Real-time comparison of London time with major world cities — updated every second
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Precise astronomical data for London · Latitude 51.5074° · Longitude -0.1278°
Real-time weather conditions for London, UK — temperature, humidity, wind, air quality & more
London air quality is generally good. The city has improved significantly since the Clean Air Act.
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Everything you need to know about time in London and the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom operates on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT, UTC+0) during winter and British Summer Time (BST, UTC+1) during summer. London sits at the prime meridian — the very reference point for all world timekeeping since 1884.
GMT is the mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It serves as the world's time standard. Despite GPS and atomic clocks, GMT remains the universal reference for aviation, shipping, and global coordination.
BST (UTC+1) begins the last Sunday of March and ends the last Sunday of October. The UK advances clocks one hour forward ("spring forward, fall back"). This maximises daylight during summer evenings, a tradition since 1916.
Standard UK business hours are 09:00–17:30 GMT/BST, Monday to Friday. London's financial district (the City) operates 08:00–18:00. Government offices typically close by 17:00. Most shops open 09:00–18:00, with extended hours Thursday and Sunday trading.
The optimal window to call London from the US East Coast is 08:00–13:00 ET (13:00–18:00 GMT). From Asia, 14:00–16:00 local time usually maps to London morning hours. Avoid calling before 09:00 or after 18:00 GMT for professional calls.
The London Stock Exchange (LSE) opens at 08:00 GMT and closes at 16:30 GMT. The pre-market session starts at 05:05 GMT. LSE overlaps with New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from 14:30–16:30 GMT — the most volatile and liquid trading window globally.
Morning rush: 07:30–09:30. Evening rush: 17:00–19:30. Off-peak travel between 09:30–16:30 and after 19:30 is cheaper and less crowded. Night Tube operates Friday and Saturday nights on select lines, running continuously through the night.
Big Ben (Elizabeth Tower) is best photographed at sunrise (06:00–07:30) or blue hour (30 min before sunset). Parliament tours run 09:30–16:30 on select days. The tower's 13-tonne bell chimes every quarter-hour — most iconic at noon.
The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace occurs at 11:00–11:45 on select days (check schedules seasonally). State Rooms are open to the public August–September, 09:30–19:30. Victoria Memorial provides the best viewing angle for the ceremony.
West End matinees typically run 14:30–17:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Evening performances start at 19:30 and finish by 22:00. Box offices open at 10:00. Pre-theatre dinner is traditionally 17:30–19:00 in Covent Garden and Soho.
London Heathrow (LHR) is in UTC+0/+1. Immigration at peak times (06:00–09:00, 17:00–19:00) can take 30–60 minutes. Oyster or contactless card saves 30% vs cash fares. Book airport trains (Heathrow Express) in advance for discounts.
London is 5 hours ahead of New York (EST), 8 hours ahead of Los Angeles, 4 hours behind Dubai, 5.5 hours behind India, and 9 hours behind Tokyo. During BST, these gaps reduce by 1 hour as the UK advances while others don't.
Premier League matches kick off at 15:00 Saturday, 12:30 or 17:30 for TV slots. Champions League midweek: 20:00 CET (19:00 GMT). Wimbledon runs end of June–early July, 11:00–20:00 daily. British Grand Prix at Silverstone: July, race at 14:00.
New Year's Day (Jan 1), Good Friday, Easter Monday, Early May Bank Holiday (1st Mon May), Spring Bank Holiday (last Mon May), Summer Bank Holiday (last Mon Aug), Christmas Day (Dec 25), Boxing Day (Dec 26). Scotland and Northern Ireland have additional public holidays.
Everything you need to know about time in London and the United Kingdom