CLOCKING ON
Do the clocks go back this weekend and what time do they change?
When do the clocks go back and why do they change?
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THE clock changes in Britain each year means people gain or lose an hour in bed.
At 2am on Sunday, October 27, the clocks will go back by an hour to transition to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Here's what you need to know about the change.
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What time do the clocks change this weekend?
This year, the clocks go back at 2am on Sunday, October 27, 2019.
The change signals the coming of winter by ensuring there’s more daylight in the mornings and less in the evenings.
Fortunately, when they go back it means you gain an hour's sleep.
But beware, while your smartphone and other internet-connected devices should automatically update, many clocks in your home and car will not.
When the clocks change again, at 2am on March 29 2020 to be precise, you'll lose 60 minutes of sleep, as the clocks go forward.
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Why do the clocks go forward for British Summer Time?
British Summer Time came into existence with the Summer Time Act, which was passed by Parliament in 1916.
Germany was the first country to adopt the clock-changing plan on April 30, 1916, and on May 21, Britain followed suit, during the height of the First World War.
The campaign which led to the creation of BST and Daylight Savings Time (DST) was started by William Willett in 1907 in a bid to stop people wasting valuable hours of light in the summer months.
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By setting the clocks back in winter, Brits get an earlier sunrise and earlier sunset.
In summer the sun rises and sets one hour later than it would without daylight saving.
In a pamphlet called The Waste of Daylight Willett suggested clocks should be advanced by 80 minutes over four stages in April, and reversed the same way in September.
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Supporters at the time of the proposal argued the scheme would save energy by reducing domestic coal consumption.
They also said it would increase supplies available for the huge manufacturing cost of the war effort.
It has been in place ever since – despite criticism from some groups.
When will the clocks change again and what do the Daylight Saving Time critics say?
We will not see lighter days again until Sunday, March 29, 2020 when the clocks will wind forward again at 2am and British Summer Time begins.
Critics say darker mornings are dangerous for kids walking to school and the energy saving argument may be invalid if people switch on fans and air-conditioning units during the lighter, warmer evenings. (But this is unlikely to bother people in the UK.)
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