Time zones

WET — Western European Time

Standard time in Portugal, parts of Spain and the UK (UTC+0).

15:42:28
UTC+00:00 GMT+1
Quick answer

WET stands for Western European Time. Standard time in Portugal, parts of Spain and the UK (UTC+0).

WET is UTC+00:00 from Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The primary IANA zone is Europe/Lisbon.

WET is the standard-time abbreviation; it shifts to WEST (UTC+01:00) during daylight saving time.

Standard / daylight pair

WEST · UTC+1 — March–October in Portugal and the Canary Islands

Countries using this zone

  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • Iceland
  • Faroe Islands

Principal cities

  • Lisbon
  • Las Palmas
  • Reykjavik
  • Santa Cruz de Tenerife
  • Tórshavn

History

Portugal transitioned to Central European Time in 1992 but reverted to WET in 1996 due to public concerns about dark winter mornings. Iceland has maintained a constant UTC+0 offset since 1968, opting out of seasonal time changes entirely. Recent updates to IANA tzdata confirm that the Canary Islands remain synchronized with WET despite mainland Spain using a different offset.

Other time zone abbreviations

UTCGMTCETCESTEETEESTWESTBSTMSKESTEDTCSTCDTMSTMDTPSTPDTAKSTAKDTHSTASTADTNST

Frequently Asked Questions

WET — Western European Time. Standard time in Portugal, parts of Spain and the UK (UTC+0).

WET is UTC+00:00. It is paired with WEST (UTC+01:00).

Countries and territories primarily using WET include: PT, ES.

Yes. Zones using WET shift to WEST (UTC+01:00) during daylight saving time and return to WET when DST ends.

WET is the winter (standard) abbreviation and WEST is the summer (daylight-saving) abbreviation. WEST is one hour ahead of WET.

The primary IANA time zone representing WET is Europe/Lisbon. Operating systems and programming libraries use this identifier to resolve local time.

Western European Time (WET) is the standard time used during winter, while Western European Summer Time (WEST) is the daylight saving version used in summer. This zone serves a combined population of approximately 12.9 million people across its primary territories. Most regions switch to WEST on the last Sunday of March during the early morning.

Western European Time (WET) and Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) share the same UTC+0 offset. While they represent identical times, the name WET is primarily used by Portugal, the Canary Islands, and the Faroe Islands. In contrast, GMT is the official designation for standard time used in the United Kingdom and Ireland.

Iceland observes Western European Time (WET) throughout the entire year and does not participate in seasonal daylight saving changes. By remaining at UTC+0 permanently, Iceland avoids the semi-annual clock shifts common in other European nations. This consistent timekeeping has been a stable feature of the Icelandic system since the late 1960s.

The Canary Islands use Western European Time to better align with their geographical position, which is significantly further west than mainland Spain. By remaining 1 hour behind the mainland, the islands enjoy sunrise and sunset times that are more appropriate for their longitudinal coordinates despite being an integral part of Spain.

Several major cities operate on Western European Time during the winter months, including Lisbon and Las Palmas. Additionally, Reykjavik uses this offset year-round. These urban centers serve as primary hubs for commerce and transport within the UTC+0 zone, facilitating international connections across the Atlantic and Europe according to recent data.