UK Time Now
The live time in the UK next to yours. Pick any time or place to convert it; GMT or BST is applied for the date.
Pick any two cities, countries or time zones above.
UK time compared with other cities
Live clocks for the places people most often compare with London. Tap one to see it against UK time in the converter. The gap to the US is 5 hours for most of the year, but 4 hours for a few weeks in March and around the end of October, because the UK and the US change their clocks on different dates.
Current time in the UK: live clock
The current time in the UK is shown at the top of this page and updates every second. The United Kingdom uses GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) in winter and BST (British Summer Time, UTC+1) in summer. Whether you need London time now or the time in any other UK city, the whole country follows the same time.
Understanding UK time zones: GMT and BST
GMT is the UK’s standard winter time and the historical reference for time zones around the world; today the reference is UTC, which GMT matches for everyday purposes. From late March to late October the UK switches to BST (GMT+1) for longer summer evenings. Clocks spring forward in March and fall back in October.
Both GMT and BST apply to all of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at the same time, so there are no regional time differences within the UK. Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man keep the same clocks.
UK clock changes 2026 to 2028
| Date | Change | Local time |
|---|---|---|
| Sun 25 Oct 2026 | Clocks go back, BST ends | 2:00 AM BST becomes 1:00 AM GMT |
| Sun 28 Mar 2027 | Clocks go forward, BST starts | 1:00 AM GMT becomes 2:00 AM BST |
| Sun 31 Oct 2027 | Clocks go back, BST ends | 2:00 AM BST becomes 1:00 AM GMT |
| Sun 26 Mar 2028 | Clocks go forward, BST starts | 1:00 AM GMT becomes 2:00 AM BST |
| Sun 29 Oct 2028 | Clocks go back, BST ends | 2:00 AM BST becomes 1:00 AM GMT |
The rule: forward on the last Sunday in March, back on the last Sunday in October. The EU changes on the same dates and at the same moment (01:00 UTC).
London time now and major UK cities
All UK cities share the same time. London time now is the same as in every other British city:
| City | Region | Time zone |
|---|---|---|
| London | England | GMT / BST |
| Manchester | England | GMT / BST |
| Birmingham | England | GMT / BST |
| Glasgow | Scotland | GMT / BST |
| Edinburgh | Scotland | GMT / BST |
| Cardiff | Wales | GMT / BST |
| Belfast | Northern Ireland | GMT / BST |
UK time compared to world time zones
India, Dubai and Singapore never change their clocks, and the US and Australia change on different dates from the UK, so the gap depends on the time of year.
| Place | While the UK is on GMTlate Oct – late Mar | While the UK is on BSTlate Mar – late Oct |
|---|---|---|
| New York (ET) | 5 hours behind | 5 hours behind |
| Chicago (CT) | 6 hours behind | 6 hours behind |
| Los Angeles (PT) | 8 hours behind | 8 hours behind |
| India (IST) | 5½ hours ahead | 4½ hours ahead |
| Dubai (GST) | 4 hours ahead | 3 hours ahead |
| Singapore (SGT) | 8 hours ahead | 7 hours ahead |
| Sydney (AEDT / AEST) | 11 hours ahead | 9 hours ahead |
For a few weeks the gaps differ: from 25 October to 1 November 2026 and from 14 to 28 March 2027, New York is only 4 hours behind London (Chicago 5, Los Angeles 7), and Sydney is 10 hours ahead in early April and for most of October, while only one of the two countries is on summer time. The converter above always uses the right offsets for the date you pick.
Frequently asked questions
What time is it in the UK right now?
The current UK time is shown at the top of this page and updates every second. The United Kingdom follows GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) in winter and BST (British Summer Time) in summer, which is GMT+1.
What time zone is the UK in?
The UK uses GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) during the winter months and BST (British Summer Time, UTC+1) during the summer months. The change happens twice a year, when the clocks go forward in March and back in October.
Is the UK on GMT or BST right now?
The clock at the top of this page shows which one is in use today. BST runs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October; GMT is used from late October to late March.
When do the clocks change in the UK?
UK clocks go forward 1 hour at 1:00 AM GMT on the last Sunday in March (start of BST) and go back 1 hour at 2:00 AM BST on the last Sunday in October (return to GMT). In 2026 they go back on 25 October; in 2027 they go forward on 28 March and back on 31 October. The EU changes on the same dates.
What is the time difference between UK and USA?
The UK is usually 5 hours ahead of New York (Eastern Time), 6 hours ahead of Chicago (Central), 7 hours ahead of Denver (Mountain) and 8 hours ahead of Los Angeles (Pacific). For a few weeks a year the gap is one hour smaller, because the US changes its clocks two or three weeks earlier in March and one week later in autumn: in 2026 from 25 October to 1 November, and in 2027 from 14 to 28 March.
Is London time the same as UK time?
Yes, London time is the same as all UK time. The whole United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) follows the same time: GMT in winter and BST in summer.
What time is it in UK compared to India?
India (IST) is 5 hours 30 minutes ahead of GMT and 4 hours 30 minutes ahead of BST. When it’s 12:00 noon in London in winter (GMT), it’s 5:30 PM in India; in summer (BST) it’s 4:30 PM. Use the converter above or the GMT to IST page for exact times.
Does the whole UK have the same time?
Yes, the entire United Kingdom uses the same time. All cities, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, follow GMT/BST throughout the year.