British Summer Time
Encyclopedia
Western European Summer Time (WEST) is a summer daylight saving time
scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time
. It is used in the following places:
Western European Summer Time is also known locally, in the countries concerned, as:
The scheme runs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October each year. At both the start and end of the schemes, clock changes take place at 01:00 UTC. During the winter, Greenwich Mean Time
(UTC+0
) is used.
The start and end dates of the scheme are somewhat asymmetrical in terms of daylight hours: the vernal
time of year with a similar amount of daylight to late October is mid-February, well before the start of summer time. The asymmetry reflects temperature more than the length of daylight.
Ireland does not observe a summer time, but rather observes Standard Time during the summer months and changes to UTC+0
for the purposes of Daylight Savings. However, as Ireland's winter time period begins on the last Sunday in October and finishes on the last Sunday in March, the result is the same.
(CET
) and from 1968 clocks were not turned back one hour during winter.
The subsequent Standard Time (Amendment) Act, 1971 effectively reversed this, and from 1971 returned winter time to UTC+0
(Western European Time
); it did not however change the names of the Irish summer time zone, which are still, officially, Irish Standard Time (IST) and Am Caighdeánach na hÉireann (ACÉ).
moved to Central European Time and Central European Summer Time in 1992, but reverted to Western European Time in 1996 after concluding that energy savings were small, it had a disturbing effect on children's sleeping habits as it would not get dark until 22:00 or 22:30 in summer evenings with repercussions on standards of learning and school performance, and insurance companies reported a rise in the number of accidents.
. In February 2002, the Summer Time Order 2002 permanently changed the dates and times to match European rules for moving to and from daylight saving time.
Note: Until 1 October 1916 time in all of Ireland was based on Dublin Mean Time
which was GMT − 25 minutes.
Daylight saving time
Daylight saving time —also summer time in several countries including in British English and European official terminology —is the practice of temporarily advancing clocks during the summertime so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less...
scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
. It is used in the following places:
- the Canary IslandsCanary IslandsThe Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
- PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
(including MadeiraMadeiraMadeira is a Portuguese archipelago that lies between and , just under 400 km north of Tenerife, Canary Islands, in the north Atlantic Ocean and an outermost region of the European Union...
but not the AzoresAzoresThe Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
) - IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
- the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- the British Crown dependencies
- the Faroe IslandsFaroe IslandsThe Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
Western European Summer Time is also known locally, in the countries concerned, as:
- British Summer TimeBritish Summer TimeWestern European Summer Time is a summer daylight saving time scheme, 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used in the following places:* the Canary Islands* Portugal * Ireland...
(BST) in the United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. - Irish Standard Time (IST) ( (ACÉ)) in IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. Also sometimes erroneously referred to as "Irish Summer Time" .
The scheme runs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October each year. At both the start and end of the schemes, clock changes take place at 01:00 UTC. During the winter, Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...
(UTC+0
UTC+0
UTC±0 is the following time:*Coordinated Universal Time, the basis for the world's civil time, occasionally referred to by the name of its predecessor, Greenwich Mean Time.*Western European Time .-As standard time :...
) is used.
The start and end dates of the scheme are somewhat asymmetrical in terms of daylight hours: the vernal
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
time of year with a similar amount of daylight to late October is mid-February, well before the start of summer time. The asymmetry reflects temperature more than the length of daylight.
Ireland does not observe a summer time, but rather observes Standard Time during the summer months and changes to UTC+0
UTC+0
UTC±0 is the following time:*Coordinated Universal Time, the basis for the world's civil time, occasionally referred to by the name of its predecessor, Greenwich Mean Time.*Western European Time .-As standard time :...
for the purposes of Daylight Savings. However, as Ireland's winter time period begins on the last Sunday in October and finishes on the last Sunday in March, the result is the same.
Usage
The following countries and territories use Western European Summer Time during the summer, between 1:00 UTC on the last Sunday of March and 1:00 UTC on the last Sunday of October.- Canary IslandsCanary IslandsThe Canary Islands , also known as the Canaries , is a Spanish archipelago located just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Morocco and the Western Sahara. The Canaries are a Spanish autonomous community and an outermost region of the European Union...
, regularly since 1980 (rest of Spain is CESTCentral European Summer TimeCentral European Summer Time is one of the names of the Daylight saving time offset using the UTC offset of UTC+02:00, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used as a summer daylight saving time in most European countries. During the winter, Central European Time is used...
, i.e. UTC+2UTC+2UTC+02 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +02. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as . This time is used in:-Central Africa Time:*Botswana*Burundi*Democratic Republic of the Congo...
) - Faroe IslandsFaroe IslandsThe Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, regularly since 1981 - IrelandRepublic of IrelandIreland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
- 1916–1939 summers IST
- 1940–1946 all year IST
- 1947–1968 summers IST
- 1968–1971 all year IST
- 1972– summers IST
- PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
- 1977–1992 WEST
- 1993–1995 CESTCentral European Summer TimeCentral European Summer Time is one of the names of the Daylight saving time offset using the UTC offset of UTC+02:00, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. It is used as a summer daylight saving time in most European countries. During the winter, Central European Time is used...
- 1996– WEST (except AzoresAzoresThe Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
, UTC)
- The United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- 1916–1939 summers BST
- 1940–1945 all year BST (1941–1945 summers BDST=BST+1)
- 1946 summer BST
- 1947 summer BST (1947 summer BDST=BST+1)
- 1948–1968 summers BST
- 1968–1971 all year BST
- 1972– summers BST
Ireland
The Standard Time Act 1968 stipulated that standard time is UTC+1UTC+1
UTC+01:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +01:00. In ISO 8601 the associated time would be written as .This time is used in:*Central European Time*West Africa Time*Western European Summer Time**British Summer Time**Irish Standard Time...
(CET
Central European Time
Central European Time , used in most parts of the European Union, is a standard time that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time . The time offset from UTC can be written as +01:00...
) and from 1968 clocks were not turned back one hour during winter.
The subsequent Standard Time (Amendment) Act, 1971 effectively reversed this, and from 1971 returned winter time to UTC+0
UTC+0
UTC±0 is the following time:*Coordinated Universal Time, the basis for the world's civil time, occasionally referred to by the name of its predecessor, Greenwich Mean Time.*Western European Time .-As standard time :...
(Western European Time
Western European Time
Western European Time , defined legally as Greenwich Mean Time in the United Kingdom, is the time zone covering parts of western and northwestern Europe, and includes the following countries and regions:...
); it did not however change the names of the Irish summer time zone, which are still, officially, Irish Standard Time (IST) and Am Caighdeánach na hÉireann (ACÉ).
Portugal
PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
moved to Central European Time and Central European Summer Time in 1992, but reverted to Western European Time in 1996 after concluding that energy savings were small, it had a disturbing effect on children's sleeping habits as it would not get dark until 22:00 or 22:30 in summer evenings with repercussions on standards of learning and school performance, and insurance companies reported a rise in the number of accidents.
United Kingdom
Starting in 1916, the dates for the beginning and end of BST each year were mandated by the Parliament of the United KingdomParliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. In February 2002, the Summer Time Order 2002 permanently changed the dates and times to match European rules for moving to and from daylight saving time.
Start and end dates of British Summer Time and Irish Standard Time
| Summer | Begins (GMT) | Ends (GMT) | UK Notes | Ireland Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Sun 31 March 01:00 | Sun 27 October 01:00 | ||
| 2012 | Sun 25 March 01:00 | Sun 28 October 01:00 | ||
| 2011 | Sun 27 March 01:00 | Sun 30 October 01:00 | ||
| 2010 | Sun 28 March 01:00 | Sun 31 October 01:00 | ||
| 2009 | Sun 29 March 01:00 | Sun 25 October 01:00 | ||
| 2008 | Sun 30 March 01:00 | Sun 26 October 01:00 | ||
| 2007 | Sun 25 March 01:00 | Sun 28 October 01:00 | ||
| 2006 | Sun 26 March 01:00 | Sun 29 October 01:00 | ||
| 2005 | Sun 27 March 01:00 | Sun 30 October 01:00 | ||
| 2004 | Sun 28 March 01:00 | Sun 31 October 01:00 | ||
| 2003 | Sun 30 March 01:00 | Sun 26 October 01:00 | ||
| 2002 | Sun 31 March 01:00 | Sun 27 October 01:00 | UK adopts EU practice | Ireland adopts EU Practice |
| 2001 | Sun 25 March 01:00 | Sun 28 October 01:00 | ||
| 2000 | Sun 26 March 01:00 | Sun 29 October 01:00 | ||
| 1999 | Sun 28 March 01:00 | Sun 31 October 01:00 | ||
| 1998 | Sun 29 March 01:00 | Sun 25 October 01:00 | ||
| 1997 | Sun 30 March 01:00 | Sun 26 October 01:00 | ||
| 1996 | Sun 31 March 01:00 | Sun 27 October 01:00 | ||
| 1995 | Sun 26 March 01:00 | Sun 22 October 01:00 | ||
| 1994 | Sun 27 March 01:00 | Sun 23 October 01:00 | ||
| 1993 | Sun 28 March 01:00 | Sun 24 October 01:00 | ||
| 1992 | Sun 29 March 01:00 | Sun 25 October 01:00 | ||
| 1991 | Sun 31 March 01:00 | Sun 27 October 01:00 | ||
| 1990 | Sun 25 March 01:00 | Sun 28 October 01:00 | ||
| 1989 | Sun 26 March 01:00 | Sun 29 October 01:00 | ||
| 1988 | Sun 27 March 01:00 | Sun 23 October 01:00 | ||
| 1987 | Sun 29 March 01:00 | Sun 25 October 01:00 | ||
| 1986 | Sun 30 March 01:00 | Sun 26 October 01:00 | ||
| 1985 | Sun 31 March 01:00 | Sun 27 October 01:00 | ||
| 1984 | Sun 25 March 01:00 | Sun 28 October 01:00 | ||
| 1983 | Sun 27 March 01:00 | Sun 23 October 01:00 | ||
| 1982 | Sun 28 March 01:00 | Sun 24 October 01:00 | ||
| 1981 | Sun 29 March 01:00 | Sun 25 October 01:00 | ||
| 1980 | Sun 16 March 02:00 | Sun 26 October 02:00 | ||
| 1979 | Sun 18 March 02:00 | Sun 28 October 02:00 | ||
| 1978 | Sun 19 March 02:00 | Sun 29 October 02:00 | ||
| 1977 | Sun 20 March 02:00 | Sun 23 October 02:00 | ||
| 1976 | Sun 21 March 02:00 | Sun 24 October 02:00 | ||
| 1975 | Sun 16 March 02:00 | Sun 26 October 02:00 | ||
| 1974 | Sun 17 March 02:00 | Sun 27 October 02:00 | ||
| 1973 | Sun 18 March 02:00 | Sun 28 October 02:00 | ||
| 1972 | Sun 19 March 02:00 | Sun 29 October 02:00 | ||
| 1971 | Sun 31 October 02:00 | BST all year ends | IST all year ends | |
| 1970 | BST all year | IST all year | ||
| 1969 | BST all year | IST all year | ||
| 1968 | Sun 18 February 01:00 | BST all year begins | IST all year begins | |
| 1967 | Sun 19 March 02:00 | Sun 29 October 02:00 | ||
| 1966 | Sun 20 March 02:00 | Sun 23 October 02:00 | ||
| 1965 | Sun 21 March 02:00 | Sun 24 October 02:00 | ||
| 1964 | Sun 22 March 02:00 | Sun 25 October 02:00 | ||
| 1963 | Sun 31 March 02:00 | Sun 27 October 02:00 | ||
| 1962 | Sun 25 March 02:00 | Sun 28 October 02:00 | ||
| 1961 | Sun 26 March 02:00 | Sun 29 October 02:00 | ||
| 1960 | Sun 10 April 02:00 | Sun 2 October 02:00 | ||
| 1959 | Sun 12 April 02:00 | Sun 4 October 02:00 | ||
| 1958 | Sun 20 April 02:00 | Sun 5 October 02:00 | ||
| 1957 | Sun 14 April 02:00 | Sun 6 October 02:00 | ||
| 1956 | Sun 22 April 02:00 | Sun 7 October 02:00 | ||
| 1955 | Sun 17 April 02:00 | Sun 2 October 02:00 | ||
| 1954 | Sun 11 April 02:00 | Sun 3 October 02:00 | ||
| 1953 | Sun 19 April 02:00 | Sun 4 October 02:00 | ||
| 1952 | Sun 20 April 02:00 | Sun 26 October 02:00 | ||
| 1951 | Sun 15 April 02:00 | Sun 21 October 02:00 | ||
| 1950 | Sun 16 April 02:00 | Sun 29 October 02:00 | ||
| 1949 | Sun 3 April 02:00 | Sun 30 October 02:00 | ||
| 1948 | Sun 14 March 02:00 | Sun 31 October 02:00 | ||
| 1947 | Sun 2 November 02:00 | Back to GMT | Back to GMT | |
| 1947 | Sun 13 April 02:00 | Sun 10 August 02:00 | BDST (2 hours ahead) | IST / no DST |
| 1947 | Sun 16 March 02:00 | BST begins | IST begins | |
| 1946 | Sun 14 April 02:00 | Sun 6 October 02:00 | Back to GMT (Oct) | Back to GMT (Oct) |
| 1945 | Sun 7 October 02:00 | Back to GMT | IST | |
| 1945 | Mon 2 April 01:00 | Sun 15 July 01:00 | BDST (2 hours ahead) | IST / no DST |
| 1944 | Sun 2 April 01:00 | Sun 17 September 01:00 | BDST (2 hours ahead) | IST / no DST |
| 1943 | Sun 4 April 01:00 | Sun 15 August 01:00 | BDST (2 hours ahead) | IST / no DST |
| 1942 | Sun 5 April 01:00 | Sun 9 August 01:00 | BDST (2 hours ahead) | IST / no DST |
| 1941 | Sun 4 May 01:00 | Sun 10 August 01:00 | BDST (2 hours ahead) | IST / no DST |
| 1940 | Sun 25 February 02:00 | BST 1940–1945 Military history of the United Kingdom during World War II Britain along with most of its dominions and Crown colonies, and British India, declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939. War with Japan began in 1941, after it attacked British colonies in Asia... |
IST 1940–1946 | |
| 1939 | Sun 16 April 02:00 | Sun 19 November 02:00 | ||
| 1938 | Sun 10 April 02:00 | Sun 2 October 02:00 | ||
| 1937 | Sun 18 April 02:00 | Sun 3 October 02:00 | ||
| 1936 | Sun 19 April 02:00 | Sun 4 October 02:00 | ||
| 1935 | Sun 14 April 02:00 | Sun 6 October 02:00 | ||
| 1934 | Sun 22 April 02:00 | Sun 7 October 02:00 | ||
| 1933 | Sun 9 April 02:00 | Sun 8 October 02:00 | ||
| 1932 | Sun 17 April 02:00 | Sun 2 October 02:00 | ||
| 1930 | Sun 13 April 02:00 | Sun 5 October 02:00 | ||
| 1929 | Sun 21 April 02:00 | Sun 6 October 02:00 | ||
| 1928 | Sun 22 April 02:00 | Sun 7 October 02:00 | ||
| 1927 | Sun 10 April 02:00 | Sun 2 October 02:00 | ||
| 1926 | Sun 18 April 02:00 | Sun 3 October 02:00 | ||
| 1925 | Sun 19 April 02:00 | Sun 4 October 02:00 | ||
| 1924 | Sun 13 April 02:00 | Sun 21 September 02:00 | ||
| 1923 | Sun 22 April 02:00 | Sun 16 September 02:00 | ||
| 1922 | Sun 26 March 02:00 | Sun 8 October 02:00 | ||
| 1921 | Sun 3 April 02:00 | Sun 3 October 02:00 | ||
| 1920 | Sun 28 March 02:00 | Sun 25 October 02:00 | ||
| 1919 | Sun 30 March 02:00 | Sun 29 September 02:00 | ||
| 1918 | Sun 24 March 02:00 | Sun 30 September 02:00 | ||
| 1917 | Sun 8 April 02:00 | Sun 17 September 02:00 | ||
| 1916 | Sun 21 May 02:00 | Sun 1 October 02:00 | Abolition of DMT |
Note: Until 1 October 1916 time in all of Ireland was based on Dublin Mean Time
UTC-0:25
UTC−00:25 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −00:25.UTC−00:25 was used in Ireland as Dublin Mean Time.Dublin Mean Time was introduced by the Statutes Act, 1880, which also defined Greenwich Mean Time as legal time in Great Britain. This Act replaced local mean time, which had been...
which was GMT − 25 minutes.
Further reading
- Prerau, David. Saving the Daylight: Why We Put the Clocks Forward (ISBN 1-86207-796-7) — The Story of Summer Time/Daylight Saving Time with a focus on the UK
External links
- A Brief History of BST/DST
- History of legal time in Britain
- BBC News report: Safety call as clocks go back.
- BBC News report: Tundra time call in clocks debate.
- UK Government Report: Overview of the pros and cons of British Summer Time.
- RoSPA Press Release: RoSPA calls for switch to lighter nights to save lives
- BST FAQ
- Official British Government site listing Summer time dates for 2006–2011 inclusive (Updated March 2008)
- Dates when BST began and ended
- UNIX 'zoneinfo' file for Europe: as well as including a full set of dates for all European countries, it includes many comments on the history of DST in those countries.