From the heat of summer to the chill of winter, there’s a big difference between the four seasons – particularly in the northern hemisphere, where we feel the chill of winter more acutely. Plus, for countries with higher latitudes – such as the UK – the length of the days differs hugely between the seasons. In winter, the sun sets before you’ve even stashed your laptop and headed home from work, whereas in summer, you can be three bottles of rosé deep before you even start to lose light.
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Seasons are generally referred to in relative rather than absolute terms, with months vaguely attributed to different seasons. There are a number of different ways of viewing the ‘official’ start dates of the seasons – and these have varied across history. In short, however: there is no ‘official’ definition of the durations and dates of spring, summer, autumn and winter.
In Roman times, the scholar Marcus Terentius Varro said that each season begins on the 23rd day of the sun’s passage through Aquarius, Taurus, Leo and Scorpio respectively. That meant that the seasons would begin on 7 February (spring), 9 May (summer), 11 August (autumn) and 10 November (winter).
With the changing climate, the seasons are becoming more unreliable in their start dates, lengths and weather patterns. The farming calendar is much more in tune with the changing seasons, as jobs will need to be done according to the conditions. The beginning of March tends to bring the start of the lambing season, while September often heralds the start of harvesting the crops, along with hedge cutting. Everything reacts to the demands of the weather, the livestock and the crops, in order to produce the seasonal food we enjoy.
What are the meteorological seasons?
Meteorological seasons are decided by temperature. The 12 months of the year are grouped into three-month seasons: March, April and May (spring); June, July and August (summer); September, October and November (autumn); December, January and February (winter).
What are the astronomical seasons?
Astronomically, the seasons are dictated by the equinoxes and solstices. Equinoxes take place in March (spring equinox) and September (autumn equinox). These are the points of the year in which the sun is directly above the equator, meaning day and night are of equal length. In fact, ‘equinox’ translates from the Latin meaning ‘equal night’.
The solstices take place in June (summer solstice) and December (winter solstice), signalling the start of summer and winter in the astronomical calendar. They mark the longest and shortest days of the year – when the Earth’s tilt is at its most extreme, relative to the sun.
The equinoxes and solstices are not evenly spaced throughout the year, because the Earth’s orbit around the Sun is not circular – it is elliptical. This means, the astronomical seasons are not of exactly equal length.
When does spring officially start and end?
The meteorological season of spring begins on 1 March and ends on 31 May, while the astronomical season of spring varies year on year, depending on when the equinoxes and solstices fall. In 2026, it begins on 20 March with the spring equinox.
When does summer officially start and end?
The meteorological season of summer begins on 1 June and ends on 31 August, while the astronomical season of summer varies year on year, depending on when the equinoxes and solstices fall. In 2026, it begins on 21 June with the summer solstice.
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When does autumn officially start and end?
The meteorological season of autumn begins on 1 September and ends on 31 November, while the astronomical season of autumn varies year on year, depending on when the equinoxes and solstices fall. In 2025, it begins on 22 September with the autumn equinox – and in 2026 on 23 September.
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When does winter officially start and end?
The meteorological season of spring begins on 1 December and ends on 28 February (or 29 February in a leap year), while the astronomical season of winter varies year on year, depending on when the equinoxes and solstices fall. In 2025, it begins on 21 December with the winter solstice – and in 2026 on 21 December again.
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