By Petronella Sibeene
WINDHOEK
Namibians will have to turn their clocks back by one hour when the country changes to winter time on 1 April (Sunday) at two o’clock in the morning, which is one hour in advance of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
The time changes as Namibia enters its winter season that officially starts at 02:00 on the first Sunday of April of every year, and reverts back to summer time at 02:00 on the first Sunday of September each year.
In summer, Namibia is two hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Regulating the winter and summer times is the Namibian Time Act of 1994.
Although the change in time is due to Namibia’s location south of the Equator, weather experts regard the time change as not necessarily a meteorological phenomenon but an administrative act.
While the entire country changes its time, Katima Mulilo and other settlements in Caprivi unofficially will not because the sun there rises and sets earlier compared to other regions. Chief of Forecasting Riaan van Zyl explained that the far eastern parts of the country are close to 40 minutes earlier in sunrise than the rest of the country.
The winter sunrise is normally around 06h33and sunset occurs at least by 17h14.
Based on information provided by the Namibia Meteorological Station, starting from April the sun will rise between 06h00 and 06h10 and sunset will normally take place at 17h30.
In May, the sun will rise at least by 06h30 and set at 17h15 and in June sunrise will not largely differ from the May trend but sunset will take place at least by 17h18.
Looking at the data, during the course of winter sunset takes place earlier, meaning that the days are shorter days and the nights longer during this period.
The Namibian Weather Bureau reminds all Namibians to tune their watches and clocks one hour back as from this coming Sunday, when winter time officially starts.