The October 2026 Gap, In One Paragraph
London is eight hours ahead of Los Angeles for most of October 2026. For daytime calls from October 25 through October 31, the gap drops to seven hours. It returns to eight hours on November 1 after Los Angeles changes its clocks.
That means a call at 9:00 AM in Los Angeles is at 5:00 PM in London on October 23, but at 4:00 PM in London on October 30. The Los Angeles time stayed the same; the London time moved.
Dates and clock-change rules checked October 6, 2026, against GOV.UK and NIST. The conversions below were calculated using the America/Los_Angeles and Europe/London time zones.
Why the Difference Changes
The UK ends British Summer Time on October 25, 2026. Los Angeles remains on daylight time until November 1. During that intervening week, London has changed its clock and Los Angeles has not.
For a call scheduled at 9:00 AM Los Angeles time:
- October 1–24, 2026: Los Angeles 9:00 AM PDT · London 5:00 PM BST — London is 8 hours ahead.
- October 25–31, 2026: Los Angeles 9:00 AM PDT · London 4:00 PM GMT — London is 7 hours ahead.
- November 1–30, 2026: Los Angeles 9:00 AM PST · London 5:00 PM GMT — London is 8 hours ahead.
Each London time is on the same calendar date. On the changeover Sundays, these examples occur after the clock changes. Calls around the overnight transition require checking the precise instant.
Choose a Time That Works for Both People
For a weekday work call, 9:00 AM in Los Angeles is a useful starting proposal: it falls at 4:00 PM or 5:00 PM in London during the periods above. A 30-minute call may fit better than a full hour when London is nearing the end of the workday.
For a personal call, ask about actual availability before choosing a slot. An apparent overlap is not permission to interrupt work, dinner, caregiving, or sleep. Offer two options and let the other person choose.
The Time Zone Planner can help you explore overlap. Its current FAQ describes standard UTC offsets and advises adjusting for daylight saving — use it as a starting point, then confirm the selected date in a calendar that supports city time zones. Do not assume it automatically accounts for this seven-hour week.
A Five-Step Scheduling Checklist
- Choose the date first. “Next Friday” can be unclear; write October 30, 2026.
- Write both cities and local times. For example: 9:00 AM Los Angeles / 4:00 PM London.
- Anchor recurring calls to one city. Decide whether the call should stay at 9:00 AM Los Angeles or 5:00 PM London. Those are different choices during the gap week.
- Use the corresponding city time zone in the calendar invitation. Recheck the displayed times for the occurrences before and after each change.
- Confirm duration and availability. Include the end time or meeting length so nobody has to guess.
Copy this message:
“Would Friday, October 30, 2026, at 9:00 AM Los Angeles / 4:00 PM London work for a 30-minute call? If that is inconvenient, send me two times that suit you.”
What Happens to a Recurring Friday Call?
If the call stays at 9:00 AM Los Angeles time, the London times are:
- October 23: 5:00 PM
- October 30: 4:00 PM
- November 6: 5:00 PM
If it must stay at 5:00 PM London time, the Los Angeles time on October 30 is 10:00 AM instead. Agree on the anchor city rather than repeatedly moving the invitation without explanation.
Once the time is settled, try the Conversation Starter Generator for ideas to personalize. Scheduling a call with China too? See Best Time to Call Someone in China.
Sources
Sources checked October 6, 2026.