Winter time changeover 2024: when will the clock be turned?

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But, like every year, the question arises: Will the clock be set forward or back? Here you will find all the important information about the time change 2024.

When exactly will we turn the clock again?
The changeover to winter time, also known as standard time, occurs every year on the last Sunday in October. In 2024, this date falls on the night of Saturday, October 26, to Sunday, October 27. On this day, all clocks will be set back one hour at 3:00 a.m. (Central European Summer Time). This means that it will be 2:00 a.m. again, and you will gain an extra hour of sleep. This means that summer time ends and standard time, Central European Time (CET), comes back into force. By the way, in spring 2024, on March 31, the clocks were already set forward one hour at 2:00 a.m. to switch to summertime.
Will the clocks be set forward or back?
A question that many people ask themselves every year. The clock is set back one hour for the changeover to wintertime. This means you now “gain back” the hour you “lost” in spring when you switched to summertime. During summertime, the clock is set forward by one hour – so you lose an hour that night. When you switch to wintertime, you gain the hour back, which means you can sleep an hour longer that night.
Since when the time change has existed
The time change was reintroduced in Austria in 1980. This was partly due to the 1973 oil crisis, which provided the impetus to save energy by using daylight better. Since then, the clocks have been changed twice a year – in spring to summer and fall to winter. Daylight saving time was first introduced in Austria in 1916. At that time, during the First World War, the aim was also to save energy. This regulation initially applied until 1920 and was then used again from 1940 to 1948. Daylight saving time was reintroduced in Austria in 1980, and since joining the EU in 1995, Austria has followed the binding regulations of the European Union.
Difference between summer and winter time
Wintertime, also known as standard time, corresponds to Central European Time (CET), which is one hour ahead of Universal Time (UTC+1). In the summertime, on the other hand, the clocks are put forward by one hour so that Central European Summer Time (CEST) applies, which is two hours ahead of Universal Time (UTC+2). The exact period and exact times of the changeover are regulated by an ordinance of the Austrian federal government, which is based on EU directives.

Pros and cons
The time change is regularly discussed in Austria and many other European countries. Some people are in favour of it because they want to save energy by using daylight. Others consider the change disruptive—both for people’s biorhythms and for animals, which often react sensitively to the change in circadian rhythm.