EU Clocks Move Forward as Daylight Saving Time Begins
Brussels: Clocks across EU countries, including Ireland, advanced by one hour early this morning as daylight saving time (DST) took effect. At 1:00 AM, clocks were adjusted to 2:00 AM, resulting in a one-hour delay in sunrise and sunset. This time adjustment will remain in place until October 26.
Switch to Irish Summer Time (IST)
As part of the annual transition to Irish Summer Time (IST), clocks in Ireland are moved forward by one hour at the start of summer. While smartphones, tablets, and computers update automatically, analogue clocks must be adjusted manually. The shift marks the official change from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to IST.
The practice of adjusting clocks was first introduced in 1916 during World War I to conserve energy. Under EU regulations, all 27 member states follow a standardised system, moving clocks forward on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.
However, the European Parliament voted in 2019 to abolish seasonal clock changes, though no final legislation has been enacted. Similar discussions continue in the United States, where President Donald Trump expressed support for ending daylight saving time in December.
Countries That Have Abandoned Daylight Saving Time
Several countries have chosen to eliminate seasonal time changes. Notably:
- Hawaii and most of Arizona have not observed DST since World War II.
- Russia adopted permanent daylight saving time in 2011 but reverted to permanent standard time in 2014 after public dissatisfaction.
- Azerbaijan, Iran, Syria, Turkey, and Uruguay discontinued DST in the past decade.
- Egypt ceased changing clocks in 2014.
Most nations outside Europe and North America do not observe daylight saving time.
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