Home
Weather Dublin
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Fall back tonight! Why do the clocks change?

14:00
26 October 2024

Fall back tonight!
Why do the clocks change?

Clock

We're all familiar with the 'spring forward, fall back saying', but why do we change our clocks here? Is it actually beneficial?

The days are getting shorter and winter is drawing in. The last Sunday of October marks the day that our clocks change, and at 2 am on Sunday 27th October, they will jump back one hour.

We gain one extra hour in bed, so it's great news for most of us, except those who will be working the night shift.

The key reason we use 'Daylight Saving Time' is so that we get the most out of our daylight. We gain lighter mornings as we will get up an hour earlier, but our evenings will be darker earlier.

This system has been in place since 1971, but was first introduced by the German government in 1916 during the first World War as means to save electricity.

However, similar ideas were introduced as early as the late 1800s, and with Coldplay's Chris Martin's great grandfather also being known to propose it in 1907.

In 2019, the European parliament voted to scrap the change. However the change has not yet been implemented and also no longer applies to the UK post-Brexit.

So, don't forget to change your clocks and whether you like the concept or not, there's unfortunately just no avoiding the colder and darker months.

Check your weekend weather hereread more
Weather & Radar editorial team

More on the topic

Staying fairly blustery across Ireland. Autumn greetings. . . Thursday 29 October 2026
Wind map showing 35 mph winds near Galway and Cork, 25 mph near Dublin and Belfast, and lighter winds across western Britain, with a windsock symbol.
Thursday 29 October 2026

Autumn greetings

Staying fairly blustery across Ireland
Stormy winds finally easing. By the end of the week. . . Tuesday 27 October 2026
Split wind maps showing winds of 25–40 mph across the UK and Ireland easing to 7–15 mph, with a white arrow indicating the change.
Tuesday 27 October 2026

By the end of the week

Stormy winds finally easing
Widespread fog grips Thursday morning. Take care on the roads. . . Wednesday 28 October 2026
Split image showing a fog forecast across southern England with temperatures of 8–9°C, alongside cars driving through dense mist on a sunlit road.
Wednesday 28 October 2026

Take care on the roads

Widespread fog grips Thursday morning
All weather news

This might also interest you

Storm Chandra makes impact. Severe gales & heavy rain. . . Tuesday 27 January 2026
Split image showing strong winds over the UK on a forecast map and widespread rain and snow on a weather radar map.
Tuesday 27 January 2026

Severe gales & heavy rain

Storm Chandra makes impact
A frozen start to the weekend. Icy conditions. . . Friday 13 February 2026
UK temperature map dated 14.02 showing widespread subzero values in blue shading, with readings such as −4 in Glasgow, −3 in Dublin, and −2 in London, alongside a blue thermometer icon.
Friday 13 February 2026

Icy conditions

A frozen start to the weekend
Historic Storm Éowyn arrives. On this day.... . . Saturday 24 January 2026
Split image showing a person in a yellow jacket struggling against strong winds and heavy rain on a street at night on the left, and an Irish wind forecast map on the right with red and purple shading, gusts up to 75 mph, and a wind warning icon, divided by a curved white line.
Saturday 24 January 2026

On this day...

Historic Storm Éowyn arrives
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwitteryouTubelinkList