cet

CET, short for Central European Time, is a time zone used in most parts of Europe. CET is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC+1). In the summer, many CET regions observe daylight saving time and shift clocks forward one hour to Central European Summer Time (CEST), which is UTC+2.

Geographic extent: CET covers most of Central and Western Europe, including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, as well as microstates such as Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, San Marino, and Vatican City. The United Kingdom and Ireland use different time zones (GMT/BST).

History and designation: The concept of standard time in this region emerged in the late 19th century, and CET developed as a common reference for railways and communications. CET is defined in relation to UTC (UTC+1), with daylight saving time designated as CEST (UTC+2) during the warmer months.

Daylight saving: In most CET countries, clocks advance one hour in spring and return in autumn. The exact transition dates are harmonized within the European Union, though practice can vary by country and year.

Uses: CET is widely used for civil timekeeping, transportation timetables, broadcasting, computing, and business operations across Europe. It is distinct from other European time zones such as Western European Time (WET) and Eastern European Time (EET).

Notes: CET should not be confused with time zones in Africa or Asia that have similar abbreviations.