am to 1am, so the night is an hour longer and that Sunday lasts 25 hours.
By the clock, sunset is an hour earlier from that day, which is why the change is closely associated with the start of darker evenings.
WhenLast Sunday in October, at 2am
What changesBST becomes GMT — clocks move back one hour
The nightOne hour longer
Why the hour differs from the spring change
The spring and autumn changes are described at different local clock times because the UK is on different time standards at each transition — GMT before the spring change and BST before the autumn change.
The hour after the clocks go back is repeated. That can matter for timetables, overnight work and anything scheduled close to the transition.