From now on daytime will be longer than night-time
Longer days have officially arrived. Depending on where you live in the UK, yesterday and today mark the Spring equilux, the precise moment when sunlight and darkness are evenly split at 12 hours apiece.
From this point onwards, daylight hours will exceed night-time hours, reports the Liverpool Echo, a much-anticipated development for millions following a prolonged and dreary winter. However, two significant calendar milestones in the coming days promise even brighter prospects. First, the Spring equinox arrives on Friday, March 20, signalling the beginning of astronomical spring. Then next Sunday (March 29), the clocks spring forward, delivering considerably longer and brighter evenings for everyone.
What is the Spring equilux?
Whilst most people are familiar with the Spring equinox, fewer understand the Spring equilux – arguably the occasion we ought to be marking. At the equinox, occurring this year on Friday, March 20, a measurement is recorded when the centre of the Sun aligns with Earth’s horizon and we experience 12 hours between sunrise and sunset, meaning day and night are equal lengths.
But the upper edge of the Sun actually becomes visible before that, initially at sunrise. And there remains illumination for a brief period even after the sun disappears from view, adding slightly more time to daylight hours. This means that the date when day and night are genuinely equal occurs prior to the equinox. For the northern half of the UK it was yesterday, March 17, while for the southern half it is today, March 18.
What is the Spring equinox?
The Spring equinox consistently falls between 19-21 March. This year, it’s set to occur on 20 March, precisely at 2.45pm. The event takes place simultaneously worldwide – however, in the northern hemisphere it signifies the commencement of Spring, whilst in the southern hemisphere it heralds the onset of Autumn.
This date is dictated by the Earth’s axial tilt as it orbits the Sun. During the equinox, the tilt is neither towards nor away from the Sun, resulting in equal sunlight reaching both the northern and southern hemispheres (the term “equinox” originates from Latin, where ‘equi’ means “equal” and ‘nox’ translates to “night”).
When is the first day of Spring?
Many of us are likely accustomed to considering 1 March as the inaugural day of Spring, with March, April and May constituting the Spring months. This is also the perspective adopted by weather forecasters. However, this year’s Spring equinox on 20 March additionally marks the advent of astronomical Spring.
When do the clocks go forward in 2026?
For those who relish extended evenings, increased daylight and the general arrival of Spring and Summer, the date when the clocks spring forward is a significant occasion. In 2026, the clocks will advance at 1am on 29 March.
Following a winter that has seemed particularly lengthy and damp, this will be a much-anticipated day for millions. This shift also denotes the conclusion of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and the start of British Summer Time (BST).
Whilst this will initially result in darker mornings for early risers, the trade-off will be evident later in the day as the evenings become noticeably brighter.
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