The autumn equinox took place on Sunday, marking the official start of the third season of the year
Sunday’s Autumn equinox (September 21) marked the start to the season, bringing with it cooler temperatures and a shift in colours that has many of us embracing the autumnal mood.
The longest day of the year, which saw the start of summer, occurred on June 21, with daylight hours gradually decreasing since then. This trend will continue until Sunday, December 21, when we’ll experience the winter solstice.
This date officially marks the start of winter and boasts the fewest hours of sunlight. And before this, in October, we’ll be turning back the clocks, leading to brighter mornings but earlier sunsets.
At the moment, in London, sunset begins just before 7pm, but as we venture further into autumn, the sun will set increasingly earlier. For those wondering when this will take place before 5pm, in London this will happen on October 26 – the day the clocks go back – with sunset expected around 4.44pm.
Sunset times vary across the UK, so on October 26, residents of Lowestoft – one of the easternmost parts of the UK – can expect the sun to set around 4.35pm. Meanwhile, in County Fermanagh, one of the most western parts of Northern Ireland, the sun won’t set before 5pm until October 30.
Regardless of where you reside in the UK, there’s no denying that the days are getting shorter. But every cloud has a silver lining – this means that daylight will begin around 7am, rather than 8am.