UK daylight hours by month run from 16 h 36 min in mid-June to 7 h 51 min in mid-December in London, and the swing is wider further north: Inverness has 17 h 58 min on 15 June and 6 h 38 min on 15 December. DAYARC is a new UK circadian rhythm startup making two bright-light lamps for the morning, so these are the figures we plan around.
What are the UK daylight hours by month?
Sunrise to sunset (local time, approximate to the minute) and length of day on the 15th of each month, September 2026 to August 2027.
| 15th of month | London | Manchester | Cardiff | Belfast | Edinburgh | Inverness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | 06:35–19:14, 12 h 39 min | 06:42–19:24, 12 h 42 min | 06:47–19:27, 12 h 39 min | 06:56–19:40, 12 h 43 min | 06:44–19:30, 12 h 46 min | 06:47–19:35, 12 h 48 min |
| October 2026 | 07:24–18:07, 10 h 42 min | 07:36–18:12, 10 h 36 min | 07:36–18:19, 10 h 42 min | 07:52–18:25, 10 h 33 min | 07:44–18:11, 10 h 28 min | 07:51–18:13, 10 h 22 min |
| November 2026 | 07:18–16:10, 8 h 52 min | 07:34–16:11, 8 h 37 min | 07:30–16:23, 8 h 52 min | 07:54–16:21, 8 h 28 min | 07:49–16:04, 8 h 15 min | 08:00–16:01, 8 h 00 min |
| December 2026 | 08:00–15:51, 7 h 51 min | 08:19–15:49, 7 h 30 min | 08:12–16:03, 7 h 51 min | 08:40–15:57, 7 h 17 min | 08:38–15:37, 6 h 59 min | 08:53–15:30, 6 h 38 min |
| January 2027 | 07:59–16:20, 8 h 20 min | 08:17–16:19, 8 h 02 min | 08:12–16:32, 8 h 20 min | 08:37–16:28, 7 h 51 min | 08:34–16:10, 7 h 36 min | 08:47–16:05, 7 h 18 min |
| February 2027 | 07:15–17:14, 10 h 00 min | 07:28–17:18, 9 h 50 min | 07:27–17:27, 10 h 00 min | 07:46–17:30, 9 h 44 min | 07:38–17:15, 9 h 37 min | 07:47–17:15, 9 h 28 min |
| March 2027 | 06:15–18:04, 11 h 49 min | 06:24–18:12, 11 h 48 min | 06:27–18:16, 11 h 49 min | 06:39–18:26, 11 h 47 min | 06:29–18:15, 11 h 46 min | 06:33–18:19, 11 h 45 min |
| April 2027 | 06:05–19:56, 13 h 51 min | 06:10–20:09, 13 h 59 min | 06:18–20:08, 13 h 51 min | 06:22–20:26, 14 h 04 min | 06:08–20:18, 14 h 10 min | 06:08–20:26, 14 h 18 min |
| May 2027 | 05:09–20:45, 15 h 36 min | 05:09–21:02, 15 h 53 min | 05:21–20:57, 15 h 36 min | 05:18–21:22, 16 h 03 min | 05:01–21:18, 16 h 17 min | 04:56–21:31, 16 h 34 min |
| June 2027 | 04:43–21:19, 16 h 36 min | 04:39–21:39, 16 h 59 min | 04:55–21:31, 16 h 36 min | 04:47–22:01, 17 h 14 min | 04:26–22:00, 17 h 33 min | 04:18–22:16, 17 h 58 min |
| July 2027 | 05:00–21:11, 16 h 10 min | 04:59–21:29, 16 h 31 min | 05:13–21:23, 16 h 10 min | 05:07–21:51, 16 h 44 min | 04:47–21:48, 17 h 01 min | 04:41–22:03, 17 h 22 min |
| August 2027 | 05:45–20:23, 14 h 37 min | 05:48–20:37, 14 h 49 min | 05:58–20:35, 14 h 37 min | 05:59–20:55, 14 h 56 min | 05:43–20:49, 15 h 06 min | 05:41–20:59, 15 h 18 min |
What is the shape of the UK daylight year?
The Met Office puts the equinoxes around 20 March and 22 September, and the solstices around 21 June and 21 December. Daylight changes fastest around the equinoxes and slowest around the solstices: London drops from 12 h 39 min on 15 September to 10 h 42 min on 15 October, about 3–4 minutes a day, but moves only from 7 h 51 min on 15 December to 8 h 20 min on 15 January.
The shortest day is not the darkest morning. The Royal Observatory Greenwich gives the 2026 winter solstice as Monday 21 December, with 7 hours 49 minutes and 42 seconds of daylight in London. But the earliest sunset comes around 12 December (15:50 in London), and the latest sunrise, 08:06, holds from about 26 December to 3 January.
Clock changes move daylight rather than adding any. GOV.UK gives Sunday 25 October 2026 for the clocks going back, when British Summer Time (one hour ahead of GMT) ends, and Sunday 28 March 2027 for going forward. From the end of October sunset is before 17:00 across the UK.
Why does the north of the UK have bigger swings?
The further you are from the equator, the more the tilt of the Earth's axis stretches summer days and shrinks winter ones. London's longest day is 16 h 38 min and its shortest 7 h 49 min, a swing of 8 h 49 min. Edinburgh runs from 17 h 36 min to 6 h 57 min (10 h 39 min), Inverness from 18 h 01 min to 6 h 35 min (11 h 26 min) and Lerwick in Shetland from 18 h 54 min to 5 h 48 min (13 h 06 min). Winter sunrise times in Scotland covers the north.
Why do UK daylight hours matter for your body clock?
Your circadian rhythm is the roughly 24-hour cycle that sets when you feel alert and sleepy, and light reaching the eye is its main time cue: morning light nudges it earlier and late-evening light pushes it later. Lux measures how much light reaches a surface. An overcast UK winter day is roughly 1,000–5,000 lux outdoors and a bright office 300–500 lux, so indoors is dim to the body clock. Does daylight through a window count as morning light? covers windows.
From November to January the working day swallows the daylight. On 15 December sunrise is 08:00 in London and 08:53 in Inverness, sunset 15:51 and 15:30, so someone at a desk from 9 to 5 may see no daylight except at lunch. The NHS advice on seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression that comes and goes with the seasons, begins with getting as much natural daylight as you can, and says to see a GP if low mood persists.
Where does a bright-light lamp fit?
On the mornings when sunrise is after your alarm. For a 7am alarm that is roughly October to February; when to start using a SAD lamp in the UK goes month by month. A bright-light lamp, or SAD lamp, is a panel designed to deliver 10,000 lux at a stated distance; what 10,000 lux means explains it. The NHS says light therapy is not usually available on the NHS because there is not enough evidence to tell whether it is effective, though many people find it helps.
We make two: DAYARC Rise (£199) is a full-size lamp rated at 10,000 lux at approximately 30–36 cm, with four brightness settings, a 15, 30, 45 or 60-minute timer and adjustable height and angle. DAYARC Mini (£49.99) is rated at 10,000 lux at approximately 25 cm and folds into its own stand. Both use UV-free LEDs, run from the mains and are in stock in the UK.
Frequently asked questions
What is the shortest day in the UK in 2026?
Monday 21 December 2026, the winter solstice. Daylight lasts 7 h 49 min in London and 6 h 57 min in Edinburgh.
How many hours of daylight does the UK get in December?
On 15 December 2026: 7 h 51 min in London and Cardiff, 7 h 30 min in Manchester, 7 h 17 min in Belfast, 6 h 59 min in Edinburgh and 6 h 38 min in Inverness.
When do the days start getting longer in the UK?
After 21 December, but unevenly: sunsets get later from mid-December, while London's sunrise stays at its latest, 08:06, until about 3 January.
Which part of the UK has the least winter daylight?
Lerwick has 5 h 48 min of daylight on 21 December and Inverness 6 h 35 min, against 7 h 49 min in London.
Where does this leave you?
Find the months when sunrise comes after your alarm; those are the mornings a bright-light lamp is for. DAYARC Rise suits a fixed spot at home, DAYARC Mini a desk or smaller space, and the choose your light page compares them.
About DAYARC
DAYARC is a new UK circadian rhythm startup. We make two bright-light lamps for the morning: DAYARC Rise (£199), a full-size lamp rated at 10,000 lux at approximately 30–36 cm, with four brightness settings, a 15 to 60-minute timer and adjustable height and angle; and DAYARC Mini (£49.99), a compact lamp rated at 10,000 lux at approximately 25 cm, with a folding stand that doubles as its cover. Both use UV-free LEDs and run from the mains. We publish plain specifications with the measuring distance, we do not make medical claims, and we write the DAYARC Journal to help people build a simple morning light routine around their own daily rhythm. Both lamps are in stock in the UK and dispatched within 2 working days. You can read more about how we think on our approach page or compare the two lamps.
This article about UK daylight hours is general information, not medical advice. Check with a GP or qualified healthcare professional before using bright light if you have an eye condition, a condition affected by bright light such as bipolar disorder, or take medicines that increase your sensitivity to light. If you have persistent low mood or think you may have depression, speak to your GP. If you need urgent help, contact NHS 111, or call 999 in an emergency.