Germany to Return to Winter Time on Oct. 24–25 as British Columbia Ends Clock Changes

Overview

• Germany will set clocks back one hour from 3:00 to 2:00 in the night of Oct. 24–25, 2026, returning the country to standard (winter) time.
• British Columbia moved earlier in 2026 to abolish the semi‑annual shift and will remain on a single year‑round time, changing local planning for businesses and families.
• The European Commission has published daylight‑saving start and end dates through 2031 under existing rules because EU member states in the Council have not agreed on ending seasonal clock changes.
• Technical systems in Germany use the Physikalisch‑Technische Bundesanstalt’s atomic time and radio‑controlled clocks to update automatically while transport operators follow specific procedures to avoid timetable chaos.
• Research shows only small net energy savings from the shift and that about a third of people report sleep or mood problems after clock changes, prompting health experts to advise gradual bedtime shifts and more daytime light exposure.