What is Time in the United Kingdom?

Time in the United Kingdom is highly regulated and remains largely a uniform experience across the country. The UK follows the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) which has remained unchanged since 1847. This means each day is exactly 24 hours long and the country is located in the same time zone, no matter where you are in the country.

History of Time in the UK

Time in the UK dates back to 1847 when the Greenwich Mean Time was first introduced. Prior to this, different regions observed their own local times, leading to confusion and difficulty travelling between cities. The new standard defined a Mean Solar Day which measures time from mean noon to mean noon, and this was adopted by the British government as the official national time.

Today the UK observes the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) zone, although the country switches to daylight savings time (DST) from March until October. During this period, daylight savings time adds one hour during each day, creating BST (British Summer Time). In winter, clocks are typically moved back an hour.

Overview of Time in the UK

The UK’s time zone is usually identified as ‘GMT,’ although the more appropriate time zone may be ‘UTC’ during daylight savings time. For example, during BST, London is officially UTC+1. Despite this, British professionals often describe their times with GMT, including for DST.

The UK observes DST from the last Sunday of March until the last Sunday of October. During this time, clocks move forward 1 hour from GMT (UTC+1). At 2 am, 1 am BST (British Summer Time) comes into effect and clocks spring forward. This exception to the GMT rule is announced annually and happens across the whole country at the same time.

In summary, time in the UK follows two standard systems: GMT, for the majority of the year, and BST during the daylight savings period. These systems add uniformity to the nation and create a standardised experience no matter where in the country you may be.