It’s finally time to pack away your winter coats, hats and scarves – spring has officially sprung!
Today is the Spring Equinox – also known as the Vernal Equinox – which marks the start of ‘astronomical’ spring.
At precisely 03:06 GMT tomorrow morning, the sun will pass directly above the equator, bringing nearly equal amounts of day and night on all parts of Earth.
‘North of the equator, the March equinox will bring us earlier sunrises, later sunsets, softer winds, and budding plants,’ NASA explained.
‘With the reversed season, those south of the equator will experience later sunrises, earlier sunsets, chillier winds, and dry, falling leaves.’
It’s finally time to pack away your winter coats, hats and scarves – spring has officially sprung!
At precisely 03:06 GMT tomorrow morning, the sun will pass directly above the equator, bringing nearly equal amounts of day and night on all parts of Earth
In the Northern Hemisphere, the Equinox occurs twice a year.
The Spring Equinox tends to take place around March 20, while the Autumn Equinox usually occurs around 22 September.
‘They occur between the summer and winter solstices marking the point the Sun crosses the equator’s path and becomes positioned exactly above the equator between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere,’ the Met Office explained.
During an equinox, day and night are around the same length.
‘The spring equinox marks the beginning of spring and from this day forward the day is longer than the night,’ the Met Office added.
‘Similarly, the autumn equinox marks the start of autumn as the night becomes longer than the day.’
The Spring Equinox tends to take place around March 20, while the Autumn Equinox usually occurs around 22 September
Many trees and shrubs ‘sprung’ early this year , with many ‘laden’ with blossom as early as February, thanks to the weather conditions over the past year, the Royal Horticultural Society said
You may be slightly confused, having thought we’re already in spring.
That’s because how you define the first day of spring depends on whether you are referring to the astronomical or meteorological spring.
Meteorological seasons are based on the annual temperature cycle and coincide with the calendar.
‘The meteorological seasons consist of splitting the seasons into four periods made up of three months each,’ the Met Office explained.
‘These seasons are split to coincide with our Gregorian calendar, making it easier for meteorological observing and forecasting to compare seasonal and monthly statistics.
‘By the meteorological calendar, spring will always start on 1 March; ending on 31 May.’
Many trees and shrubs ‘sprung’ early this year, with many ‘laden’ with blossom as early as February, thanks to the weather conditions over the past year, the Royal Horticultural Society said.
Many gardens saw an early flurry of colour from blossoming plants including magnolias, early cherries and camellias, the horticultural charity said.
