UK Time Now: Current UK Time

GMT or BST?

In winter London runs on GMT, UTC+0. On the last Sunday in March the clocks spring forward to BST, and on the last Sunday in October they fall back again.

Invitations often say GMT even in summer. Between March 29 and October 25, 2026, the right label is BST.

Where UK time is used

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0) in winter and British Summer Time (UTC+1) in summer. Ireland changes its clocks on the same dates.

Good to know

GMT takes its name from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London, which sits on the prime meridian. Ships once set their clocks by a ball dropped from its roof at 1 PM each day.

Winter and summer gaps

January and July give the same gaps. For two or three weeks in March and about a week around the start of November they are an hour different, since the US moves its clocks on its own Sundays, not on Europe's.

Office hours that overlap

London shares three hours with New York. Calls to New York fit best late in the afternoon.

UK time against other zones

Here is the time in each zone at noon in London today. Anything marked next day has already passed midnight there.

Convert GMT to another zone

To line up more than two places, try the time zone converter and meeting planner.

Related pages

• The time now in every zone
• When do the clocks go back?
• When do the clocks go forward?
• Military time converter