When Does Daylight Saving Time End?

When do clocks go back?

In the UK, clocks go back on the last Sunday in October. At 2:00 a.m. British Summer Time (BST), they return to 1:00 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). That is 01:00 UTC. The EU changes at the same instant: in Central European locations such as France and Germany, 3:00 a.m. summer time becomes 2:00 a.m. standard time.

This is earlier in the calendar than the US November change. For the days between those weekends, the gap between London and New York is one hour smaller than usual. “Clocks go back” describes the same backward movement in both countries, but an October reminder from Britain does not mean an American clock should change that night.

What happens at 2:00 a.m.?

In a US zone that observes DST, the clock passes through 1:59 a.m. daylight time and then returns to 1:00 a.m. standard time. The next hour repeats with a different UTC offset. A time written as “1:30 a.m.” on that morning could refer to either occurrence; include the offset or abbreviation when the distinction matters.

You can turn a manual clock back one hour before going to bed on Saturday, so it is ready for Sunday morning. If you work overnight or travel during the repeated hour, check the dated schedule from your employer or transport operator. Across the change, an interval can last an hour longer than the clock readings alone suggest.

Which clocks change automatically?

Phones and computers usually adjust when automatic time zone and daylight saving settings are enabled and their time zone rules are up to date. Check those settings before changing the displayed time yourself. A device set to a fixed UTC offset cannot infer the seasonal rule for your location.

Analog wall clocks, mechanical watches and appliances without automatic daylight saving support need a manual adjustment. Car dashboards and digital alarm clocks vary by model, so check the manual or the clock's settings. After the change, compare your alarm time with a correctly configured phone or computer; changing a clock twice leaves it an hour out.

Why does daylight saving time end?

Daylight saving time moves an hour of daylight from the morning to the evening by advancing the clock. Ending it reverses that shift: sunrise and sunset both appear an hour earlier on the clock. It does not change the amount of daylight or stop the seasonal shortening of days.

The US formally introduced DST in 1918. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 established a national framework for the seasonal changes. Today's March-to-November schedule took effect in 2007 following the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The November return is the end of that seasonal schedule, bringing participating places back to their standard UTC offsets.

How do time differences change afterward?

Eastern Time changes from EDT (UTC−4) to EST (UTC−5). The EST vs EDT guide explains those labels. A fixed UTC or GMT time is then five hours ahead of New York instead of four; see GMT to Eastern Time for a dated conversion.

India keeps the same offset throughout the year, so its lead over New York grows from nine and a half to ten and a half hours. Use IST to Eastern Time for that pair. European clocks change on their own weekend, so check Central Europe to Eastern Time for the date of your event. These converters follow the selected date's rules. For the next move in the other direction, see when daylight saving time starts.

Frequently asked questions