Clocks go back by one hour in Europe as summer time ends

Clocks in Europe go back by one hour at 3 am on Sunday morning, when summer time ends in most European countries.

From then, Germany and Central Europe will observe Central European Time (CET), which is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) instead of Central European Summer Time (CEST), which was two hours ahead of GMT.

GMT is also known as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

The clock change was reintroduced in Germany in 1980 to save energy. The aim is better use of daylight. Standard time, also called winter time, will apply until March 28.

The German National Metrology Institute (PTB) science in the northern city of Braunschweig is responsible for the automatic clock changes in Germany.

Experts at the institute ensure that radio-controlled clocks, station clocks and many industrial clocks are supplied with the signal via a long-wave transmitter called DCF77 in Mainflingen near Frankfurt.