Daylight Saving Time (or Summer Time as it is called in many countries) will start this weekend!


When in the morning?

In the EU, on Sunday, March 30, clocks change at 3:00 a.m. Universal Time. Clocks are turned forward from 2:59 a.m. to 4:00 a.m., marking the beginning of Daylight Saving Time. Summer Time in the EU will end on Sunday, October 26.

In the U.S., DST started at 2:00 a.m. local time on March 9, Americans turned their clocks forward one hour. Clocks went forward from 1:59 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.


Next year Summer Time in the EU will start on Sunday, March 29 at 2:59**

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** On August 8, 2005, President George W. Bush signed the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This Act changed the time change dates for Daylight Saving Time in the U.S. Beginning in 2007, DST will begin on the second Sunday of March and end the first Sunday of November.

Turkey Considers Daylight Saving All Year Round

Turkey will turn its clocks forward by one hour at 3am on March 30, 2008. However, it is uncertain as to if the nation will remain on daylight saving time throughout the year. This uncertainty was sparked by Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler, who announced in March 2008 that the government considered implementing daylight saving time all year round, according to Anatolian Agency.

Debate among Government Agencies

After a meeting in Ankara, the Energy Minister told reporters about plans to implement daylight saving time all year round, although no decision has been made yet. Guler’s proposition sparked a reaction from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, which objected to the proposal, saying that such a plan would increase the time difference between Turkey and other countries in Europe and could have negative effect on trade relations.

Uncertainty on When Daylight Saving Ends

Turkey will observe daylight saving time on March 30, 2008, when the clocks move forward by one hour at 3am. Turkey will then be on Eastern European Summer Time (EEST), which is three hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). However, no date has yet been set as to when daylight saving time will end.

In the past, clocks were normally set back by one hour on the last weekend of October. However, the Turkish Cabinet has yet to announce when daylight saving will end in 2008.