We've all been relishing the brighter mornings on our commute to work over the past few weeks. As we bid farewell to a long, chilly winter and welcome spring, many are starting to wonder when the next significant seasonal shift will take place - the commencement of British Summer Time (BST).

Although it means sacrificing an hour of sleep, from later this month, our mornings will be even lighter as we leap forward into longer, sunnier days. But why do we adjust our clocks every autumn and spring?

And when is the change due this year?

Here's your comprehensive guide to British Summer Time.

So, what exactly is BST?

Also known as Daylight Saving Time, BST involves moving the clocks forward in the spring and back in the autumn. This practice was initially designed to help people and farmers maximise sunlight throughout the year and originated during World War I when resources were scarce, reports the Daily Record.

Germany was the first country to formally adopt daylight saving time in 1916 to conserve fuel during the First World War. The UK and several other European countries followed suit a few weeks later, and daylight savings soon became standard practice, with the US joining in 1918.