Global timekeeping rules change: leap second scrapped from 2027
Global timekeepers have voted to end the practice of adding extra seconds to UTC, citing risks to computer systems and the prospect of the first-ever negative leap second.
Starting in 2027, the world will no longer add leap seconds to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). The General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM) opted to end the practice at their recent meeting. Leap seconds are inserted into UTC every now and then to synchronize it with Earth's rotation, which is not perfectly consistent.
After May 20, 2027, UTC will run continuously without such adjustments. The change is primarily precautionary, as Earth's rotation is slowing down gradually. Specialists in fields like astronomy and satellite navigation will still need to account for the growing discrepancy between clock time and astronomical time due to the new rules.
For the UK, there will be no immediate impact on everyday life, but the change will be significant for technical systems that depend on precise time synchronization.
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