Science · Sèvres, France · October 15, 2026

Scientists vote to scrap leap seconds in favour of a leap hour

Reported by 1 outlet · under-reported · first reported Oct 14, 8:00 PM ET

The General Conference on Weights and Measures voted to end future leap seconds and make UTC continuous from 20 May 2027. A leap hour will be added when needed to reconcile UTC with atomic time.

Why it matters

Ending leap seconds removes a recurring source of disruption for computer systems, networks and navigation.

Background

Leap seconds have been added since 1972 to keep atomic time aligned with Earth's uneven rotation. Tech companies have long argued they cause software glitches.

The story so far

1. Oct 15Scientists vote to scrap leap seconds in favour of a leap hour
2. Oct 16Scientists vote to end leap seconds and adopt a leap hour

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Sources

• The Guardian ↗October 15, 2026

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