Clocks Go Back 1 Hour in Europe Sunday, Oct 30, 2016
By Anne Buckle. Published 21-Sep-2016
Sunday, October 30, 2016, at 01:00 UTC, clocks will be set back 1 hour when Daylight Saving Time (DST) ends in most of Europe.
DST ends in most of Europe Oct 30, 2016.
Lighter Mornings
Sunrise and sunset will be about 1 hour earlier on Sunday, October 30, 2016, than the day before, so there will be more light in the morning as Europe returns to standard time.
USA & Canada end DST Nov 6, 2016
Changes at the Same Time
European countries synchronize their DST, which starts on the last Sunday of March and ends on the last Sunday of October. Participating countries are:
- The European Union (EU), including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, and Bulgaria.
- Most other European countries, including Norway, and Switzerland.
No DST in Russia
Russia does observe use DST. Other European countries that don't use DST include Iceland, Belarus, Georgia, and Armenia.
Turkey Scraps DST
On September 7, 2016, Turkey decided to end DST permanently. Come October 30; Turkey will not set their clocks back 1 hour, but will remain on a UTC offset of plus 3 hours (UTC+3), all year.
The occupied territory of Northern Cyprus will follow mainland Turkey, effectively creating 2 time zones on Cyprus.
Set Clocks Back or Ahead?
To remember which way to set your watch, keep in mind one of these sayings: “Spring forward, fall back” or “Spring ahead, fall behind.” The clocks spring ahead (= losing 1 hour) in the spring when DST starts, and fall behind 1 hour (= gaining 1 hour) when DST ends in the fall.
DST End: European Local Times
| Time Zone during DST | Local Time of DST End | Time Zone after DST (standard time ) |
|---|---|---|
British Summer Time (BST) used in UK and Ireland during summer UTC offset: +1 hour | DST ends at 02:00 (2 am) local time. | UTC offset: None |
Western European Summer Time (WEST) observed in Portugal, Faroe Islands, and the Canary Islands. UTC offset: +1 hour | DST ends at 02:00 (2 am) local time. Clocks are set back one 1 hour to 01:00 (1 am). | UTC offset: None |
Central European Summer Time (CEST), used in countries including France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Norway, Poland, Hungary, and Spain. UTC offset: +2 hours | DST ends at 03:00 (3 am) local time, when clocks are set back 1 hour to 02:00 (2 am). | UTC offset: +1 hour |
Eastern European Summer Time (EEST), observed in countries including Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Latvia, Romania, and most areas in Ukraine. UTC offset: +3 hours | DST ends at 04:00 (4 am) local time, when clocks are set back 1 hour to 03:00 (3 am). | UTC offset: +2 hours |
Most of the western parts of Russia and some parts of Ukraine are in the Moscow time zone, Moscow Standard Time (MSK). UTC offset: UTC +4 hours | UTC offset: UTC +3 hours |