Brazil Postpones Beginning of DST (Canceled)
By Konstantin Bikos. Published 4-Oct-2018. Changed 16-Oct-2018
The Brazilian authorities have moved the beginning of Daylight Saving Time (DST) from November 4 to November 18, 2018 to avoid interference with a nationwide university exam.
Update: DST Not Postponed after All
The Brazilian authorities announced on October 15, 2018 that the beginning of Daylight Saving Time (DST) will not be postponed after all. Clocks will be advanced by 1 hour at 00:00 (12:00 midnight) on November 4, 2018, as previously planned.
The following information is therefore outdated.
University of São Paulo, Brazil
©iStockphoto.com/Alfribeiro
Two Weeks Later
According to the announcement, the DST period in Brazil will begin at 00:00 (12:00 midnight) on November 18, 2018. The clock change was initially scheduled for November 4.
Only some parts of Brazil have time changes (see below). Clocks in these areas will be advanced by 1 hour as DST begins.
Avoid Interference with University Exam
The deferral is designed to prevent the clock change from coinciding with the Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM), a nationwide high school exam scheduled for November 4-11.
The beginning of DST shortens the night by one hour, resulting in less sleep, potential health risks, and putting even more strain on students trying to prepare for Brazil's most important university entrance exam.
States Using DST in Brazil
Only some Brazilian states observe yearly clock changes. They are:
- São Paulo
- Rio de Janeiro
- Distrito Federal
- Santa Catarina
- Paraná
- Goiás
- Rio Grande do Sul
- Mato Grosso Do Sul
- Espírito Santo
- Minas Gerais
- Mato Grosso (with some exceptions)
Time in Brazil
Brazil has four time zones, stretching from UTC-2 to UTC-5 (standard time):
- UTC-2: includes areas such as the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha.
- UTC-3: this is largest time zone, comprising eastern and central areas, and including all states bordering the Atlantic coast (except some islands), from Pará and Amapá in the north to Rio Grande do Sul in the south; includes the Brazilian Federal District with the capital Brasilia.
- UTC-4: includes the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia, Roraima, and most of Amazonas.
- UTC-5: comprises the state of Acre and the westernmost part of Amazonas (west of Tabatinga / Porto Acre).