Clocks go back on October 25

Summertime officially ends in the early hours of Sunday 25 October when clocks should be turned back an hour, the Cyprus Energy Ministry announced.

At 04.00 hours local time clocks will turn back one hour to 03.00 hours under daylight saving rules.

In EU countries wintertime starts on the last Sunday of October and lasts until the last Sunday of March the following year.

Following a resolution from the European Parliament in 2018, and an EU wide consultation last summer, the EU Commission published a proposal to abolish seasonal clock change from 2021.

While the European Parliament voted in favour of the proposal in March 2019, this is not a final decision.

Negotiation with the Council of Ministers is still necessary and final approval will be a co-decision of the EU Parliament and the Council of Ministers.

The clocks are put back every year heading into winter to allow people to start and finish their working day an hour earlier, allowing them to have an extra hour of daylight after work.

However, it also means that people have an hour less daylight at the start of each day, which can be less practical in the winter.

Daylight Savings Time (DST) is also seen as an effective way of reducing energy consumption, with claims people will use less light and heat, although this logic has been disputed.