What and when is the spring equinox - and when the clocks go forward and how the change will affect your sleep
Watch the Met Office forecast, as sunny intervals and mid-teen temperatures are predicted for Doncaster - date clocks go forward.
The UK has experienced more settled weather conditions recently - a trend which is set to continue as sunny intervals and mid-teen temperatures are forecast for Doncaster this coming week.
As we leave the worst of the winter weather behind, we’ve taken a look at what the spring equinox is and when the clocks will go forward.
What is the spring equinox?
At the equinox, the Earth's axis is tilted neither towards nor away from the Sun, meaning day and night are nearly equal in length. The equinox happens twice a year, in March and in September.
The spring equinox marks the start of astronomical spring, and is when days become longer than nights. The autumn equinox marks the beginning of autumn, as nights start to be longer than days.
When is the spring equinox?
This year, the spring equinox is on March 20.
Why do the clocks change?
Daylight saving time, which was introduced in the UK in 1916, is used to make the most of increased summer daylight hours in the northern hemisphere.
The clocks go forward in spring, giving an extra hour of daylight in the evening. In autumn, the clocks go back, providing an extra hour of daylight in the morning.
What are the arguments for changing the clocks?
Some of the arguments for changing the clocks are: reducing energy consumption for environmental reasons, having longer evenings to support leisure and tourism, encouraging people to exercise more outdoors and reducing road accidents.
What are the arguments against changing the clocks?
Some of the arguments against changing the clocks are: safety concerns about darker mornings and some farmers have expressed concern about the effect of changing routines for livestock.
There are no plans to stop changing the clocks in the UK.
Will my clock update automatically when the clocks change?
The majority of devices with an internet connection like smartphones and computers should update automatically. However, some watches and clocks will not change on their own.
When do the clocks go forward?
The clocks will jump forward an hour at 1:00 on March 29 2026. Unfortunately, this means we will lose an hour of sleep.