Clocks in UK to ‘move forward’ by one hour: What is daylight saving time?

British Summer Time (BST) is back, which means that clocks in the United Kingdom will move forward by one hour, before Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) is restored in October.
When do the clocks go forward?
At 1 am on Sunday, the official time will instantly become 2 am. Each year, BST comes into effect on the last Sunday of March, while GMT is restored on the final Sunday of October.
Accordingly, GMT will return on October 26. The corresponding dates for 2026 and 2027 are March 29/October 25 and March 28/October 31.
Similarly, last year’s dates were March 31 and October 27.
Why is the time changed?
According to BBC, the aim is to make better use of daylight during the summer months. By shifting the clocks forward, we squeeze in more usable daylight into the evenings for activities such as after-work strolls and evening sport.
Who proposed daylight saving time?
Often, this is incorrectly attributed to Benjamin Franklin. It was actually an idea of George Hudson, an insect enthusiast from New Zealand, who proposed it in 1895. Apparently, Hudson wanted more daylight after his shift work to collect insects.
How many countries follow daylight saving time?
Of the world’s 195 countries, daylight saving time is observed only in around 70. Major countries like Japan, India and China do not change time.
Daylight saving time was first officially introduced by Germany in 1916, during the First World War. The UK followed suit weeks later, as did several other countries involved in the conflict.