Clocks go back 2021: When and why they do

One sign winter is settling in is the clocks going back.

On March 28, the clocks changed to move an hour forward as the mornings and evenings got brighter and we looked forward to summer.

This period is called British Summer Time (BST), but it is now coming to an end.

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The mornings will now becoming darker and sunset will happen at around 4pm - meaning many of us will be leaving work in the dark.

But why do the clocks go back an hour and when will this happen?

Take a look below for everything you need to know about the clocks going back?

When will they go back?

The clocks will go back an hour at 2am on October 31 and this means you will have an extra hour to lay in bed on Sunday morning.

When the clocks go back, the UK is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).

Does it happen in all of the UK?

The clocks go back every year on the last Sunday of October in the UK and go forward forward on the last Sunday in March.

Globally, in the likes of North America, Daylight Savings Times (DST) starts on the second Sunday in March clocks go back on the first Sunday in November.

Meanwhile, in Australia, the clocks go back on the first Sunday in October.

Why do we change them?

The clocks are moved forward an hour and back so we can make use of the best natural light as the earth orbit the sun.

The countries that are further from the equator get more hours of darkness from the clock changing.

It was invented by a New Zealand entomologist named George Vincent Hudson in 1895.

During the First World War, Germany and Austria introduced clock changing in a bid to save on coal consumption. The Allies followed suit.

It is believed adding extra daylight hours into the working day saves on energy.

Will I need to update my mobile phone?

Mobile phones should automatically update with the new times depending on the model you own.

Apple iPhones, iPad and Macs update automatically, but it is advised you check you have ‘set automatically’ turned on in your ‘date and time’ settings.

If you have an Android phone, it is also advised that you check you have 'automatic updates' set to your phone.