London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom and has a population of approximately 8.7 million people. The city is located in the Europe/London time zone and is currently on UTC +01:00, which means it is five hours before of UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) which is the global standard time. This means that when the clock strikes 12 PM in London, it is 7 PM in Washington, D.C.
A fun fact is that during the European summer, the city adopts daylight saving time, also known as British Summer Time (BST). During this time, the city is two hours ahead of the standard time, meaning that when the clock strikes 12 PM in London, it is 8 AM in Brasília. Daylight saving time in England starts in March and ends in October, following the rest of Europe.
Europe/London Time Zone: Get to Know the Characteristics of this Time Zone
The Europe/London time zone includes countries in Western Europe, such as England, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and others. This region follows the same reference time, UTC +01:00, and shares the same daylight saving time adjustment.
The adoption of this time zone in Western Europe was established in the late 19th century, with the development of railway transportation and the need to synchronize schedules in different regions. Currently, this region is under the influence of the European Time Convention, which determines the daylight saving time and winter time.
Regions that follow the time zone of London
Cities and countries that are also in the Europe/London time zone include Portugal (except for the island of Madeira), Spain (except the Canary Islands), France (except for French Guiana and Guadeloupe), Netherlands (except for the Dutch Antilles), Belgium, Luxembourg, Andorra, and Gibraltar.
Outside of Europe, the North and West Africa region also adopts the Europe/London time zone, including countries such as Algeria, Morocco, Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal, and others. Some African islands that also follow this time zone are Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe.
Discover interesting facts about this region
In addition to being a global reference in fashion, culture, and history, London also has curiosities related to its time zone. One of them is that in 1880, the Greenwich meridian, which is the reference point for longitude, was adopted as point 0 on the world map because it was the main passage for British ships between the two hemispheres. This contributed to the worldwide standardization of time and time zones.
Another curiosity is that Big Ben, one of the most famous symbols of London, is the name given to the bell inside the clock in the Elizabeth Tower at the Palace of Westminster, and not to the clock itself. The bell was built in 1858 and weighs over 13 tons.
Other areas in the same time zone as London
In addition to the countries and cities mentioned above, other areas in the same time zone as London include cities and towns within the United Kingdom, such as Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Manchester, as well as countries such as Norway, Denmark, Italy, Melilla, the Isle of Man, and Guernsey.
