The world’s timekeepers have voted to stop adding leap seconds to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) adopted the resolution at its 28th meeting in Versailles on October 15, and the change takes effect on May 20, 2027, Euronews reported.
What is a leap second?
UTC, the time standard behind phones, computers and the clocks we set our watches by, is kept by atomic clocks. Earth’s rotation is less regular. Since 1972, an extra second has been added 27 times to keep atomic time close to time measured by the planet’s spin. The last was added at the end of 2016.
Why scrap it now?
Earth has recently, at times, been spinning slightly faster. That raised the possibility of the first-ever negative leap second, a second taken away instead of added. Because that has never been done, nobody could be sure how reliably computer systems would cope. Leap seconds have already caused glitches in servers and networks in the past. Experts chose to end the practice early as a precaution.
What changes in practice
- For most people, nothing. Your phone and computer will keep showing the right time.
- UTC will run continuously without interruptions.
- The gap between clock time and astronomical time will be allowed to grow, potentially up to an hour, which would take a very long time.
- Astronomers, geodesists and some satellite operators will track the difference separately.
Why it matters
Financial markets, telecom networks, GPS and power grids depend on precise, synchronised time. Removing a source of irregular one-second jumps simplifies the systems behind digital payments and mobile networks. In Pakistan, clocks stay on Pakistan Standard Time (UTC+5), and nothing changes for daily life.
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