BIPM votes to replace leap seconds with leap hour
The International Bureau of Weights and Measures voted in Sèvres to end the use of leap seconds, adopting a long-term “leap hour” system to avoid potential disruptions to time-dependent technology. The decision follows a series of meetings and votes by global timekeeping bodies. Earlier, delegates from 69 nations approved a shift from the leap second to a leap hour, citing technical disruptions caused by irregular minute lengths.
The bureau had previously voted to replace occasional leap seconds with a leap hour that could allow up to one hour difference from astronomical time after 2027. Prior to that, the organization announced it would hold a vote on a proposal to eliminate leap seconds, with the change originally slated for 2027 after pressure from technology and financial sectors prompted a meeting near Paris to consider the reform.
