Do the clocks change tonight? Official start of British Summer Time nears

• The UK is set to transition to British Summer Time (BST) this weekend with clocks going forward by one hour at 1am GMT on March 29.
• This annual change that occurs on the last Sunday in March results in lighter evenings but darker mornings, meaning an hour of sleep is lost as the country switches from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to BST.
• The concept was first proposed by builder William Willett in 1907, and the Summer Time Act was introduced in 1916 during the First World War to conserve coal.
• Moving clocks forward shifts an hour of sunlight from the mornings to the evenings, leading to longer days as the country approaches the summer solstice.
• Advantages include boosted leisure time and improved mood, though disadvantages involve disrupted sleep. A 2024 YouGov poll indicated 59 per cent of Britons would prefer to stay permanently on British Summer Time if the system were scrapped.

IN FULL

When do the clocks go forward – and why are they changing?