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
Severe weather in southern Europe. Thunderstorms & heavy rain. . . Wednesday, 9 September 2026
On the left, dark storm clouds over a coastline. On the right, a weather map shows thunderstorms over the western Mediterranean, with warning symbols for tornadoes, storms and hail.
Wednesday, 9 September 2026

Thunderstorms & heavy rain

Severe weather in southern Europe
Cheshire Gap produces shower funnel. Local phenomenon. . . Wednesday, 9 September 2026
Weather map showing showers moving southeast from Liverpool toward Birmingham, driven by Cheshire Gap convergence across central England.
Wednesday, 9 September 2026

Local phenomenon

Cheshire Gap produces shower funnel
A marked change in the weather. Cold front heading south. . . Monday, 7 September 2026
Map of Europe showing a cold front stretching from Scandinavia to Spain. Thunderstorms are shown in southern and central Europe.
Monday, 7 September 2026

Cold front heading south

A marked change in the weather
All weather news
This might also interest you
Storm Chandra makes impact. Severe gales & heavy rain. . . Tuesday, 27 January 2026
Split image showing strong winds over the UK on a forecast map and widespread rain and snow on a weather radar map.
Tuesday, 27 January 2026

Severe gales & heavy rain

Storm Chandra makes impact
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
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
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