The UK's clocks go back one hour to GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) at 02:00 BST (British Summer Time) on Sunday 28 October 2012.

As the UK's home of precise time and frequency measurement, NPL provides access to a reliable and trusted source of time. Our atomic clocks keep UK national, and international time ticking and NPL scientists are developing ways to measure time ever more accurately.

The summer time dates are set by an EU Directive and implemented in the UK through an Order in Council. Since 22 October 1995, summer time has started and ended at the same instant in all EU member states. Since 1996, these dates have been presented as 'the last Sundays in March and October'.

Archive of summer time dates

Frequently asked questions about time:

• At what time should clocks go forward or back for summer time?
• When do the four seasons officially begin?
• Is midnight 12 a.m. or 12 p.m.?
• What is the time?