WITH nights drawing in and temperatures dropping, autumn is well and truly here. 

And that means that British Summer Time (BST) is about to come to an end for another year.

Every year, clocks go forward by an hour in the spring and turn back again in the autumn.

When does it happen in 2019?

In 2019, the UK will move back from BST to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) at 2am on Sunday, October 27.

Milford Mercury:

Then it will be five months until we switch clocks forward again for the start of BST on March 31 next year.

Why do we turn clocks back and forward?

To make the best use of daylight, basically.

Turning the clocks forward by an hour began in 1916, during the depths of the First World War, a month after Germany brought in daylight saving measures to reduce its industrial demand for coal.

Milford Mercury:

After the war, the move became permanent and since then the UK has changed its clocks forward for the summer to reflect the desire to have lighter evenings in the summer months for citizens to enjoy their leisure.

More time during the lighter, summer evenings allows people to play sports, get outside and enjoy the better weather after the typical working or school day is done.

Health experts suggest it is a strong weapon against childhood obesity as DST encourages youngsters to get outside in the fresh air and remain active into the evening.

What about the winter?

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents argues we should stick with BST year-round to ensure lighter evenings in the winter.

But many farmers, particularly in northern England and Scotland, are opposed to keeping BST through the year as they prefer to have lighter mornings to carry out their work.

If it was brought in permanently, children in higher latitudes would be going to school in the dark.

Some argue changing clocks twice a year is an unnecessary hassle.

Milford Mercury:

Pic. Brian Lawless/PA

Could it change?

European MEPs have voted to scrap the twice-yearly clock changes.

Should governments agree, EU states will decide whether to stay on permanent “winter time” or “summer time” from 2021.

This would apply to the UK during any Brexit transition period.

In the UK Parliament, a Private Member’s Bill to put the clocks forward an hour was talked out by opponents in 2012 and did not come into law.

In it, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Tory MP for North East Somerset, proposed giving Somerset its own timezone, 15 minutes behind the rest of the country.

It was his way of highlighting deficiencies he saw in the proposed bill.