Unusual Time Zone Offsets

2026-02-09 · 8 min read

Not all time zones use whole-hour offsets. Several countries and territories use :30 or :45 offsets for historical and political reasons.

Unusual National Offsets

• Nepal: UTC+5:45
• India: UTC+5:30
• Iran: UTC+3:30
• Afghanistan: UTC+4:30
• Myanmar: UTC+6:30

Special Territory Cases

• Chatham Islands (New Zealand): UTC+12:45, and UTC+13:45 during DST
• Marquesas Islands (French Polynesia): UTC-9:30
• Eucla, Australia (unofficial local usage): UTC+8:45
• Lord Howe Island: UTC+10:30, then UTC+11 during DST (only a 30-minute shift)

Why :30 and :45 Offsets Exist

Many were chosen to align better with local solar noon or to differentiate national time from neighbors without a full one-hour jump.

Related pages: Kathmandu, Kolkata, Yangon, Nepal, India, Myanmar.