Current Time in WAT
West Africa Time
About WAT West Africa Time
Used in western and some parts of central Africa. Countries observing WAT include Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Niger, Chad, Angola, Cameroon, and others. This zone does not observe daylight saving time. It is equivalent to CET/MET during winter.
UTC Offset: +01:00
WAT at a glance
| Right now | 22:34 on Tuesday |
|---|---|
| UTC offset | UTC+01:00 (1 hour ahead of UTC) |
| Full name | West Africa Time |
| Countries | 11 |
| IANA zones | 11 |
What is WAT?
WAT is a time zone that is currently UTC+01:00 - that's 1 hour ahead of UTC. Its full name is West Africa Time. Right now the local time on WAT is 22:34. Today 11 countries (including Angola, Benin and Cameroon) and 11 IANA database zones sit at this offset, which is why WAT is a useful shorthand even though the exact local rules differ from place to place.
How to convert WAT to UTC
For quick planning, use today's offset as a rule of thumb: 12:00 UTC = 13:00 local time, and 09:00 local time = 08:00 UTC. The live clock above is the safest reference when daylight saving or regional rules may apply.
Which countries use WAT?
WAT is used across Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad and Congo, plus 5 more. Open a country to see all of its cities and their local time.
IANA time zones in WAT
WAT maps to the IANA database zones Africa/Bangui, Africa/Brazzaville, Africa/Douala, Africa/Kinshasa, Africa/Lagos and Africa/Libreville, among 11 in total. Each zone page shows its exact rules, including any daylight saving changes.
💡 Tip: Comparing times? WAT is 1 hour ahead of UTC. Use the IANA links and country links on this page when you need the exact local rule for a real place, not just the offset.
WAT - Frequently asked questions
What is WAT?
WAT is a time zone currently UTC+01:00 (1 hour ahead of UTC). Its full name is West Africa Time.
What is the UTC offset of WAT?
WAT is UTC+01:00 right now - 1 hour ahead of UTC.
Which countries are on WAT?
WAT is used in Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad and Congo, plus 5 more.
What time is it in WAT now?
The current time on WAT is 22:34 on Tuesday. The clock above updates every second.
How Alarm.now explains WAT
Abbreviation, offset, and IANA zones
WAT is shown as a time-zone group for West Africa Time with offset +01:00. The page links the abbreviation to the IANA zones and countries that use it, so users and search engines can distinguish a short label from an exact time-zone rule set.
When to use a specific IANA page
Use this group page for an overview of the abbreviation and offset. Use a linked IANA time-zone page when you need exact daylight-saving rules for a calendar, app, or future-date comparison.