Four in the morning belongs to farming, fishing and haulage. Milking parlours are running in the dairy counties, boats leave harbour on the tide, and long-distance drivers are already on the M6 in order to be at a depot before the day's traffic builds.
At midsummer this hour is genuinely light in Britain. Sunrise in northern Scotland can come before half past four in late June, and the dawn chorus is well under way in the south long before five. In December it is pitch black and will stay that way for another four hours.
Most people counting towards 4 am are setting an alarm rather than waiting up for something — an early flight, a race start, a marathon coach, or a shift that begins before the first trains run. Working out the wait to the exact minute makes the difference between a rushed departure and a calm one.
Common questions
Is it light at 4 am in the UK?
In late June, yes, particularly in Scotland where sunrise can come before half past four. In December it is completely dark.
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