Timezones and HBP Release

[davewitley]

Joe wrote:

> The Half-Blood Prince will be released throughout most of the English
> speaking world at midnight local time.
> 
> In the case of Australia, they are 10 hours ahead of London.  
Britain,
> of course is what we might consider ground zero for Harry Potter.  So
> will people in Sydney be reading the HBP while it is still only 2pm 
in
> London?

No.  Your first sentence isn't correct.

HBP release will be simultaneous in the Eastern Hemisphere at midnight 
UK time (i.e. British Summertime, which is one hour ahead of GMT) , 
and then follow local midnight westward across the western hemisphere.

So it will be available 9am local time in Sydney (I believe they are 9 
hours ahead at this time of year, not 10), 2am in South Africa, but 
local midnight in the UK, Ireland, and all parts of America.

David