In London on 14 December 2026 Maghrib is at 15:54, and Fajr to Maghrib is only 9h 59m. Asr begins at 13:35 by the standard (Mithl 1) reckoning, which leaves 2h 19m until Maghrib. Winter in the UK compresses the afternoon prayers into a short window, and that raises practical questions about work, school and the commute. This guide puts real published times beside each other for London, Manchester and Edinburgh, so you can plan your day.
Every time here is the time we publish on our city pages for that date. This is a planning guide, not a religious ruling. Follow your local mosque's timetable for the times you pray.
London, November to February#
London's prayer times between mid-November and the start of February. The times to 31 December 2026 are our calculated times; from 1 January 2027 London shows the London Unified Prayer Timetable, so the January and February rows come from that source. Our guide to why UK prayer times differ explains how the two are made.
London | Fajr | Sunrise | Dhuhr | Asr (Mithl 1) | Asr (Mithl 2) | Maghrib | Isha |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
15 Nov 2026 | 05:21 | 07:18 | 11:50 | 13:49 | 14:23 | 16:14 | 18:02 |
14 Dec 2026 | 05:55 | 07:59 | 12:00 | 13:35 | 14:05 | 15:54 | 17:49 |
21 Dec 2026 | 06:00 | 08:04 | 12:04 | 13:38 | 14:07 | 15:56 | 17:51 |
15 Jan 2027 | 06:20 | 07:57 | 12:15 | 14:03 | 14:35 | 16:23 | 18:00 |
1 Feb 2027 | 05:59 | 07:36 | 12:19 | 14:27 | 15:03 | 16:52 | 18:28 |
Of the dates shown, sunrise is latest on 21 December (08:04), and Maghrib is earliest on 14 December (15:54, against 15:56 on 21 December). The evenings start to draw out before the shortest day, which is 21 December.
How short the afternoon gets#
The gap between Dhuhr and Maghrib is what matters for the afternoon prayers. This table compares three cities on 14 December 2026, using Mithl 1 and Mithl 2 for Asr, as we show both on every city page.
14 December 2026 | Dhuhr to Asr (Mithl 1) | Asr (Mithl 1) to Maghrib | Asr (Mithl 2) to Maghrib | Maghrib to Isha | Fajr to Maghrib |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
London | 1h 35m | 2h 19m | 1h 49m | 1h 55m | 9h 59m |
Manchester | 1h 25m | 2h 18m | 1h 50m | 2h 01m | 9h 45m |
Edinburgh | 1h 13m | 2h 16m | 1h 51m | 2h 11m | 9h 26m |
In Edinburgh the window between Asr (Mithl 1) and Maghrib is 2h 16m, against 2h 19m in London and 2h 18m in Manchester. The two Asr conventions are 30 min apart in London and 25 min apart in Edinburgh on that date, so which one your mosque follows moves Asr by about half an hour. On the other side of the day, Maghrib to Isha is 1h 55m in London and 2h 11m in Edinburgh on that date.
Winter fasts are short#
Voluntary fasts, such as Mondays and Thursdays, are far shorter in winter than in summer. This is the fast from Fajr to Maghrib in London on each date:
London | Fajr to Maghrib | Sunrise to Maghrib |
|---|---|---|
15 Nov 2026 | 10h 53m | 8h 56m |
14 Dec 2026 | 9h 59m | 7h 55m |
21 Dec 2026 | 9h 56m | 7h 52m |
15 Jan 2027 | 10h 03m | 8h 26m |
1 Feb 2027 | 10h 53m | 9h 16m |
On 15 June 2027 the same fast is 18h 40m in London, about 1.9 times as long as on 14 December 2026. Our guide to Islamic dates in 2027 gives the summer figures for Arafah and Ashura.
Combining prayers: what the hadith says#
Short winter days lead many people to ask whether prayers can be combined. We do not rule on this, we publish no combined-prayer times, and each prayer on our site keeps its own time. The hadith that is usually discussed is in Sahih Muslim (705): Ibn Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ "combined the noon prayer with the afternoon prayer and the sunset prayer with the 'Isha' prayer in Medina without being in a state of danger or rainfall." Asked why, Ibn Abbas replied that it was "so that his Ummah should not be put to (unnecessary) hardship."
When combining is allowed, and what this hadith means for the UK, is a question for a qualified scholar. Ask your mosque, and follow the guidance it gives.
Practical points#
Check Asr. Which Asr time your mosque follows (Mithl 1 or Mithl 2) decides when the afternoon window opens. We show both.
Dhuhr and Maghrib include small margins. The published Dhuhr is the astronomical midday plus 5 minutes, and Maghrib is sunset plus 3 minutes. The city page shows the sunset time too. See the methodology page.
Clocks. The times above are in GMT. They move to BST on 28 March 2027.
Your own city. Pick any date on your city page to see the times for that day.
Frequently asked questions#
What time is Maghrib in the UK in December?#
In London it is 15:54 on 14 December 2026. In Manchester it is 15:52 and in Edinburgh 15:41.
When is the earliest Maghrib of the year?#
Around mid-December. Of the dates shown above, 14 December has the earliest Maghrib in all three cities.
How long is a fast in a UK winter?#
9h 59m in London on 14 December 2026, from Fajr to Maghrib.
When does Asr start in winter?#
In London on 14 December 2026, at 13:35 (Mithl 1) or 14:05 (Mithl 2).
Can I combine prayers in winter?#
That is a question of fiqh, so we leave it to your scholar. We show each prayer at its own time.
Why are the January times different?#
From 1 January 2027 London shows the London Unified Prayer Timetable, so its January figures come from that source rather than from our calculation.
