Time Travel Tonight

[not2easy]

For most states in the USA, this is time travel eve, at 2 AM it becomes 3 AM without much fanfare. Yes, mornings will be darker, but evenings will stay light longer. As far as I know, Arizona is the only state that does not change across the entire state, though there are other states that don't change at all such as Hawaii.

Do any other countries go through this confusion twice a year?

[lucy24]

Damn. I'd forgotten all about that. At least my son is grown up and doesn't have to go to school in the dark.

Last year my state passed a ballot measure that will make it harder to go off DST, should the state ever wish to do so. The measure was so bizarrely worded, and its advertising so badly written--perhaps intentionally--that some voters actually thought they were voting to end DST.

Do any other countries go through this confusion twice a year?

I think most of Europe does.

[Dimitri]

Do any other countries go through this confusion twice a year?

[upload.wikimedia.org...]

In blue, this is all countries/lands which are observing daylight saving.
In orange, countries/lands which , in the past, where changing time too, but no longer.
In red, those who never observed time change.

I think most of Europe does.

All yes, but, not for long. It has been acted that members of the European Union, will stop changing time. Now, countries have to decide which time they will keep "individually". So, actually almost all countries in the EU are on the same time zone (some are ahead, some are late, but most are on the same time zone). Tomorrow, it's possible that all get mixed, since some countries might choose winter time, and others summer times. Example, Germany and France might be at the same time, and Belgium on a different time... but may be Europeans will be smart for once, and opt for the same time for everybody...

[lucy24]

! That map makes me remember something blindingly obvious which it's easy to forget: The northern and southern hemispheres have different summers. So with DST, you can have two places ostensibly in the same time zone (North vs South America, Europe vs Africa, Asia vs Australia), but for at least 2/3 of the year, one of the two will be an hour later than the other.

The idea of Antarctica ever using DST is just too silly for words.

[not2easy]

Time Zones aren't quite the same a longitudes though, they do not seem to traverse continents. Re: Antarctica - lol indeed.

[tangor]

Sadly ... I need six or eight of these in a row to catch up on lost sleep working the web...

[jmccormac]

It seemed a few years ago that German politicians wanted everyone on Berlin Time and the European Commission tried to get Summer Time abolished (Ireland and the UK use it). Think that was before the UK decided to vote for Brexit and leave the European Union. Needless to say, Ireland is not in the same time zone as Berlin and the move didn't get much support. If that little brainfart had gone through, there would effectively have been two time zones on the island of Ireland. Didn't do the reputation of the European Commission much good.

Regards...jmcc

[Dimitri]

two time zones on the island of Ireland

I know it's not the same, but for example Portugal and Spain are not on the same time zone either.

[jmccormac]

Spain is quite a large country compared to Ireland and Portugal though. The split zones in Ireland would be vertical(ish) so that most of the South of the island would be in one time zone and most of the North-East in another. Then the North West of the island would be in the same time zone as the South. Things were better when it was just the European Economic Community rather than the European Union being run by a bunch of unelected bureaucrats.

All this getting up early in the morning thing is quite confusing especially when people keep changing the definition of "morning". :)

Regards...jmcc