Time Zone History

Lisbon time zone history

The Lisbon zone has changed its standard time 3 times since 1970, tied second-most among the 13 zones on UTC+0 standard time. In 1942 the clocks were changed 4 times. Clocks were first moved for daylight saving in 1916, tied for the earliest start among the 9 zones on UTC+0 standard time that ever used daylight saving time.

UTC+0

Standard time is UTC+0 (WEST/WET); clocks go forward to UTC+1 on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.

Covers: Mainland Portugal · tz database name Europe/Lisbon

Convert a time from Lisbon

Summer time in 50 of 57 years since 1970

UTC−0:36:45: 37 minutes behind today’s standard timeUTC+0: today’s standard timeUTC+1: 1 hour ahead of today’s standard timeUTC+2: 2 hours ahead of today’s standard timeUTC−0:36:45: 37 minutes behindtoday’s standard timeUTC+0: today’s standard timeUTC+1: 1 hour ahead of today’sstandard timeUTC+2: 2 hours ahead of today’sstandard time

How to read this chart

Before 1970

190019201940196019001940
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec1970198019902000201020202028JFMAMJJASOND1970198019902000201020202028

Standard time changes

DateChangeNew standard timeClock label
Before 1970
December 31, 1911Local mean time (UTC−0:36:45) replacedUTC+0WET
October 2, 1966Summer offset kept as standard time; clocks did not moveUTC+1CET
Since 1970
September 26, 1976Standard time back 1 hourUTC+0WET
September 27, 1992Summer offset kept as standard time; clocks did not moveUTC+1CET
March 31, 1996Summer offset kept as standard time; clocks did not moveUTC+0WET

Daylight saving periods

YearsClocks go forwardClocks go backShift and labels
Before 1970
1916June 17November 11 hour, WET to WEST
1917–19211 March, 00:0015 October, 00:001 hour, WET to WEST
1924April 16October 51 hour, WET to WEST
1926April 17October 31 hour, WET to WEST
1927–1928second Saturday in April, 23:00first Sunday in October, 00:001 hour, WET to WEST
1929April 20October 61 hour, WET to WEST
1931April 18October 41 hour, WET to WEST
1932April 2October 21 hour, WET to WEST
1934April 7October 71 hour, WET to WEST
1935March 30October 61 hour, WET to WEST
1936April 18October 41 hour, WET to WEST
1937April 3October 31 hour, WET to WEST
1938March 26October 21 hour, WET to WEST
1939April 15November 191 hour, WET to WEST
1940February 24October 81 hour, WET to WEST
1941April 5October 61 hour, WET to WEST
1942–1945dates set year by year (listed below)1 hour, WET to WEST
1946–19476 April, 23:00first Sunday in October, 00:001 hour, WET to WEST
1948–1965first Sunday in April, 02:00first Sunday in October, 03:001 hour, WET to WEST
1966April 3not that year1 hour, WET to WEST
Since 1970
1977March 27September 251 hour, WET to WEST
1978April 2October 11 hour, WET to WEST
1979–1980first Sunday in April, 01:00last Sunday in September, 02:001 hour, WET to WEST
1981–1991last Sunday in March, 00:00last Sunday in September, 01:001 hour, WET to WEST
1992March 29not that year1 hour, WET to WEST
1993–1995fourth Sunday in March, 02:00fourth Sunday in September, 03:001 hour, CET to CEST
1996not that yearOctober 271 hour
1997–2037last Sunday in March, 01:00last Sunday in October, 02:001 hour, WET to WEST

1942–1945, year by year

  • 1942 forward March 14, April 25; back August 16, October 25
  • 1943 forward March 13, April 17; back August 29, October 31
  • 1944 forward March 11, April 22; back August 27, October 29
  • 1945 forward March 10, April 21; back August 26, October 28

Clock changes in 2026, 2027 and 2028

The clocks go forward 1 hour (WET to WEST) on March 29, 2026, March 28, 2027 and March 26, 2028 at 01:00 and back 1 hour (WEST to WET) on October 25, 2026, October 31, 2027 and October 29, 2028 at 02:00, local time.

Also on UTC+0

Morocco, Madeira (Portugal), Canary Islands (Spain), Western Sahara, United Kingdom, Faroe Islands, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire and Danmarkshavn (Greenland) (nearest first; 2 more on the list of offsets).

Clocks next door since 1970

  • Gibraltar (441 km): usually 1 hour ahead; different on 4,644 days in 1970–1985 and 1992–1996.
  • Ceuta (Spain) (462 km): usually 1 hour ahead; different on 6,837 days in 1970–1985 and 1992–1996.
  • Madrid (Spain) (503 km): usually 1 hour ahead; different on 3,216 days in 1970–1977, 1981–1985 and 1992–1996.
  • Morocco (580 km): same time except 10,935 days in 1970–2026.
  • Madeira (974 km): same time except 4,651 days in 1970–1982, 1986 and 1992–1996.

How it compares

On standard time, clocks in Lisbon run 37 minutes ahead of local mean solar time.