1 Mar 2021

Today in Australia it’s the first day of Autumn. Our seasons change using calendar months – my in-depth research via the computer informs me that this is the meteorological seasonal method. We know that 1 March will be start of autumn, 1 June winter, 1 September spring and 1 December will be the beginning of summer.

But in other parts of the world we have lived in, their seasons change according to astronomical methods involving solstices and equinoxes. The dates of their season changes alter each year, and at very specific times. For instance, this year in the northern hemisphere, spring begins with the vernal equinox, on March 20 at 5.37am (at least according to one website I looked at – please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong!)

I do wonder whether season change days when using the astronomical method, are as definitive as when using the meteorological method?

Because I can point out any number of days when the season has changed, when the weather makes an abrupt change too. Just to let you know what’s coming…

Today, being first day of Autumn, for us was a day of heavy rain. It was quite thrilling, because the gardens haven’t seen this much moisture since the timer tap failed.

Other days when the season has changed we’ve had very hot starts to summer, chilly days for first day of winter, and so forth.

It changes back fairly quickly, as if to say “Just joking”, but we do have quite a lot of abruptly changing weather on the first day of March, June, September and December.

Of course, I haven’t done a lot of research into this matter. If you had thought you were reading an insightful and well researched document, you really had too much wine for breakfast.

Our indigenous seasons seem a lot better thought out – and to be fair, they’ve had a lot longer to work out how the weather works in this part of the world.

Our local Nyoongar country follow the following seasons – Birak (Dec/Jan, first summer, season of the young, dry and hot), Bunuru (Feb/Mar, second summer, season of adolescence, hottest part of the year), Djeran (Apr/May, autumn, season of adulthood, cooler weather begins), Makuru (Jun/Jul, winter, season of fertility), Djilba (Aug/Sep, first spring, season of conception), and Kambarang (Oct/Nov, second spring, season of birth).

The indigenous people will tell you what to watch out for in each of these seasons, what will be flowering, what the wind will be doing, and so forth. It’s all very sensible and logical and fits perfectly with the local environment.

Doesn’t explain why I need my umbrella on 1st March, though!!!