Current Time in London
London · GMT (UTC+0) in winter · BST (UTC+1) in summer · Europe/London
Current Time in Other Cities
| City | Current Time |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 New York | --:-- -- |
| 🇮🇳 Mumbai | --:-- -- |
| 🇦🇪 Dubai | --:-- -- |
| 🇯🇵 Tokyo | --:-- -- |
| 🇦🇺 Sydney | --:-- -- |
About London's Time Zone
London uses two timezone labels across the year. GMT (Greenwich Mean Time, UTC+0) is active from the last Sunday in October to the last Sunday in March — the winter months. BST (British Summer Time, UTC+1) is active from late March to late October, when the UK observes Daylight Saving Time.
The name GMT comes from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London — established as the prime meridian (0° longitude) at the 1884 International Meridian Conference. For over 80 years, GMT was the world's primary time standard. In 1972, UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) formally replaced GMT as the international standard, maintained by atomic clocks rather than solar observation. In everyday use, GMT and UTC are treated as identical at UTC+0.
One practical detail that catches people off guard: the UK and the US switch for Daylight Saving Time on different dates. The US springs forward in early March; the UK doesn't switch until the last Sunday in March — about 3 weeks later. During that window, the London–New York time difference is 4 hours instead of the usual 5. The same applies in autumn: the UK falls back in late October, the US in early November, creating a brief period where the gap is 4 hours.
📊 London is the world's largest foreign exchange trading centre, handling over 38% of global forex volume. The London forex session (8:00 AM–5:00 PM GMT/BST) is the most liquid trading window of the day — and overlaps with the New York session (1:00 PM–5:00 PM GMT) to create the highest volume hours of the global forex market. BIS Triennial Survey
GMT vs BST — When London Switches
| Period | Label | UTC Offset |
|---|---|---|
| Late Oct → Late Mar (winter) | GMT | UTC+0 |
| Late Mar → Late Oct (summer) | BST (British Summer Time) | UTC+1 |
The exact switch date changes each year. For 2026: clocks spring forward on March 29, 2026 and fall back on October 25, 2026. See the DST 2026 dates page for all regions.
London Time vs Other Major Cities
| City | Winter gap (GMT) | Summer gap (BST) |
|---|---|---|
| New York (ET) | London +5h | London +4h or +5h* |
| Los Angeles (PT) | London +8h | London +7h or +8h* |
| Mumbai (IST) | London -5h 30m | London -4h 30m |
| Dubai (GST) | London -4h | London -3h |
| Tokyo (JST) | London -9h | London -8h |
| Sydney (AEST) | London -10h or -11h | London -9h |
* New York–London gap varies during the 3-week spring DST mismatch. London ahead = positive. London behind = negative shown as minus.
Frequently Asked Questions
What timezone is London in?
London uses GMT (Greenwich Mean Time, UTC+0) from late October to late March, and BST (British Summer Time, UTC+1) from late March to late October. The switch happens on the last Sunday of March and the last Sunday of October — different dates from the US, which switches on different Sundays.
What is the time difference between London and New York?
Usually 5 hours — London is ahead. But the US and UK switch for Daylight Saving Time on different dates, creating a 3-week mismatch in spring where the gap is 4 hours. In autumn there is another brief mismatch where the gap is also 4 hours. The live clock above shows the current difference.
What is the time difference between London and India?
London is 5 hours 30 minutes behind India Standard Time (IST, UTC+5:30) in winter, and 4 hours 30 minutes behind in summer (when London is on BST, UTC+1). India never changes for DST, so the gap shifts when London does.
Does London observe Daylight Saving Time?
Yes. The UK observes Daylight Saving Time, switching from GMT (UTC+0) to BST (UTC+1) on the last Sunday in March, and back on the last Sunday in October.
What is the IANA timezone for London?
The IANA timezone identifier for London is Europe/London. This is the identifier used by operating systems, programming languages, and timezone databases. It covers all of the UK.