When does autumn 2020 start?

BRITS have been enjoying an Indian summer as hot temperatures and sunny skies have given people some enjoyment as summer fades away.

But that could all change as we enter autumn where less daylight and cooler evenings are more commonplace.

⚠️ Read our UK weather live blog for the very latest news and forecasts.

When is autumn this year?

According to the Met Office autumn starts today, September 22, but there are varying definitions of when it officially begins.

The astronomical definition of autumn always begins on the equinox.

Fall - as Americans call it - will run until just before Christmas on December 21, when it will become winter.

What are the meteorological and astronomical dates?

The interpretation that autumn begins on September 22 is the astronomical date.

This can change every year, with autumn in 2019 beginning on September 23.

This can all be rather strange to people who follow the more traditional meteorological calendar, which sees all four seasons (winter, spring, summer and autumn) divided equally into three consecutive months.

In this reading, autumn always begins on September 1 and always ends on November 30.

What happens on the autumn equinox?

The autumn equinox is the day when daylight hours and night times are of equal length.

It marks the day when the northern hemisphere slightly tilts away from the sun, meaning days become shorter and the temperature begins to cool.

This carries on until the winter solstice when the northern hemisphere begins to tip back towards the sun on its axis - this is the day with the shortest number of hours of daylight.

The autumn equinox this year falls on September 22.

How is autumn equinox celebrated around the world?

For people missing summer, autumn coincides with a number of annual celebrations and events - but coronavirus has already taken an axe to some.

Oktoberfest in Germany, for example - billed as the biggest beer festival in the world - was already canned in April.

Halloween, which falls on October 31 every year, may also have to be scaled back at the very least.

In the US, their traditional Thanksgiving holiday in November may be difficult to carry out as normal if social distancing orders remain in place.

But luckily for those of us in the UK, socially-distanced fireworks on Bonfire Night on November 5 should be more than possible.