Chile Extends Daylight Saving Due to Earthquake

Published 5-Mar-2010. Changed 10-Mar-2010

Chile’s federal government has postponed the country’s daylight saving end date, in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake that caused many damages, deaths and injuries. The earthquake, which rated 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, occurred off the coast of Chile’s Maule region on Saturday, February 27, 2010.

Daylight saving time (DST) in Chile will now end at midnight between Saturday, April 3, and Sunday, April 4, in 2010. Chile’s current daylight saving schedule, was supposed to end at midnight (00:00) between Saturday, March 13, and Sunday, March 14, 2010.

Pictured above is the aftermath of the earthquake that occurred in Chile on February 27, 2010. Daylight saving time has been extended as a result of the earthquake.

©Atilio Leandro

Government Announces Extended DST

The Chilean Government announced on March 4, 2010, that the daylight saving schedule’s end date for 2010 “would be delayed until April 3”. The clocks will move one hour back at midnight (00:00) between Saturday, April 3, and Sunday April 4, 2010. Various news sources claim that the government’s decision to delay the current daylight saving schedule’s end date was to give a respite to places affected by the earthquake, particularly where there may not be electricity.

Moreover, there will be a national mourning period, lasting for three days and starting on Sunday, March 7, 2010. This period is held in memory of Chileans who died and families who have suffered due to the earthquake.

Original Daylight Saving Schedule

DST in Chile usually starts at midnight (00:00) between the second Saturday and the second Sunday of October.  It then ends at midnight (00:00) between the second Saturday and the second Sunday of March. However, Chile’s DST has been extended in the recent past due to reasons such as drought and energy problems.

Chile’s current daylight saving schedule was originally planned to end at midnight (00:00) between Saturday, March 13, and Sunday, March 14, 2010. It started at midnight between Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, 2010. However, the DST end date has been pushed back to April in 2010 due to recent circumstances.

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