Should the UK drop the winter season?
Scientists have proposed that the UK should adopt a three season year to be more representative of the weather we experience. Due to changing weather patterns and a trent towards milder weather, winter no longer seems necessary.
Winter is defined as 'the coldest season of the year'. Climate change means we will have a warmer world and for the UK a trend for warmer and wetter winters with less significant snow events. This has been evident in recent years with six of the top 10 warmest winters occurring in the last 30 years. Winter 2015/16 was the third warmest on record for the UK and for England the warmest in 350 years!
The new proposal will see each season include four months.
Spring: February, March, April and May.Summer: June, July, August and September.Autumn: October, November, December and January.
Why change?It makes a lot of sense as we now see signs of spring, like daffodils in February, this will be the new proposed start to spring. Many other flowers are blooming early or twice as they have a longer growing season thanks to our milder winters.
Warm weather lasting through September - this would now be included in summer.Wet and windy weather goes through christmas and the new year with snow becoming more rare, so this will now be the extended autumn season. People cutting their lawns all year as it stays so mild.
So, what do you think of the idea? The tropics have already changed their seasons, having only two - the wet season and the dry season.
April Fool!