Winter time begins: Belgrade sunset now at 4:37 pm
Clocks went back from 3:00 to 2:00 overnight, so dusk reached Belgrade almost an hour earlier than yesterday. What changed, what to reset by hand and what waits until March.
Why is it already dark before 5 pm? Because the clocks went back overnight, so the sun in Belgrade sets at 4:37 pm today, after setting at 5:39 pm yesterday. Winter time began on Sunday, October 25, 2026, and lasts until the last Sunday in March 2027.
How much has the daylight changed in Belgrade?
According to sunrise-sunset.org data for Belgrade’s coordinates, the difference between Saturday and Sunday looks like this:
- Saturday, October 24 (summer time): sunrise at 7:05 am, sunset at 5:39 pm
- Sunday, October 25 (winter time): sunrise at 6:06 am, sunset at 4:37 pm
Today lasts 10 hours and 31 minutes, about three minutes shorter than yesterday. So we have not lost much light, it has just moved. Mornings are brighter and afternoons fade faster, which will be felt most by anyone who trains or walks outdoors after work or school.
What do you have to reset by hand?
Before you leave the house, check everything with hands or its own clock. Phones, computers and other modern devices mostly switch on their own, provided automatic date, time and time zone settings are turned on. These need to be set manually:
- wall clocks and wristwatches
- the clock in your car
- some household appliances
If you have appointments or travel today, compare the wall clock with your phone. The check takes less than a minute.
Why did the change come on October 25?
The rule is the same every year: the switch to winter time happens on the last Sunday in October. That Sunday can fall on any date from October 25 to 31, and this year it landed on the earliest possible day. The official date and hour of the switch for Serbia is announced by the Directorate of Measures and Precious Metals at the Ministry of Economy.
Winter time is Central European Time (CET, UTC+1). The next change, this time forward, comes in March 2027, on the last Sunday of the month, March 28.
How long does it take to get used to the new time?
Sources disagree on the exact number of days. Novosti reports that the body needs anywhere from a few days to a week, and that about 11 percent of people suffer more serious sleep disruption from the change. B92 writes that adjustment is done in two to five days.
Here is what both texts say, and what you can try right away:
- go to bed 15 to 30 minutes later for a few days
- keep your usual evening routine
- spend as much time as possible in daylight, especially in the morning
These are general tips repeated by the media, not medical advice. If your sleep stays disrupted for more than a week, see your doctor.
Will clocks ever stop changing?
The European Commission proposed abolishing the clock change back in 2018, and the last change was planned for 2021. Member states have not agreed on whether to keep summer or winter time, so the debate goes on.
Astronomy popularizer Branko Simonovic points out that Serbia lies on the eastern edge of the Central European time zone, so darkness falls here earlier than in Germany or France. He believes the debates overlook the option of keeping winter time while moving working hours and school start one hour earlier. His conclusion:
Compared with the offers we have on the table, the so-called third way of keeping time seems to have the fewest downsides, or in fact none. What matters is that we choose what moves us least out of our comfort zone.
Simonovic stresses that he speaks as a well-informed citizen and commentator.
What is the weather on the first day of winter time?
According to the forecast of the Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia, Belgrade reaches up to 14 degrees today. On Monday, expect 5 degrees in the morning and 15 during the day. In Kragujevac and Kraljevo, Monday morning starts at 2 degrees, and on Kopaonik the temperature drops to minus 4.
