Clocks spring forward to summer time in March, but when exactly?

And when do the clocks go back again? Well, it will be 27 October 2024, to adapt to winter time

SUR

Malaga

Tuesday, 5 March 2024, 10:50

The month of March arrives along with the usual time change that will force us to put our clocks forward one hour for the so-called summer time.

The clocks are changed twice a year, in theory with the aim of adjusting the hours of sunlight to the working day and thus saving more energy. It is compulsory in European Union countries.

In Spain, the Official State Gazette (BOE) on 15 March 2022 published the seasonal changes for the coming years. The BOE periodically publishes this time change for the whole of Spain, as do all other EU countries, and it will continue until at least 2026.

When will the next time change affect us then?

On the Spanish mainland it will be in the early hours of Saturday 30 to Sunday 31 March 2024. At 2am we will need to move our clocks forward one hour, and it will be 3am and an hour of sleep is lost in exchange for 'gaining' an hour of sunlight.

The change in the hour is part of EU Directive 200/84CE and although both the European Parliament and the Commission have spoken out in favour of eliminating time changes in the future, there is still no final decision on the matter.

In 1999 the European Commission argued that the measure benefits sectors such as transport and communications and is also advantageous in terms of road safety, working conditions, health, tourism and leisure.

Public survey

Then in 2018 the same institution held a public survey among all EU citizens in which more than 80% of the 4.6 million who responded were in favour of doing away with the changes to the hour. The Commission then proposed that the hour should remain the same all year, but a lack of consensus among EU states and the studies into the impact of the measure meant the decision was delayed until 2021.

However, nothing was done about it last year either, and so here we are again, about to change the hour and try to adjust to the difference accordingly.

So, when will the clocks go back again? Well, it will be 27 October 2024, to adapt to winter time.

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