The summer time change in March 2023 is approaching, and with it comes the usual questions.
When will the time change be? Should the clocks be set forward or back? What is the purpose of the summer time change?
The summer time changeover always takes place in the early hours of the last Sunday in March. So this year, the change will take place on the night of Saturday 25 to Sunday 26 March 2023.
At 2 a.m., the hands of the clock must be moved forward sixty minutes to 3 a.m. This change affects the whole of Spain except the Canary Islands, which will change at 1 a.m. The changeover will take place at 1 a.m.
The purpose of the change to summer time
The idea behind the time change is to make the working day coincide with daylight hours in order to save energy.
Entering daylight saving time means that there will be no daylight in the early morning, as the sun will rise later, but in return, it will get darker later and therefore there will be more daylight hours towards the evening.
In addition to daylight saving time, there will also be an entry into spring during the same week.
This change will mean an advance in the time at which the sun rises, from 8:00 am in the middle of winter to 7:45 am after the time change. Sunset, on the other hand, will be moved back one hour, from 19:09 to 20:10.
Adjusting clocks and devices
Automatic time change on smart devices is now common practice.
When the clock strikes 1:59 a.m., in the next minute, the device will jump straight to 3 o’clock.
Although this task may seem trivial, it is important not to forget to change non-smart clocks or those that do not adjust automatically to avoid confusion when waking up.
It is important to remember that this practice will not be the last time it occurs, unless it is decided otherwise.
The time change in Barcelona, as elsewhere in Europe and in some countries in other parts of the world, is due to the adoption of summer time and winter time.
In Europe, daylight saving time starts on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October.
During daylight saving time, the clock is put forward one hour, so in Barcelona, at 2:00 a.m. on the last Sunday in March 2023, the clock will be put forward one hour to 3:00 a.m.
This change is also positive to encourage energy saving and reduce electricity consumption.
