Clocks will go one hour back at 4:00 am to start Daylight saving time

Daylight saving time (DST) for 2024 will end early morning of Sunday, October 27.

Cyprus will switch to winter time with clocks moving back one hour from 4:00 am to 3:00 am on October 27. Residents are instructed to turn their clocks back by one hour.

The time change follows the European Union’s daylight saving system, which aims to better utilise daylight hours for energy conservation.

Summer time operates for seven months in Europe, while winter time (or solar time) begins on the last Sunday of October and continues for five months.

This practice, which has roots dating back to the early 20th century, was first implemented on a national scale by Germany in 1916 as a wartime measure to conserve coal during World War I. The concept quickly spread to other countries, and despite fluctuations in its adoption during the interwar period, it saw widespread reintroduction during World War II.

Since 2002, all EU countries have observed DST from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October.

While about 70 countries worldwide currently use DST in some form, its efficacy and necessity are increasingly debated. Some regions have begun to abolish the practice, citing studies that question its energy-saving benefits and noting potential negative health impacts.