A scientist has warned that Earth's rotation is unexpectedly accelerating, leading to the shortest day in history in just a few weeks.

Graham Jones, an astrophysicist at the University of London, says Earth's rotation could speed up noticeably on one of three dates this summer, either July 9, July 22, or August 5. 

On those days, time is predicted to drop by 1.30, 1.38, or 1.51 milliseconds, respectively.

Researchers say that although this change will be tiny, it can affect everything from satellite systems and GPS accuracy to how we measure time itself. 

Leonid Zotov, a scientist at Moscow State University, said: 'Nobody expected this, the cause of this acceleration is not explained.' 

Since 2020, scientists have noticed that Earth has been spinning slightly faster than usual, but the cause remains a mystery to this day..