THE SEASONS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 2213, 9 December 1920, Page 4

THE SEASONS.

WHEN DO THEY COMMENCE?

“Could you lei me know when summer commence* in the Southern Hemisphere?’’ writes a correspondent to the Wellington Post. On the mailer being referred to the Dominion Meteorologist (Mr D. C. Bates), he slated: —“Great differences of opinion have arisen a* to the actual dates of the commencement- of the seasons, mainly through astronomical conditions. OF course, the sun is (he ruler of climate, but meteorological effects follow tin 1 (what may be called) astronomical seasons. Tims, the warmest part of llie year follows midsummer day; and some people would make midsummer, midwinter, and equinoxes only (lie commencement' of the seasons, while olliers make them the middle of the season. But neither would he correct in a meteorological sense, ami the division adopted by meteorologists is (in this hemisphere) to divide the seasons as follows: —Winter, June, July, August; spring, September, October, November: summer, December. January, February; autumn. March, April, Miry. As all meteorological records :tre kept in months, the coming of winter and spring is different in different years, and there arc differences in (he harvest in the ‘North, and South Islands of New Zealand. The seasons also differ in lengths in different countries, hut as a general rule the seasons, divided as I have given you, on this side of the world, and their corresponding months in the Old, answer all practical purposes.’’