Israel Switches to Winter Time on October 25
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Israel will switch to winter time on Sunday, October 25, 2026, moving clocks back one hour from 2:00 AM to 1:00 AM. This annual change, governed by law, aims to align daily schedules with daylight. The National Physical Laboratory maintains Israel's official time, which will be UTC+2 during winter. Most digital devices will adjust automatically, but manual changes may be needed for older clocks.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel will switch to winter time on Sunday, October 25, 2026, moving clocks back one hour.
- The time change will occur at 2:00 AM, resetting clocks to 1:00 AM.
- The shift is mandated by the Time Calculation Law, last updated in 2013.
- The purpose is to align daily activities with daylight hours, according to Dr. Oleg Popov.
- Israel's official time will be UTC+2 during the winter period.
- Manual adjustment of clocks may be necessary for mechanical and some electronic devices.
Israel will transition to winter time on Sunday, October 25, 2026. At 2:00 AM, clocks will be set back one hour to 1:00 AM, granting Israelis an extra hour of sleep. This change is mandated by the Time Calculation Law, last amended in 2013. The law stipulates that Israel annually shifts to winter time on the last Sunday of October and to summer time on the last Friday of March. The next switch to summer time is scheduled for March 26, 2027.
Dr. Oleg Popov, who oversees time and frequency measurement at the Ministry of Economy and Industry, explained that the primary purpose of seasonal clock changes is to align daily activities with daylight hours. Following the shift to winter time, sunrise will occur an hour earlier by the clock, but it will also get dark earlier.
Israel's official time is maintained by the National Physical Laboratory within the Ministry of Economy and Industry, utilizing three cesium atomic clocks. A specialized system compares Israel's time measurements with those of other countries' national laboratories 86,400 times daily. During winter time, Israel observes UTC+2, and during summer time, UTC+3. While most modern digital devices adjust automatically, mechanical watches and some electronic devices require manual adjustment.
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