With longer days arriving and spring now underway, the annual clock adjustment is approaching.

Britons experience this twice-yearly shift annually, though plenty of people still find themselves caught unprepared by the single-hour change.

The springtime advancement signals the beginning of British summer, marking the transition from GMT to BST.

Everything UK residents should know about the upcoming 2026 adjustments is detailed below.

In 2026, the clocks will spring forward at 1am on the last Sunday of March, which falls on Sunday 29 March. The timing is selected specifically to ensure minimal disturbance to schools and commercial operations. The drawback is that your weekend will lose an hour of sleep, though evenings will gain additional natural light in return.

The reverse adjustment occurs in autumn at 2am on the final Sunday of October, which this year is Sunday 26 October. This grants an additional hour for a Sunday morning sleep and provides more daylight during the darker evenings drawing in.

The fundamental purpose behind these adjustments is to maximise the usable daylight throughout the day. The practice originated in 1916 when the German administration introduced it during the first world war as an energy conservation measure, since extended daylight hours reduced electricity consumption. Several European nations adopted the approach, Britain included, leading to the establishment of BST. The existing framework has been operating since 1971.