Daylight saving time: When do the clocks go back? Why do we change them? What is GMT?Â

Clocks are set to go back this weekend meaning we all get an extra hour in bed!Â
Here is when the clocks go backHere is when the clocks go back
Here is when the clocks go back

But it can be hard to keep track of when and which direction the clocks change '“ and which way to adjust your watch! 

Here's all you need to know: 

When do the clocks change and what direction? 

Here is when the clocks go backHere is when the clocks go back
Here is when the clocks go back

The clocks will change on Sunday, October 28 and because it is autumn it means they will go back. So an extra bed 

What time do they change? 

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The clocks will go back at 2am on Sunday '“ so at 2am the clock will go back to 1am, which is what gives us the extra hour in bed! 

Will I need to change the time on my phone? 

Smartphones, TVs and other electronic devices will automatically change - so when you wake up and look at your phone the time will be correct. 

However on analogue watches, clocks on ovens and other clocks around the house you may need to change the time back on them yourself. 

What is daylight saving time? 

Also known as British Summer Time, this is when the clocks change at the end of March and go forward '“ to give more light in the evening and less on the mornings. 

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It means that time is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). 

Why do we change the clocks? 

The British Summer Time and the clocks going forward was introduced in 1916 after a campaign by builder William Willett. 

BST was introduced via the Summer Time Act 1916 passed in Parliament. 

Willett's original idea was as to move the clocks forward by 80 minutes, in 20-minute weekly steps on Sundays in April and by the reverse procedure in September. 

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It is said that he got the idea after riding his horse one morning in summer and noticing how many blinds were still down. 

However William Willett died in 1915 before he could live to see BST introduced. 

What is GMT? 

Greenwich Mean Time is the time zone that the UK is on when daylight saving time ends. 

It is the mean solar time as measured at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. 

GMT is recorded as UTC+00. 

With UTC standing for Coordinated Universal Time which is the basis for the world's civil time.

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