normaltid

Normaltid is a term used in Swedish and some Scandinavian languages to describe standard time, the local civil time observed when daylight saving time is not in effect. It represents the base time offset of a country or region within its time zone, typically expressed as UTC plus or minus a fixed number of hours. Normaltid is the time that applies for most of the year outside the daylight saving period.

In many jurisdictions, normaltid is complemented by daylight saving time, known as sommartid or daylight saving time, during which clocks are set one hour forward to extend evening daylight. The period is seasonal, and normaltid resumes in autumn when clocks are turned back. The exact offset for normaltid is defined by law or regulation and aligns with a geographic time zone. For example, in Sweden normaltid corresponds to Central European Time (UTC+1), while sommartid is Central European Summer Time (UTC+2). In other regions, such as parts of North America, normaltid equates to standard time in each zone (for example, Eastern Standard Time, UTC-5) and sommartid to its daylight time (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-4).

Normaltid affects everyday life, including scheduling, transportation timetables, broadcasting, and international communication. Laws and policies governing daylight saving time have been changed or debated in various countries, with some jurisdictions adjusting or eliminating seasonal clock changes, while others continue to observe sommartid. The term normaltid is primarily used in Nordic languages; in English, the general concept is referred to as standard time.