When do clocks go forward in 2022? Date the clocks go forward in the UK - and why they go forward

As the days start getting lighter and brighter as we move through March, many are wondering when the clocks will move forward this year.

The shortest day of winter is already behind us - this is when people can expect days to get a little less gloomy.

When will the clocks go forward?

The clocks will change on 27 March for Daylight Savings Time (DST).

This means they will go forward an hour, making it lighter in the evenings.

This will last until 30 October.

Why do the clocks change for spring?

DST, also known as daylight savings time or daylight time, is the practice of moving clocks forward during warmer months so that darkness falls at a later time.

Historically in the summer, the bright mornings were not being utilised so the clocks would be moved forward to increase daylight and working hours.

In the winter months the clocks would then return to the schedule before summer to allow for brighter mornings and darker evenings.

Most electronic devices will automatically change so you do not have to worry about updating your phone or tablet.

However manual clocks will need turning forward an hour in March.

When was the shortest day of 2021?

The shortest day of 2021, or winter solstice, was on Tuesday 21 December, with only nine hours and 59 minutes of daylight for the entire day.

What is the winter solstice?

The days start to get longer after the winter solstice, and the evenings steadily get lighter and lighter until the summer solstice in June.

In 2021, the winter solstice fell on Tuesday 21 December, just before 4pm.

This is its most common date, although it also occurs on 22 December every few years.

The winter solstice marks the date when the Earth’s axis rotates to the point that the north pole has its maximum tilt from the sun, delivering the shortest period of daylight in the year.

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