August may be over but Brits still have just over a month before daylight saving begins.

Much of Europe and the northern hemisphere observe the practice, which will see one hour added on to the night in the autumn to give extra daylight at the end of the day for the winter months.

This marks the end of British Standard Time (BST), meaning the UK will return to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) — the standard time zone against which all others are set.

BST has been observed in the UK since March 26 but it will be coming to an end at the close of October.

While the nation looks forward to a welcome lie-in, we must also brace for shorter days and longer, colder nights, as winter approaches once more.

When do the clocks go back?

The clocks change twice a year — once in March when they go forward an hour, and once on the last Sunday of October, when they go back an hour.

We will gain that hour at 2am on Sunday, October 29. And, while your smartphone and laptops will update automatically, analogue clocks and other digital clocks, like car and oven clocks, will need to be changed manually.

Why do the clocks go forward?

The custom of changing the clocks by an hour began more than 100 years ago. In 1916, Parliament passed the Summer Time Act, thereby creating British Summer Time (BST).

It was the result of a campaign started in 1907 by William Willett, to stop people wasting valuable hours of light in the summer months and to save fuel during the war.

Germany was the first country to adopt the clock-changing plan in April that year and the UK followed in May.

While Daylight Savings Time is observed in most places in Europe, North America, and Australasia, most places in Africa and Asia don't observe the practice.

When will the clocks go forward again?

The clocks go forward again on Sunday, March 24, 2024.