Clocks set to go back this Sunday

The clocks are set to go back this weekend, as the UK shifts from British Summer Time (BST) to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Every year, the UK clocks go back an hour at 2am on the last Sunday of October after going forward on the last Sunday of March.

This is due to daylight saving which was brought in to maximise evening daylight as the seasons begin to change in March and October.

Daylight saving was introduced in 1916 by Germany during WWI, with the UK government adopting it shortly after.

Greenwich Mean Time is worked out by the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is the yearly average of the time the sun crosses the Prime Meridian Line at 0 degrees longitude, through the observatory.

GMT was first used in the 1850s as a standard time for railways and timings for trains, until British Summer Time was introduced.

However, some criticise daylight saving as it impacts people’s daily lives and sleep in particular.

Sky News reported that a study by the American Heart Foundation found there was a 24% increase in heart attacks on the day following the switch to daylight saving time.

Though the opposite effect occurred in autumn when the clocks go back.

The Automobile Association (AA) have issued a warning to drivers, urging them to keep a pair of sunglasses in their car after the clocks change. This is due to an 11% average increase in crashes in the three weeks after the end of British Summer Time, statistics found between 2022 and 2024.

There are also some risks associated with people crossing roads, with many advised to stay vigilant of their surroundings.