Patrizia Tavella

Rule Changes

Led coordination of the vote

Delegates from 69 countries voted on October 15 to abolish the leap second, ending a 54-year system that kept atomic clocks pinned to Earth's uneven rotation. Starting May 20, 2027, the gap between the two can grow as large as one hour before clocks are adjusted.

Updated 10 minutes ago

Rule Changes

Led the push to advance the end of leap seconds from 2035 to 2027

Delegates from 69 countries voted Thursday in Versailles to abolish the leap second. Starting May 20, 2027, Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) will run continuously, and Earth's rotation will be allowed to drift up to a full hour from atomic time before a leap hour resets it.

Updated Yesterday