Convert WET to EST Western European Time ↔ Eastern Standard Time Free Online Secure
Type a time in WET and read it in EST straight away. The offset is −5 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 EST (Western European Time ↔ Eastern Standard Time)
| WET | EST |
|---|---|
| 00:00 | 19:00 |
| 03:00 | 22:00 |
| 06:00 | 01:00 |
| 09:00 | 04:00 |
| 12:00 | 07:00 |
| 15:00 | 10:00 |
| 18:00 | 13:00 |
| 21:00 | 16:00 |
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.
London and Lisbon time, read on the American east coast
A round of the British football league kicks off at 15:00 WET. The big horse race at Epsom starts in the late afternoon, at 16:30 local time. A news bulletin in Lisbon goes out at 20:00. Anyone watching these moments from New York, Boston or Toronto has to convert WET to EST, and the rule is short: subtract five hours. 15:00 WET becomes 10:00 EST, 20:00 WET becomes 15:00 EST, and 03:00 WET slips back to the previous evening at 22:00 EST. Any Western European time before 05:00 belongs to the previous day on the American east coast.
The page starts with the events Americans follow on British, Irish, Portuguese and Icelandic time. Then come the rule, the tables and the two zones, plus a section on the weeks when the real gap is four hours. The arithmetic runs in your browser, and no figure is sent to a server.
British football with an American breakfast
The Saturday match
A match that kicks off at 15:00 WET kicks off at 10:00 EST. Americans watch in the morning, while the players take the field in the afternoon by British time.
The Sunday evening game
A game at 20:00 WET starts at 15:00 EST. For spectators in the east it is a weekend afternoon; for those in London, an evening. A “convert WET to EST” calculation made in advance shows why the broadcast listing always looks five hours early.
The Derby at Epsom and the Grand National
The horse races
The Derby runs on a Saturday at about 16:30 WEST, which is 11:30 a.m. EDT. The Grand National at Aintree goes off in April around 17:15 WEST, which is 12:15 p.m. EDT, at the Americans’ lunchtime.
Betting
Bookmakers close their windows a few minutes before the start. Anyone betting from America must reckon in British time, not their own.
General elections in Britain
When polling stations close
Polling stations close at 22:00 GMT, which is 5:00 p.m. EST. The television exit poll appears at that moment, in the middle of the American afternoon.
The count
The first results arrive towards British midnight, which is about 7:00 p.m. EST. A viewer in New York can see a new parliament take shape before bedtime.
The London Marathon
The start at Greenwich
The race starts at 10:00 WEST, which is 5:00 a.m. EDT. Americans who want to watch the elite pack must get up at dawn.
The finish
The winners reach the Mall near Buckingham Palace around 12:05 WEST, which is 7:05 a.m. EDT. A “convert WET to EST” calculation tells you at once whether you can watch before leaving for work.
The Boat Race on the Thames
Race time
The contest between the two great universities takes place on a Saturday afternoon, for instance at 14:00 WEST, which is 9:00 a.m. EDT. The crowd on the riverbank sees it after lunch, while America sees it with morning coffee.
The tide
The exact hour depends on the tide, so it is announced weeks ahead. The first time published is always the local one.
Flights from London to New York
The afternoon departure
A plane that takes off from London at 14:00 WET and flies for nearly eight hours lands at 17:00 EST, which is 22:00 WET. The ticket shows 14:00 and 17:00, so the trip seems to take three hours although the sky is crossed in eight.
The first evening in America
A passenger landing at 17:00 EST has a whole evening ahead in practice, but their body thinks it is 22:00. A “convert WET to EST” calculation made beforehand helps to plan dinner.
New Year in Madeira
The fireworks
Madeira is on WET, so the fireworks over Funchal, fired at midnight on 31 December, are at 7:00 p.m. EST. Americans can see them before dinner.
The day’s programme
Concerts by the sea begin in the evening, at 21:00 WET, which is 4:00 p.m. EST. In New York it is still afternoon.
How to convert WET to EST, step by step
Subtract five hours
WET is UTC+0 and EST is UTC−5, so the American eastern clock is five hours behind the clocks of London, Dublin and Lisbon. Subtract 5 from the European time. A negative result means you must add 24 and go to the previous date.
Eight pairs
03:00 WET is 22:00 EST the day before. 05:00 WET is 00:00 EST. 08:00 WET is 03:00 EST. 11:30 WET is 06:30 EST. 14:00 WET is 09:00 EST. 17:45 WET is 12:45 EST. 20:00 WET is 15:00 EST. 23:15 WET is 18:15 EST. Only the first crosses into the previous date.
In the summer months
In summer, WEST against EDT is also five hours. 20:00 WEST is 15:00 EDT. The figure does not change; only the names of the clocks do.
The American eastern zone
Where to find it
Along the Atlantic coast, from Montreal to Miami, the winter clock stands at UTC−5. New York, Washington and Atlanta are in it. In summer the same clock moves to UTC−4 under the name EDT.
Why it matters
Everything broadcast nationally in the United States is scheduled on Eastern time. Anyone hoping to catch a live broadcast from Western Europe therefore needs to convert WET to EST.
Western European time
Who uses it
WET, UTC+0, is the winter clock of mainland Portugal, the Canary Islands, Madeira and the Faroe Islands. The United Kingdom and Ireland share the hour but call it GMT, and Iceland remains on UTC+0 all year. In summer the zone moves to WEST, UTC+1, from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October.
The Azores
The Azores archipelago is one hour behind mainland Portugal all year. Against the east coast its gap is four hours, winter and summer.
Five hours between shores
The working day
A London office that works from 09:00 to 17:00 works from 04:00 to 12:00 on the Eastern clock. The two working days overlap for only three hours, from 14:00 to 17:00 WET.
Who rings first
A London office calling New York at 14:00 WET gets through at 9:00 EST, the start of the day there. A call at 11:00 WET reaches 6:00 EST, when nobody is at their desk.
Over the ocean
A flight from Lisbon at 13:00 WET that lasts nearly eight hours lands at 16:00 EST. The ticket shows 13:00 and 16:00, so the trip looks like three hours.
British public radio and television
The evening bulletin
A news bulletin that goes out at 18:00 WET is at 1:00 p.m. EST. American viewers catch it on their lunch break.
Late-night live shows
A programme running from 22:00 to 00:00 WET runs from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. EST. Doing a “convert WET to EST” calculation for each show tells you when to sit down in front of the screen.
Football in Lisbon
An evening at the stadium
Matches of the big Lisbon clubs often kick off at 20:15 WET, which is 3:15 p.m. EST. Portuguese fans in the American diaspora watch in the afternoon.
Broadcasts for the diaspora
Replays of that evening’s match are shown by American stations at 8:00 p.m. EST, which is 01:00 WET the next day.
Dated examples
January
On Wednesday 14 January, 14:00 GMT is 09:00 EST. Both zones are on standard time.
March
On Wednesday 11 March, 14:00 GMT is 10:00 EDT, because America has already moved to summer time on 8 March while the United Kingdom does so only on the 29th. The real gap is four hours.
July
On Wednesday 15 July, 14:00 BST is 09:00 EDT. Both are on summer time, and the gap is five hours.
October and November
On Wednesday 28 October, 14:00 GMT is 10:00 EDT, because the United Kingdom went back to standard time on 25 October and America only on 1 November. On Wednesday 11 November, 14:00 GMT is 09:00 EST.
When the clocks do not match
The three weeks of spring
Between 8 and 28 March America is already on summer time while Western Europe is still on winter time. The real gap between WET or GMT and Eastern time is then four hours.
The week in autumn
Between 25 and 31 October the situation repeats: Europe has returned to standard time and America has not. Anyone working with a “convert WET to EST” calculation on standard time corrects by an hour in those intervals.
World clocks, counted from London
How many hours to add or subtract
Starting from Greenwich time, add one hour for Berlin, two for Bucharest, four for Dubai and five and a half for Delhi. Subtract five for New York, six for Chicago and eight for Los Angeles.
An example for invitations
When it is 15:00 in London, it is 10:00 in New York, 16:00 in Berlin, 17:00 in Bucharest and 20:30 in Delhi. An invitation that lists them all spares the recipient a “convert WET to EST” calculation of their own.
Iceland and its volcanoes
A fixed clock
Iceland stays on UTC+0 in winter and in summer. Against the east coast the gap is five hours in winter and four in summer. Bulletins on volcanic eruptions are given in local time.
How to read a bulletin
An announcement at 14:00 UTC+0 is from 9:00 a.m. EST. Someone following the ash cloud from afar does a “convert WET to EST” calculation and knows whether the afternoon flights are affected.
Online courses with British institutions
Lecture times
A lecture at 19:00 GMT is at 2:00 p.m. EST. American students follow it after lunch, while the British follow it in the evening.
Deadlines
A deadline of 23:59 GMT falls at 6:59 p.m. EST the same day. Whoever thinks they have until midnight on their own clock loses five hours.
Fado nights in Lisbon
Evening concerts
Fado houses in Lisbon open their evening sets at about 21:00 WET, which is 4:00 p.m. EST. Fans in New York who follow a live stream tune in during the afternoon, long before the singers have finished their dinner.
Sunday matinees
A Sunday matinee at 17:00 WET is at noon on the East Coast. To plan a listening session around the performance, do a “convert WET to EST” calculation for each start time in the programme.
When the gap is not the usual one
The 2026 calendar
WET and EST are not always the same distance apart. In 2026: 1 January to 7 March, 29 March to 24 October and 1 November to 31 December: EST stands 5 hours behind WET; 8 to 28 March and 25 to 31 October: EST stands 4 hours behind WET.
How to apply it
In the summer periods the labels are WEST and EDT. The calculator above uses the winter gap of 5 hours. For other dates, adjust the result by the difference between that figure and the gap listed for the period. Whenever you convert WET to EST, check which period the date falls in first.
A day of conversions at a glance
WET into EST
00:00 WET = 19:00 EST (previous day). 01:00 WET = 20:00 EST (previous day). 02:00 WET = 21:00 EST (previous day). 03:00 WET = 22:00 EST (previous day). 04:00 WET = 23:00 EST (previous day). 05:00 WET = 00:00 EST. 06:00 WET = 01:00 EST. 07:00 WET = 02:00 EST. 08:00 WET = 03:00 EST. 09:00 WET = 04:00 EST. 10:00 WET = 05:00 EST. 11:00 WET = 06:00 EST. 12:00 WET = 07:00 EST. 13:00 WET = 08:00 EST. 14:00 WET = 09:00 EST. 15:00 WET = 10:00 EST. 16:00 WET = 11:00 EST. 17:00 WET = 12:00 EST. 18:00 WET = 13:00 EST. 19:00 WET = 14:00 EST. 20:00 WET = 15:00 EST. 21:00 WET = 16:00 EST. 22:00 WET = 17:00 EST. 23:00 WET = 18:00 EST.
Using the table
Find the WET hour you need and read off the EST hour beside it. The rows come from the arithmetic behind each request to convert WET to EST. With a whole-hour offset the minutes are untouched; if they differ in your result, the input was misread. Read these rows as standard-time values and check the period section for dates where the difference changes.
Readings at half past the hour
WET at :30 and the matching EST time
00:30 WET = 19:30 EST (previous day). 01:30 WET = 20:30 EST (previous day). 02:30 WET = 21:30 EST (previous day). 03:30 WET = 22:30 EST (previous day). 04:30 WET = 23:30 EST (previous day). 05:30 WET = 00:30 EST. 06:30 WET = 01:30 EST. 07:30 WET = 02:30 EST. 08:30 WET = 03:30 EST. 09:30 WET = 04:30 EST. 10:30 WET = 05:30 EST. 11:30 WET = 06:30 EST. 12:30 WET = 07:30 EST. 13:30 WET = 08:30 EST. 14:30 WET = 09:30 EST. 15:30 WET = 10:30 EST. 16:30 WET = 11:30 EST. 17:30 WET = 12:30 EST. 18:30 WET = 13:30 EST. 19:30 WET = 14:30 EST. 20:30 WET = 15:30 EST. 21:30 WET = 16:30 EST. 22:30 WET = 17:30 EST. 23:30 WET = 18:30 EST.
When to use it
Use these rows for events that begin on the half hour. They follow the same arithmetic as the whole-hour table and spare you another calculation. Read these rows as standard-time values and check the period section for dates where the difference changes.
Odd times, converted
Ten WET times and their EST equivalents
01:05 WET = 20:05 EST (previous day). 03:20 WET = 22:20 EST (previous day). 05:50 WET = 00:50 EST. 07:35 WET = 02:35 EST. 10:10 WET = 05:10 EST. 13:25 WET = 08:25 EST. 16:40 WET = 11:40 EST. 19:55 WET = 14:55 EST. 22:15 WET = 17:15 EST. 23:05 WET = 18:05 EST.
Observation
Real schedules are rarely on the hour, so here are ten with awkward minutes. With a whole-hour offset the minutes are untouched; if they differ in your result, the input was misread. The gap used here is the standard winter one; the period section lists the dates on which it differs.
Times of day in EST
A day in WET, translated into EST
06:00 WET = 01:00 EST (night). 08:00 WET = 03:00 EST (night). 10:00 WET = 05:00 EST (early morning). 12:00 WET = 07:00 EST (early morning). 14:00 WET = 09:00 EST (morning). 16:00 WET = 11:00 EST (morning). 18:00 WET = 13:00 EST (around midday). 20:00 WET = 15:00 EST (afternoon). 22:00 WET = 17:00 EST (afternoon).
A practical tip
Read down the list to see how the WET day maps onto the EST day. It is useful before you convert WET to EST for a meeting invitation. Winter-time arithmetic applies to these rows; for the dates in the period section, correct the result accordingly.
A quick routine to convert WET to EST
Before the sum
Read the labels
The Azores are not on WET: they sit one hour behind mainland Portugal. Eastern Standard Time is UTC−5; Australia uses the letters EST too, at UTC+10, which this page does not cover.
Use a 24-hour clock
Write 4:30 p.m. as 16:30 and 12:00 a.m. as 00:00 before you start. For example, 09:15 WET becomes 04:15 EST.
Finishing
The operation
Subtract 5 hours. If the result passes midnight, correct the date: readings before 05:00 fall on the previous date.
A second example
An evening check: 22:40 WET gives 17:40 EST.
Traps to avoid when you convert WET to EST
Adding instead of subtracting
Because EST runs behind WET, the result must be an earlier clock reading. A later one points to an addition.
Losing the date
WET readings before 05:00 fall on the previous date. Forgetting to move the date leaves the result 24 hours wrong.
The standard figure in the wrong weeks
On some dates in 2026 the distance between WET and EST differs from the usual one, so read the period list before you apply it.
Confusing the abbreviation
WET is not used in the Azores, which sit one hour behind the Portuguese mainland. Here EST always means the North American east coast at UTC−5.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between WET and EST?
5 hours, and EST is behind WET. That is the standard figure; on some dates in 2026 it differs, as the period list shows.
Which sum applies when I convert WET to EST?
Subtract 5 hours from the WET time, then fix the date if the result passes midnight.
What does 15:30 WET become in EST?
10:30 EST in the standard period.
Does the answer change during the year?
Yes, on some dates; the period list above shows which.
Is my input stored or uploaded?
No. The calculation runs in your browser.
Other pairs worth a look
You may also want Convert WET to GMT, Convert WET to PST, Convert CET to EST, Convert PST to EST, Convert EST to IST, Convert GMT to WET, Convert EST to EET, Convert EET to EST, Convert UTC to CET. To go the other way, use Convert EST to WET.
In brief, to convert WET to EST you subtract 5 hours, mind the date change and watch the weeks when the gap differs.