Once again New Year is to be delayed, but just by one second in order to synchronize our time pieces with the atomic clock in Paris.

Like last year the count-down will click from 23.59.59 to 23.59.60 and only then to 24.00.00 thus adding an extra second before you can wish your friends a Happy New Year.

The adjustment is carried out by the International Earth Rotation Service at the Earth Orientation Centre in Paris and it is not expected to cause a world wide break down of computers or IT systems generally, nor upset the next change to summertime or vice versa depending on where you live.

Actually back in 2012 when a similar addition was made it did result in quite a few black screens, particularly in the very large IT companies, share exchanges and Internet providers, but in 2015 when we had the last adjustment there were no reported problems, probably  better preparations were in hand.

It was back in 1967 that Atomic clocks were introduced which made our time keeping independent on the Earth’s rotation, and since the speed of Earth’s rotation diminishes ever so slightly, whereas the atomic clocks time keeping do not, we end up having to add a second to our time every now and then.

Failing that would leave us with time difference of 30 minutes or 1800 seconds by the year 2700.

So far 26 seconds have already been added and none have been deducted to keep time afloat. The problem back in 2015 was the introduction of electronic trading on the financial markets where enormous volumes of buys and sells can happen in just one second, so precautions were necessary to avoid all sorts of shenanigans.

Normally 6 months warning is given by the clock watchers in Paris so we should be just fine this time too. Just don’t forget to add that second to your clocks New Year’s Eve.

Tick tock.