One Time Zone
The entire United Kingdom uses one time zone — England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland all run on the same time. This is GMT (Greenwich Mean Time, UTC+0) in winter and BST (British Summer Time, UTC+1) in summer.
GMT vs BST
- GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) — UTC+0, used late October to late March
- BST (British Summer Time) — UTC+1, used late March to late October
- Difference — exactly 1 hour. Clocks move forward in spring, back in autumn.
Daylight Saving
- Spring forward — last Sunday of March, 1am → 2am
- Fall back — last Sunday of October, 2am → 1am
- 2026 dates: Spring forward 29 March, Fall back 25 October
- Most digital devices auto-update; some clocks need manual
Travel Comparisons
| City | Hours from London | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| New York | -5 GMT / -4 BST | 5 hours behind in winter, 4 in summer |
| Los Angeles | -8 GMT / -7 BST | 8 hours behind in winter |
| Paris | +1 | One hour ahead |
| Madrid | +1 | One hour ahead |
| Tokyo | +9 | Nine hours ahead |
| Sydney | +11 (winter) / +10 (summer) | Differs because Australia has DST opposite season |
Practical Tips
- June daylight: 4:45am - 9:30pm (16+ hours)
- December daylight: 8am - 4pm (8 hours)
- Scotland gets even more extreme — 18+ hour summer days, 7-hour winter days
- 24-hour clock common (14:30 = 2:30pm)
- Pubs use 24-hour clock for "last orders"
- No half-hour offsets like India or Newfoundland
🕰️ Greenwich connection: The Prime Meridian (0° longitude) runs through Greenwich, London. Free to visit at the Royal Observatory — stand with one foot in each hemisphere.