UK Sunrise and Sunset Times by City Through the Year
Sunrise and sunset times vary much more across the UK than the clocks do. These figures show the difference between the south of England and Shetland.
Sunrise to sunset, by month
15 January: London 07:59 to 16:20; Cardiff 08:12 to 16:32; Manchester 08:17 to 16:19; Belfast 08:37 to 16:29; Edinburgh 08:34 to 16:10; Aberdeen 08:37 to 15:59; Lerwick 08:54 to 15:34.
15 April: London 06:05 to 19:56; Cardiff 06:17 to 20:08; Manchester 06:10 to 20:09; Belfast 06:22 to 20:26; Edinburgh 06:08 to 20:18; Aberdeen 06:00 to 20:17; Lerwick 05:48 to 20:22.
15 July: London 05:00 to 21:11; Cardiff 05:12 to 21:23; Manchester 04:58 to 21:30; Belfast 05:06 to 21:51; Edinburgh 04:47 to 21:49; Aberdeen 04:34 to 21:53; Lerwick 04:06 to 22:13.
15 October: London 07:23 to 18:08; Cardiff 07:35 to 18:20; Manchester 07:35 to 18:13; Belfast 07:51 to 18:26; Edinburgh 07:43 to 18:13; Aberdeen 07:40 to 18:06; Lerwick 07:43 to 17:56.
Why the gap is so large
Shetland is about nine degrees of latitude north of London. In January the day in Lerwick is almost two hours shorter, and in July it is almost two hours longer. On 21 June the sun barely sets in Shetland, giving the long twilight known as the simmer dim.
All the times are in UK local time, GMT in winter and BST in summer. The clocks are the same everywhere, but the sun times are not.
Frequently asked questions
Which UK city has the earliest sunrise?
In summer, the cities furthest east and north, such as Norwich, Lowestoft and Lerwick, have the earliest sunrise. In winter the order is reversed in the north.
Clock change guides
- What Is Daylight Saving Time (DST)? A Plain-English GuideWhat daylight saving time is, how it works in the UK, Europe and the US, why it exists, its history, who uses it and the argument over scrapping it.
- Why Do the Clocks Go Back in October? The Real ReasonThe clocks go back in autumn to return the UK to GMT, so winter mornings are lighter. The history, the rule, what time it happens and what changes for you.
- When Do the Clocks Go Forward Again After Going Back?When the UK clocks go forward again after the autumn change, how long the UK stays on GMT, when evenings get lighter and how to remember to reset your clocks.