UK Time: GMT and BST
Greenwich Mean Time vs British Summer Time, switch dates, and offsets vs Europe and Asia.
The UK uses **GMT** (Greenwich Mean Time, UTC+0) in winter and **BST** (British Summer Time, UTC+1) in summer. The IANA zone is Europe/London. GMT and UTC Basics are treated as equivalent in practice, but broadcasts and law still reference BST transitions.
2026 switch dates
- BST starts: 29 March 2026 (coordinated with EU dates)
- Back to GMT: 25 October 2026
- Switch time: 1:00 AM local UK time
- Same rules for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland
Vs Europe and Asia
During BST, London matches Paris/Berlin at UTC+1 (different labels). Vs Beijing: 8 hours ahead in GMT winter, 7 hours in BST summer. For International Meetings near March/October, check DST Guide and European Time Zones and DST.
Abbreviation pitfalls: Time Zone Abbreviation Pitfalls (EST/CST/PST). Use Convert with the meeting date for automatic BST handling.