Convert WET to CST Western European Time ↔ Central Standard Time Free Online Secure
Type a time in WET and read it in CST straight away. The offset is −6 h, the arithmetic wraps at midnight, and the answer says which day it lands on.
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Through the day — Convert WET to CST (Western European Time ↔ Central Standard Time)
| WET | CST |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 18:00 |
| 03:00 | 21:00 |
| 06:00 | 00:00 |
| 09:00 | 03:00 |
| 12:00 | 06:00 |
| 15:00 | 09:00 |
| 18:00 | 12:00 |
| 21:00 | 15:00 |
Where these units come from
Until the middle of the nineteenth century every town kept its own noon, set by the sun overhead, and nobody minded that the next town was four minutes behind. Railways ended that: a timetable cannot be written for a hundred local noons. Britain put its railways on Greenwich time in 1847, and in 1884 the International Meridian Conference in Washington chose Greenwich as the prime meridian and sketched the twenty-four-hour scheme we still use. Greenwich Mean Time was the world's reference until 1972, when Coordinated Universal Time replaced it: UTC is kept by atomic clocks and tied back to the turning Earth by leap seconds. The abbreviations on this page name standard time — the winter setting — which is why each one is a fixed number of hours rather than something that drifts through the year.
Where you meet them
A time zone becomes real the moment two people in different places have to agree on one moment: a call between offices, a flight that lands before it took off, a market that opens while you are asleep, a deadline written in somebody else's afternoon. Server logs, train and flight schedules and anything stamped with a time are kept in UTC precisely so that the question can always be settled, no matter whose clock was on the wall.
Questions people ask
What about summer time?
The offsets here are standard-time offsets, the ones a zone keeps in winter. Where summer time is observed, the same places move one hour further on for part of the year and take a different name: Central European Time becomes Central European Summer Time, Eastern Standard Time becomes Eastern Daylight Time. The switching dates are not the same in every country, and the two hemispheres change in opposite months, so for a date inside a summer-time period add an hour to whichever side observes it.
Why isn't every difference a whole number of hours?
Because offsets are decided by governments, not by geometry. India is half an hour off the hour, at UTC+05:30; Nepal is three quarters, at UTC+05:45; the Chatham Islands are at UTC+12:45. Any of these can be changed by law, and several countries have moved their offset within living memory.
Is the answer exact?
Where both units are defined in terms of one another by whole numbers, yes — the page says so above the figure, and the only rounding is in how many digits are shown. Where the ratio has no finite decimal, the page shows twelve significant digits and says the relation is approximate rather than pretending otherwise.
Does anything I type leave my device?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded and there is no server to upload it to. Load the page once and it keeps working with the network switched off.
The country music festival in London, read in Nashville
The country music festival in London starts in the evening at 19:00 GMT. The Formula 1 race at Silverstone goes green on Sunday at 15:00. The Remembrance ceremony comes around 11:00. Anyone living in Chicago, Dallas or Nashville who wants to know what the clock says at home at those moments will convert WET to CST. In winter time the calculation is a subtraction: six hours. 19:00 WET becomes 13:00 CST, 15:00 WET becomes 09:00 CST, and 11:00 WET becomes 05:00 CST. Any British time before 06:00 belongs to the previous day in Central America. Six hours holds in summer too, between British Summer Time and CDT; between 8 and 28 March and between 25 and 31 October the distance falls to five.
The page covers British, Irish and Portuguese events followed in the Midwest, followed by the rule, the tables and the two zones. The calculation runs in the browser; no figure goes to a server.
Country to Country, in March
The evening show
The London festival takes place in March. A concert that begins at 19:00 GMT in the first days of the month is at 1:00 p.m. CST. After 8 March, when America goes onto summer time, the same hour means 2:00 p.m. CDT, five hours away rather than six.
Fans in Nashville
For listeners in Tennessee the European evening concert falls at midday or in the afternoon. A “convert WET to CST” calculation with the date in view shows which of the two situations applies.
The British Grand Prix
The Sunday race
The race at Silverstone starts at 15:00 BST, which is 9:00 a.m. CDT. Fans in Texas watch at Sunday breakfast.
Qualifying
Saturday qualifying ends around 16:00 BST, which is 10:00 a.m. CDT. A “convert WET to CST” calculation made beforehand shows when to open the broadcast.
The Notting Hill carnival
The family parade
The Monday parade starts around 12:00 BST, which is 6:00 a.m. CDT. Americans in the Midwest watch it live, early in the morning.
Evening at the carnival
The evening sound systems start at 19:00 BST, which is 1:00 p.m. CDT. For Chicago it is a lunchtime broadcast.
The Chelsea flower show
Opening
The show’s gates open in the morning, at 8:00 BST, which is 2:00 a.m. CDT. American gardeners visit virtually in the first part of their day, the British afternoon.
Presentations
A presentation at 14:00 BST is at 8:00 a.m. CDT. A “convert WET to CST” calculation shows at once that it falls at the start of the working day in the Midwest.
Remembrance Sunday
The two minutes’ silence
The national ceremony in November culminates in two minutes of silence at 11:00 GMT, which is 5:00 a.m. CST. Americans in the centre watch live before dawn.
The parade
The military procession at 10:30 GMT is at 4:30 a.m. CST. Whoever does a “convert WET to CST” calculation knows that it falls in the American night.
The golf championship at The Open
The first tee shots
The first tee shot of the day, at 6:30 BST, is at 00:30 CDT. American golf fans who want to see it live stay up late into the night.
The final round
On Sunday the last players tee off around 14:30 BST, which is 8:30 a.m. CDT. In Texas the finish is seen before lunch.
The feast of St Anthony in Lisbon
The night of 12–13 June
Street parties in Lisbon begin late in the evening, around 23:00 WEST, which is 5:00 p.m. CDT. Portuguese in Texas watch them live in the middle of the afternoon.
The morning procession
The procession on 13 June sets off at 17:00 WEST, which is 11:00 a.m. CDT. A “convert WET to CST” calculation tells you at once whether you can catch it on your lunch break.
How to convert WET to CST, in brief
Subtract six hours
WET is UTC+0 and CST is UTC−6. The American Central clock stands six hours behind London, Dublin and Lisbon. From the European time on a 24-hour clock, take away 6. If the result is negative, add 24 and go to the previous date.
Eight values to check
02:00 WET is 20:00 CST the day before. 05:30 WET is 23:30 CST the day before. 06:00 WET is 00:00 CST. 09:45 WET is 03:45 CST. 12:30 WET is 06:30 CST. 17:00 WET is 11:00 CST. 21:00 WET is 15:00 CST. 23:45 WET is 17:45 CST. The first two cross into the previous date.
In the summer months
In summer, WEST against CDT is also six hours. 21:00 WEST is 15:00 CDT. The figure does not change; only the names of the clocks do.
The time zone of central America
Who uses it
The Midwest, the Gulf coast and all of Mexico run on UTC−6 in winter, which takes in Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans and Winnipeg. In spring the American states move to UTC−5, called CDT.
Why it concerns you
A British poster gives London’s local hour. Anyone living in the Midwest has to convert WET to CST before planning to watch a broadcast live.
The British Isles and Portugal on the clock
Who keeps which label
In winter Britain and Ireland say GMT, mainland Portugal, Madeira, the Canaries and the Faroes say WET, and Iceland sits on UTC+0 all year round. One hour is added in summer, from the last Sunday of March until the last Sunday of October.
The Azores
The Azores lag an hour behind the Portuguese mainland, so from American Central time they are five hours away in every season.
Six hours between clocks
Office hours
While a London office works, from 09:00 to 17:00, it is early morning and mid-day in central America (03:00 to 11:00). While a Chicago office works from 09:00 to 17:00, it is afternoon and evening in London (15:00 to 23:00). The two days have two hours in common.
Who rings first
A call from London at 15:00 WET reaches 9:00 a.m. CST. One at 12:00 WET reaches 6:00 a.m. CST, too early for many.
Across the Atlantic
A flight from London to Chicago that leaves at 11:00 WET and takes nearly nine hours lands at 20:00 WET, which is 14:00 CST. The ticket shows 11:00 and 14:00, as for a trip of three hours.
The London exchange and the Chicago markets
The British opening
The London exchange opens at 08:00 WET, which is 2:00 a.m. CST. Traders in Chicago rarely follow it live.
The Chicago opening
The grain exchange opens at 8:30 a.m. CST, which is 14:30 WET, two hours before the British one closes. A “convert WET to CST” calculation for each line of the timetable shows the shared window.
Dated examples
January
On Sunday 18 January, 17:00 GMT is 11:00 CST. Both zones are on standard time.
March
On Sunday 15 March, 17:00 GMT is 12:00 CDT. America moved to summer time on 8 March and the United Kingdom only on the 29th, so the real gap is five hours.
July
On Sunday 19 July, 17:00 BST is 11:00 CDT. Both are on summer time, and the gap is six hours.
October and December
On Sunday 25 October, 17:00 GMT is 12:00 CDT, because the United Kingdom went back to standard time that morning and America only on 1 November. On Sunday 13 December, 17:00 GMT is 11:00 CST.
The weeks with a five-hour gap
The three in spring
Between 8 and 28 March America is on summer time while Western Europe is still on winter time. The distance between GMT and CST is then five hours.
The one in autumn
Between 25 and 31 October Western Europe has returned to standard time and America has not. A “convert WET to CST” calculation on the six-hour figure comes out an hour short.
Colleagues in London, colleagues in Dallas
The joint meeting
A team with members in London and Dallas meets at 15:00 WET, which is 9:00 a.m. CST. For the Londoners it is mid-afternoon, for the Texans the beginning of the day.
The handover
Work that finishes at 17:30 WET reaches Dallas at 11:30 a.m. CST, when the Texan colleagues are at work. A written handover keeps the thread.
London as the starting point for other cities
Differences to remember
Counting back from Greenwich, New York is 5 hours behind, Chicago 6, Denver 7 and Los Angeles 8. Counting forward, Berlin is 1 hour ahead, Bucharest 2 and Delhi 5 hours 30 minutes.
A fully written invitation
For a call at 17:00 in London, mention 12:00 in New York, 11:00 in Chicago, 10:00 in Denver and 9:00 in Los Angeles, and the guests will not need to convert WET to CST.
British university lectures online
Class hours
An 18:00 GMT lecture begins at 12:00 p.m. CST. Midwestern students tune in over lunch.
Cut-off times
A submission cut-off of 23:59 GMT arrives at 5:59 p.m. CST the same day. Counting by your own midnight costs you whole hours.
British weather alerts followed from Texas
Storm warnings
A British warning running until 22:00 GMT lapses at 4:00 p.m. CST. Texan readers take six hours off every time in the bulletin.
Reading the bulletin
The times on a bulletin are British local times. A “convert WET to CST” calculation for issue and expiry shows when the newest version came out.
The weeks and months that need care
The 2026 calendar
The gap between WET and CST changes during the year. In 2026: 1 January to 7 March, 29 March to 24 October and 1 November to 31 December — CST runs 6 hours behind WET; 8 to 28 March and 25 to 31 October — CST runs 5 hours behind WET.
What to do about it
In the summer periods the labels are WEST and CDT. The calculator above uses the winter gap of 6 hours. For other dates, adjust the result by the difference between that figure and the gap listed for the period. To convert WET to CST correctly, start by locating your date in this list.
Every hour in one table
WET to CST
00:00 WET corresponds to 18:00 CST (previous day). 01:00 WET corresponds to 19:00 CST (previous day). 02:00 WET corresponds to 20:00 CST (previous day). 03:00 WET corresponds to 21:00 CST (previous day). 04:00 WET corresponds to 22:00 CST (previous day). 05:00 WET corresponds to 23:00 CST (previous day). 06:00 WET corresponds to 00:00 CST. 07:00 WET corresponds to 01:00 CST. 08:00 WET corresponds to 02:00 CST. 09:00 WET corresponds to 03:00 CST. 10:00 WET corresponds to 04:00 CST. 11:00 WET corresponds to 05:00 CST. 12:00 WET corresponds to 06:00 CST. 13:00 WET corresponds to 07:00 CST. 14:00 WET corresponds to 08:00 CST. 15:00 WET corresponds to 09:00 CST. 16:00 WET corresponds to 10:00 CST. 17:00 WET corresponds to 11:00 CST. 18:00 WET corresponds to 12:00 CST. 19:00 WET corresponds to 13:00 CST. 20:00 WET corresponds to 14:00 CST. 21:00 WET corresponds to 15:00 CST. 22:00 WET corresponds to 16:00 CST. 23:00 WET corresponds to 17:00 CST.
How to read it
Each row pairs one WET hour with the matching CST hour and says when the date changes. The rows follow the same rule that applies when you convert WET to CST. Because the difference is a whole number of hours, the minutes in the answer are the same as in the question. The gap used here is the standard winter one; the period section lists the dates on which it differs.
Half past every hour
WET :30 against CST
00:30 WET corresponds to 18:30 CST (previous day). 01:30 WET corresponds to 19:30 CST (previous day). 02:30 WET corresponds to 20:30 CST (previous day). 03:30 WET corresponds to 21:30 CST (previous day). 04:30 WET corresponds to 22:30 CST (previous day). 05:30 WET corresponds to 23:30 CST (previous day). 06:30 WET corresponds to 00:30 CST. 07:30 WET corresponds to 01:30 CST. 08:30 WET corresponds to 02:30 CST. 09:30 WET corresponds to 03:30 CST. 10:30 WET corresponds to 04:30 CST. 11:30 WET corresponds to 05:30 CST. 12:30 WET corresponds to 06:30 CST. 13:30 WET corresponds to 07:30 CST. 14:30 WET corresponds to 08:30 CST. 15:30 WET corresponds to 09:30 CST. 16:30 WET corresponds to 10:30 CST. 17:30 WET corresponds to 11:30 CST. 18:30 WET corresponds to 12:30 CST. 19:30 WET corresponds to 13:30 CST. 20:30 WET corresponds to 14:30 CST. 21:30 WET corresponds to 15:30 CST. 22:30 WET corresponds to 16:30 CST. 23:30 WET corresponds to 17:30 CST.
A note on the list
Schedules often use :30 slots. Each entry below gives the CST equivalent, so you do not have to convert WET to CST again for them. Read these rows as standard-time values and check the period section for dates where the difference changes.
Ten more examples
Awkward minutes from WET to CST
01:05 WET corresponds to 19:05 CST (previous day). 03:20 WET corresponds to 21:20 CST (previous day). 05:50 WET corresponds to 23:50 CST (previous day). 07:35 WET corresponds to 01:35 CST. 10:10 WET corresponds to 04:10 CST. 13:25 WET corresponds to 07:25 CST. 16:40 WET corresponds to 10:40 CST. 19:55 WET corresponds to 13:55 CST. 22:15 WET corresponds to 16:15 CST. 23:05 WET corresponds to 17:05 CST.
Checking your work
Compare your own answer with the pattern in these rows. The offset has no minutes in it, so a reading of :45 stays :45 after the conversion. Read these rows as standard-time values and check the period section for dates where the difference changes.
Daily rhythm at the other end
CST time of day for chosen WET hours
06:00 WET corresponds to 00:00 CST (night). 08:00 WET corresponds to 02:00 CST (night). 10:00 WET corresponds to 04:00 CST (night). 12:00 WET corresponds to 06:00 CST (early morning). 14:00 WET corresponds to 08:00 CST (morning). 16:00 WET corresponds to 10:00 CST (morning). 18:00 WET corresponds to 12:00 CST (around midday). 20:00 WET corresponds to 14:00 CST (afternoon). 22:00 WET corresponds to 16:00 CST (afternoon).
Using the brackets
The brackets show whether the CST hour falls at night, in the early morning, during the working day or in the evening, which helps when you must convert WET to CST for a call. These rows use the standard (winter) gap; on the dates listed in the period section the gap is different.
Checklist: how to convert WET to CST
Before the sum
Read the labels
Western European Time covers mainland Portugal, Madeira, the Canaries and the Faroes, but not the Azores, which are an hour behind. The abbreviation CST is shared with China (UTC+8) and Cuba (UTC−5); on this page it always means Central North America.
Use a 24-hour clock
The 24-hour clock avoids a.m. and p.m. slips, so rewrite 4:30 p.m. as 16:30 before anything else. For example, 09:15 WET becomes 03:15 CST.
Then
The operation
Subtract 6 hours. If the result passes midnight, correct the date: readings before 06:00 fall on the previous date.
A second example
Late in the evening, 22:40 WET becomes 16:40 CST.
Common slips when you convert WET to CST
Adding instead of subtracting
CST is behind WET, so the answer should be smaller than the starting hour. A larger number means an addition slipped in.
Losing the date
A WET time before 06:00 moves to the previous date. Forgetting to move the date leaves the result 24 hours wrong.
The standard figure in the wrong weeks
Do not assume that WET and CST are always the same distance apart; the period list above shows the exceptions.
Confusing the abbreviation
WET is used by mainland Portugal, Madeira, the Canary Islands and the Faroe Islands; the Azores are an hour behind. CST can also mean China Standard Time (UTC+8) or Cuba Standard Time (UTC−5); here it is the North American Central zone.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between WET and CST?
6 hours, and CST is behind WET. That is the standard figure; on some dates in 2026 it differs, as the period list shows.
What do I do to convert WET to CST?
Subtract 6 hours from the WET time, then fix the date if the result passes midnight.
What is 09:00 WET in CST?
03:00 CST in the standard period.
Do the seasons affect this conversion?
Yes, on some dates; the period list above shows which.
Does the page keep what I type?
No. Nothing leaves the page.
Where to go next
Related pages: Convert WET to EET, Convert WET to UTC, Convert PST to CST, Convert CET to CST, Convert CST to UTC, Convert GMT to WET, Convert EST to IST, Convert PST to GMT, Convert CST to EST. For the reverse direction, open Convert CST to WET.
To sum up: convert WET to CST by one rule (subtract 6 hours) and a glance at the calendar. The work is done on your device.