Europe ends daylight saving time, reverts to standard time

Most European countries set their clocks back by one hour at 3 a.m. on Sunday, marking the end of daylight saving time. Germany and other Central European nations have returned to Central European Time, which is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time, replacing Central European Summer Time, which is two hours ahead of GMT.

Germany reintroduced the time change in 1980 to save energy and make better use of daylight.

Standard (winter) time will remain in effect until March 28 next year.

The German National Metrology Institute in Braunschweig, northern Germany, is responsible for automatically adjusting clocks. Experts at the institute send signals to radio-controlled clocks, station clocks, and many industrial clocks via a long-wave transmitter known as DCF77, located in Mainflingen near Frankfurt.