Clocks to go back one hour as Cyprus switches to winter time

Clocks will move one hour back early Sunday morning as Cyprus and the European Union switches to winter time, marking the official transition to the winter season.

At 4:00 am on Sunday, October 26, clocks will move back to 3:00 am, giving residents an extra hour of sleep while noticeably shortening daylight hours.

Scientists note that the time change affects human biological rhythms, potentially causing temporary fatigue and confusion to the body. Sunday was chosen for the adjustment to minimise disruption to work and school schedules.

The biannual time change has been standard practice across the European Union since the 1970s, following the 1973 energy crisis. The system was implemented to conserve energy by maximising the use of natural daylight.

Under current EU regulations, summer time begins on the last Sunday of March, while winter time starts on the last Sunday of October.

Despite previous discussions about abolishing seasonal time changes within the EU, the practice continues throughout member states, including Cyprus.