Home
Weather London
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
Career
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Fall back tonight! Why do the clocks change?

14:00
26 October 2024

Fall back tonight!
Why do the clocks change?

Clock

We're all familiar with the 'spring forward, fall back saying', but why do we change our clocks here? Is it actually beneficial?

The days are getting shorter and winter is drawing in. The last Sunday of October marks the day that our clocks change, and at 2 am on Sunday 27th October, they will jump back one hour.

We gain one extra hour in bed, so it's great news for most of us, except those who will be working the night shift.

The key reason we use 'Daylight Saving Time' is so that we get the most out of our daylight. We gain lighter mornings as we will get up an hour earlier, but our evenings will be darker earlier.

This system has been in place since 1971, but was first introduced by the German government in 1916 during the first World War as means to save electricity.

However, similar ideas were introduced as early as the late 1800s, and with Coldplay's Chris Martin's great grandfather also being known to propose it in 1907.

In 2019, the European parliament voted to scrap the change. However the change has not yet been implemented and also no longer applies to the UK post-Brexit.

So, don't forget to change your clocks and whether you like the concept or not, there's unfortunately just no avoiding the colder and darker months.

Check your weekend weather hereread more
Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
New heatwave in southern Europe. Up to 45 degrees in Spain. . . Tuesday, 21 July 2026
Split temperature map showing extreme heat across Spain on the left and Greece on the right, with temperatures reaching 44°C near Murcia, around 40°C in parts of Greece, and a large thermometer icon highlighting dangerous heat.
Tuesday, 21 July 2026

Up to 45 degrees in Spain

New heatwave in southern Europe
Parts of England inching towards drought. Low rivers & reservoirs. . . Wednesday, 22 July 2026
People relaxing in a park during hot weather ,with one person sunbathing on dry yellow grass beneath large leafy trees under a blue sky with scattered fair-weather clouds.
Wednesday, 22 July 2026

Low rivers & reservoirs

Parts of England inching towards drought
Heat becoming a bigger factor in drought. New study. . . Thursday, 23 July 2026
A hand holds dry, dusty earth above a parched field. The ground is cracked and covered with plant debris – a sign of prolonged drought.
Thursday, 23 July 2026

New study

Heat becoming a bigger factor in drought
All weather news
This might also interest you
Bright and warm conditions take hold. Spring-like outlook. . . Thursday, 23 April 2026
Split UK map showing warm temperatures up to 21 degrees in orange on the left and clear sunny conditions with temperatures from 12 to 18 degrees on the right, with sun icons across the country.
Thursday, 23 April 2026

Spring-like outlook

Bright and warm conditions take hold
Super Typhoon Bavi threatens Taiwan. Up to 1,000 mm of rain. . . Wednesday, 8 July 2026
The image shows an intense tropical cyclone over the western Pacific, east of Taiwan and the Philippines. The centre of the system is depicted as a light purple and white vortex with a clearly visible eye, surrounded by a ring of red and orange areas indicating the strongest wind speeds. A white arrow marks the typhoon’s predicted track towards the north-west, in the direction of Taiwan. To the west of the storm lie the Philippines, with the cities of Manila and Cebu; to the north of these lies Taiwan, with Taipei. Further west, the Chinese coast, including Hong Kong, and parts of Vietnam can be seen. The coloured wind map shows predominantly green areas outside the storm’s core, indicating significantly weaker winds. White streamlines illustrate the typhoon’s anti-clockwise circulation in the Northern Hemisphere. The highest wind speeds are concentrated around the eye of the cyclone.
Wednesday, 8 July 2026

Up to 1,000 mm of rain

Super Typhoon Bavi threatens Taiwan
Long-term trends need a pinch of salt. 40 °C in July?. . . Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Temperature radar of 2022 heatwave where the all-time temperature record in the UK was set. Warning symbol overlain.
Tuesday, 30 June 2026

40 °C in July?

Long-term trends need a pinch of salt
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwittertikToklinkList