U.K. Time Zone GMT/BST

The last thing on our minds (understandably) when we moved from Montreal to the South Coast of England was time zones. I mean, naturally, we realized we were going five hours "ahead", that we'd be jet-lagged, and all of that. But we didn't think of how the difference in latitude and longitude would affect the length and rhythm of our days.

In my opinion, it's a lot easier travelling east as opposed to west because usually you get a late flight, sleep on the plane, then land at your destination in the morning, local time. (Obviously, that's not a rule, but most people I know have travelled this way.) Which means, you're sort of rested, and if you're active all day, pushing it to eight or nine p.m., you should be fine getting a good enough night's sleep and quickly sliding into the new rhythm of things.

Our move to the UK happened at the very end of December, when the sun in Southampton sets at just about the same time as it does in Montreal. So there was nothing out of the ordinary for the first weeks as far as circadian rhythms go.

But as the weeks progressed and the month of May rolled around, my husband and I started really noticing how much brighter it was here in the evenings. Often, I would be late preparing supper and getting the boys to bed because my eyes told me it was about 8 p.m. when it was actually almost 9! By mid-June, I was even waking up earlier due to the sunlight filtering through our bedroom curtains as early as 4:30 in the morning.

UK Time Zone Facts

The entire United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales) is set in GMT +00:00. However, they only use GMT from October to March. From March to October, they use BST (UTC +1).

"Spring Forward"
As a rule, in the UK (and all of Europe since 1996), clocks "spring forward" on the last Sunday in March, at 1 AM. As in Canada, this is so there is less light in the mornings and more light in the evenings.

This period of the year is known as:

• British Summer Time (BST) (considered a time zone; UTC +1)
• Daylight Saving Time (DST)
• British Daylight Time (BDT)
• British Daylight Saving Time (BDST)
• and it is exactly the same as Western European Summer Time (WEST)

"Fall Back"
In the fall, the UK (and all of Europe since 1996), turns the clocks back by one hour on the last Sunday in October at 2 AM, thus returning to GMT 00:00. People also sometimes refer to it as Winter Time, and it's exactly the same as Western European Time (WET).

What's In It For Me?

Daylight Saving Time in most of Canada and the USA starts on the second Sunday in March, and ends on the first Sunday in November. This means, it's easier to talk to our family and friends back home during the time change, because for two weeks in spring and one week in autumn, there is only a four-hour time difference between us.

The next 5 years' worth of Daylight Savings dates.

On a cold March morning in Quebec, when the snow still covers the ground and temperatures hover just below freezing, seeing the sun rise around 6:30 a.m. reminded me that sunny days were on their way. Just as we were getting used to that welcome early-morning light, we had to advance the time and suddenly it was dark again when my son left the house for school.

Surprisingly, once we'd moved to England, I didn't even notice that we'd set the time forward: it was bright out before BST, and it was still bright once we set the clocks ahead. However, as I mentioned before, the days were so long, it really messed up my internal clock.

You know how, when your kids are in school, the month of May and June tend to be a struggle at bedtimes? It's just so bright out, no one wants to be in bed at 8 o'clock. Well here, school finishes in July, and the June sun sets just before 9:30. At 10PM, it's still "bright-ish" outside. We still haven't gotten over it. Even if it plays with routine and bedtime, it's nice to be out walking the dogs and still see that bright sky.

Now, as we approach the winter season, my husband and I have also noticed how quickly the light fades from the sky. Naturally, the sun is setting earlier and earlier, but in my mind it seems drastic compared to the more gradual shift in Montreal.

Summer and Winter Solstice

On the longest day of the year, Montreal (QC) observes approximately 15 hours and 41 minutes of sunlight, whereas Southampton (Hampshire) observes 16 hours and 50 minutes of sunlight. That's over an hour more!

But then, on the shortest day of the year, Montreal will have 8 hours and 42 minutes of sunlight, when Southampton will only have 7 hours and 50 minutes, which is almost an hour less.

If you'd like to know more, visit the official UK clock. Compare sunrise and sunset calendars or Summer and Winter Solstices around the globe. If you plan on doing a lot of travelling in Europe, check out Europe's Time Zones.