Spring has officially sprung for South Africans who took to social media to share pictures, videos and thoughts on the official Spring Day hashtag. Picture: annca/Pixabay
Yes, some parts of the country are still a bit chilly with most South Africans looking forward to longer days and later sunsets which come with the excitement brought on by Spring Day on September 1.
But we may still have a week or two left before true spring weather graces our shores so don’t pack away the jackets just yet.
The website Time and Date explains that since there are 12 months in a year, each of the four seasons last around three months.
However, the dates when the seasons begin and end vary depending on whom you ask with two methods commonly used to define the dates of the seasons, the astronomical definition and the meteorological definition.
Astronomical Seasons
This definition uses the dates of equinoxes and solstices to mark the beginning and end of the seasons. This means that spring begins on the spring equinox, summer begins on the summer solstice, autumn begins on the autumn equinox and winter begins on the winter solstice.
Because the timings of the equinoxes and solstices change each year, the length of astronomical seasons within a year and between years also vary. It's actually quite simple, equinoxes and solstices are a result of two things, the Earth’s tilt and its orbit around the Sun.
Meteorological Seasons
According to the meteorological definition from Time and Date, the seasons begin on the first day of the months which include the equinoxes and solstices. In the southern hemisphere, where South Africa is located, spring runs from September 1 to November 30, summer from December 1 to February 28, autumn from March 1 to May 31 with winter rolling in from June 1 to August 31.
For decades, South Africans waited for the first of September with bated breath, for the blooms and light breeze to blow out winter's stuffiness. Many schools and workplaces commemorate the date by allowing civvies days and other festivities.
Regardless of the technicality, spring has officially sprung for South Africans who took to social media to share pictures, videos and thoughts on the official Spring Day hashtag.
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