Is the UK on GMT or BST Now?
The UK uses GMT in winter and BST in summer. Here is the live current status.
What is the difference between GMT and BST?
GMT — Greenwich Mean Time is the UK's standard winter time zone. It sits at UTC+0, the baseline from which all world time zones are measured. Greenwich Mean Time has been used as a global time reference since 1884, when the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, was designated the location of the prime meridian.
BST — British Summer Time is one hour ahead of GMT (UTC+1). The UK advances its clocks by one hour in spring to shift an hour of daylight from the early morning to the evening, giving longer light evenings throughout summer. BST is not a permanent standard — it is a seasonal adjustment, formally known as daylight saving time.
When does the UK use GMT? (winter)
The UK is on GMT from late October to late March. More precisely, GMT begins at 2am on the last Sunday of October, when the clocks are moved back one hour from BST. It continues through the winter months until the last Sunday of March.
During this period the UK is at UTC+0. Cities such as Reykjavik, Accra, and Abidjan share the same UTC offset as London in winter.
When does the UK use BST? (summer)
The UK is on BST from late March to late October. Precisely, BST starts at 1am on the last Sunday of March, when clocks move forward one hour. It lasts through spring and summer until the last Sunday of October.
While on BST (UTC+1) the UK shares the same time as France, Germany, and most of Western Europe. New York is five hours behind, and Dubai is three hours ahead.
Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland
All four nations of the United Kingdom change their clocks at exactly the same time. There are no regional differences: Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland all move from GMT to BST and back again simultaneously with England. Every part of the UK is always on the same time zone.
Is the UK on GMT or BST right now?
The UK uses British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) from the last Sunday in March until the last Sunday in October. Outside those dates the UK uses Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+0). This page shows the live current status at the top.
What is the difference between GMT and BST?
GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) is UTC+0 — the baseline from which all world time zones are measured. BST (British Summer Time) is UTC+1, one hour ahead of GMT. The UK advances its clocks by one hour in spring to give lighter evenings, then returns to GMT in autumn.
When does the UK switch from GMT to BST?
The UK switches from GMT to BST at 1am on the last Sunday in March each year. In 2027 that date is Sunday 28 March 2027. Clocks move forward one hour, so 01:00 GMT becomes 02:00 BST.
When does the UK switch from BST to GMT?
The UK switches from BST back to GMT at 2am on the last Sunday in October each year. In 2026 that date is Sunday 25 October 2026. Clocks move back one hour, so 02:00 BST becomes 01:00 GMT.
Do Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use the same time as England?
Yes. The whole of the United Kingdom — England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — uses GMT in winter and BST in summer. All four nations change their clocks at exactly the same moment. There are no regional differences.