Today (Wednesday, August 27) is a depressing day for the capital’s calendar as it marks the first time this summer the sun sets before 8pm. After a hot summer that saw thermostats regularly smash past the 30C mark, the sun will set at 7.59pm this evening. We now have to wait until April 17, 2026 for the next sunset of 8pm or later - 233 days away.

There will now be two minutes less sun each day, with things getting progressively darker and gloomier until the winter solstice, which is usually on December 21 or December 22. This is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, and then daylight gradually increases each day until the summer solstice in June, when things start getting darker again.

But before then, the clocks will go back , on the last Sunday of each October (

See Full Page