Latest news with #seasons
ABC News
13 hours ago
- Climate
- ABC News
Winter solstice is on Saturday but it won't bring Australia's coldest weather
This Saturday is the 2025 winter solstice, Australia's shortest day of the year. How many hours of daylight you experience depends entirely on latitude — Hobart will see only 9 hours and 1 minute while Darwin will see 11 hours and 24 minutes. For remaining capitals, running south to north: The variation in the length of day through the year, and indeed the very existence of seasons, is due to the Earth's tilt of 23.5 degrees. As we orbit the Sun, this tilt leads to changes in the length of day and the angle of the Sun viewed from the ground — it's higher in summer and lower in winter. Saturday, the winter solstice, marks the day when the Sun is furthest north, tracking directly over the Tropic of Cancer. The exact time of this year's solstice is 12:42pm for eastern states and just after midday for the NT and SA, meaning the longest night of the year will follow immediately after. For WA, a 10:42am solstice will result in Friday night being the longest of the year. From this position over the Northern Hemisphere, Australia is not only in Earth's shadow for the longest period, but critically for temperatures, it's also when the Sun's noon position is lowest in the sky. From a simple energy perspective, the winter solstice therefore has the least amount of incoming heat directly from sunlight. However, for nearly the whole of Australia, the coldest weather does not arrive when the days are shortest. For the vast majority of the country, the coldest month is July, and for some locations, the coldest day on average is not until early August, even though days are longer and the Sun's angle is higher. The cause of the temporal anomaly between the shortest day and coldest temperatures is due to the different heat capacities of substances. Put simply, land regions warm up and cool down much faster than oceans. This property is demonstrated daily as air temperatures fluctuate sharply between day and night, while water temperatures remain steady regardless of the hour. Water, therefore, is said to have a greater heat capacity than land, which leads to an annual minimum temperature for waters surrounding Australia occurring mostly between July and September — well after the Southern Hemisphere's shortest day in June. The warmer oceans earlier in winter act as one giant heater — they transfer energy into the atmosphere and delay the coldest weather until well after incoming heat from the sun reaches a minimum on June 21. This delay is called seasonal lag, and it also occurs after the summer solstice in December, with the hottest weather in southern Australia not arriving until January. The coldest weather in any given year is determined by the exact timing of weather systems; however, on average, due to seasonal lag, it occurs a few weeks after the winter solstice. The delay is greatest in regions where the climate is influenced by neighbouring oceans — so coastal areas of southern Australia have a longer temperature lag than inland regions. For maximum temperatures, the absolute peak lag is about five weeks in south-west Tasmania and on the southern WA coast near Albany. For Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide the coldest day of the year — on average — lands in the second or third week of July. Unsurprisingly, parts of the central interior, well away from oceans, have a lag of only a few days. The seasonal changes in daytime temperatures across northern Australia are more intricate due to the contrast in cloud cover through the year — there are even small regions that have their average lowest winter maximums a few days before the winter solstice. The national variability in minimum temperatures is far more uniform, with well over 90 per cent of Australia, including the northern tropics, having its coldest night between July 11 and 21. Seasonal lag is even greater in some Northern Hemisphere coastal regions, depending on the time of year. San Francisco's warmest month of the year is not until September, a full three months after the summer solstice, during which time the length of day has already shortened by more than two hours. Of course, thanks to the natural variability of weather, the actual date of the coldest weather will vary considerably from year to year — even though this is far more likely to occur in winter. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, for the northern tropics, the coldest day of the year across a 30-year period can occur in most months. For most of southern and central Australia, the range is from April or May to anytime between August and November.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
What is the summer solstice? What to know about the longest day of the year
This year, the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice occurs on June 20 at 10:42 p.m. EST. South of the Equator, this same moment marks the beginning of summer. Solstices occur at the same time around the world, but their local times vary with time zones. Traditionally, summer and winter solstices helped mark the changing of the seasons—along with their counterparts, the spring and autumnal equinoxes. However, today's meteorologists officially use temperature records instead to draw lines between the seasons. So what exactly are solstices—and how have they been celebrated throughout history? Here's all you need to know. Solstices occur because Earth's axis of rotation is tilted about 23.4 degrees relative to Earth's orbit around the sun. This tilt drives our planet's seasons, as the Northern and Southern Hemispheres get unequal amounts of sunlight over the course of a year. From March to September, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted more toward the sun, driving its spring and summer. From September to March, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away, so it feels like autumn and winter. The Southern Hemisphere's seasons are reversed. (Here's the difference between astronomical and meteorological seasons.) On two moments each year—what are called solstices—Earth's axis is tilted most closely toward the sun. The hemisphere tilted most toward our home star sees its longest day, while the hemisphere tilted away from the sun sees its longest night. During the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice—which always falls around December 22—the Southern Hemisphere gets its summer solstice. During the Northern Hemisphere's summer solstice—which always falls around June 21—the Southern Hemisphere gets its winter solstice. You can also think about solstices in terms of where on Earth the sun appears. When it's a summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun appears directly over the Tropic of Cancer, the latitude line at 23.5 degrees North. (That's as far north as you can go and still see the sun directly overhead.) During the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice, the sun appears directly over the Tropic of Capricorn, the Tropic of Cancer's southern mirror image. Earth is not the only planet with solstices and equinoxes; any planet with a tilted rotational axis would see them, too. In fact, planetary scientists use solstices and equinoxes to define "seasons" for other planets in our solar system.(Here's what to know about equinoxes, too.) It's worth noting, though, that other planets' seasons don't climatically equal those on Earth for a few reasons. First, planets vary in their axial tilts: Venus's axis of rotation is tilted by just three degrees, so there's much less seasonal difference between the Venusian summer and winter solstices than those on Earth. In addition, planets such as Mars have less circular orbits than Earth's, which means that their distances from the sun vary more dramatically than ours do, with correspondingly bigger effects on seasonal temperature. Earth's axial tilt plays a much bigger role than its near-circular orbit in governing annual seasons. Earth makes its closest annual approach of the sun about two weeks after the December solstice, during the Northern Hemisphere's winter. Earth is farthest from the sun about two weeks after the June solstice, during the Northern Hemisphere's summer. For millennia, cultures around the world have devised ways to celebrate and revere these celestial events—from building structures that align with the solstice to throwing raucous festivals in its honor. (These are 6 of the best destinations to celebrate midsummer in Europe.) Though the purpose of the enigmatic English structure Stonehenge remains unknown, this 5,000-year-old monument has a famously special relationship with the solstices. On the summer solstice, the complex's Heel Stone, which stands outside Stonehenge's main circle, lines up with the rising sun. (Learn more about how to visit Stonehenge.) In Egypt, the Great Pyramids at Giza appear to be aligned with the sun as well. When viewed from the Sphinx, the sun sets between the pyramids of Khufu and Khafre during the summer solstice—though it remains unclear precisely how the ancient Egyptians oriented it this way. Many cultures have found unique ways to mark the summer solstice. The traditional Scandinavian holiday of Midsummer welcomes it with maypole dancing, drinking, and romance. During the Slavic holiday of Ivan Kupala, people wear floral wreaths and dance around bonfires, while some plucky souls jump over the fires as a way of ensuring good luck and health. In a more modern tradition, the people of Fairbanks, Alaska, swing in the summer solstice with a nighttime baseball game to celebrate the fact that they can get up to 22.5 hours of daylight in the summer. The Midnight Sun Game has been played since 1906. (See the summer solstice from a Roman emperor's party cave.) The winter solstice has had its share of celebrations, too. On June 24, in time with the Southern Hemisphere's winter solstice, the Inca Empire celebrated Inti Raymi, a festival that honored the Inca religion's powerful sun god Inti and marked the Inca new year. The festival is still celebrated throughout the Andes, and since 1944, a reconstruction of Inti Raymi has been staged in Cusco, Peru, less than two miles from its Inca Empire home. Ancient Romans celebrated the winter solstice with Saturnalia, a seven-day festival that involved giving presents, decorating houses with plants, and lighting candles. And Iranians celebrate Yalda in December. The festival—a mainstay since Zoroastrianism was Iran's dominant religion—traditionally honors the birth of Mithra, the ancient Persian goddess of light. If solstices mark the brightest and darkest days of the year, why don't temperatures reflect that? In short, it's because it takes time for Earth's land and water to heat up and cool down. In the U.S., the year's coldest temperatures set in after-mid January, roughly a month after the Northern Hemisphere's winter solstice. Likewise, thermometers hit their high in the U.S. in July and August, weeks after the summer solstice. Some believe, too, that since Earth's rotation is slowing down, each new solstice sets a new record for daytime length. But that's not the case. It's certainly true that Earth's rotation has slowed over billions of years, as Earth loses angular momentum to our planet's tides. Growth lines on fossil corals show that more than 400 million years ago, days on Earth lasted less than 22 hours. But Earth's gradual slowing down isn't the only factor at play. Picture a figure skater twirling on their skates; they can speed up or slow down their twirls by how much they tuck in their limbs. In much the same way, changes in the distribution of Earth's mass—from the winds of El Niño to the melting of Greenland's ice—can subtly tweak our planet's rotation rate. Taking all this into account, it's thought that the longest day since the 1830s occurred sometime in 1912. It lasted less than four milliseconds longer than the recent average. This article originally published on December 19, 2022 and has been updated with new information.
SBS Australia
3 days ago
- Climate
- SBS Australia
Weather and words. Language and living
More resources for language educators Watch Weird and Wonderful Aussie English on SBS On Demand Howie: One day, my Aussie friend said to me, 'Just put it on the hills!' Then I realised — they meant The Hills Hoist. From my research, I've learned that Aussie English is shaped by how people live — the weather, the land, and the way we make ourselves at home. So why do Aussies talk about living the way they do? And what does it tell us about life in Australia? Aussie homes — and our weather — have shaped how we speak. Life in Australia can be harsh and varies across the country. In the Northern Territory, there's no winter — just different types of summer. To newcomers, Australian seasons might not make much sense. That's because the traditional seasons — summer, autumn, winter, spring — were imported from Europe. These seasons explain how the Earth moves, but they don't reflect what's really happening here — when flowers bloom, when crops should be harvested, or when to do controlled burns of bushland. Australia's Indigenous people had a 60,000-year head start observing nature. Many had their own seasonal calendars — two, six, even eight seasons. These Indigenous seasons are based on natural signs. Some last weeks, others span months. If you're interested, you can explore your local Indigenous knowledge sources. Living here means adapting — especially to the weather. You might hang your washing in the bright sun and get hit by rain 20 minutes later. The Hills Hoist has been a backyard staple since the mid-20th century. Many Aussies now use 'Hills' as shorthand for any clothes-drying. Fun fact: In 1945, Sherry Hill complained that traditional washing lines messed up her garden. Her husband Lance Hill created a new invention — and the Hills Hoist was born. Today we use it for drying clothes, party games, and more. Like our weather — and our slang — the Hills Hoist is always spinning. Aussies take pride in adaptability and hard work. One iconic word is 'swagman' (or 'swaggie') — a travelling worker from Australia's 19th and early 20th centuries. You might know them from the song Waltzing Matilda. Swagmen roamed from place to place looking for work, carrying all their belongings rolled up in a blanket, called a 'Matilda.' After a long day of waltzing — or walking — they'd cuddle up with their Matilda for the night. Australia is known for casual living — and that includes party timing. If the event is a backyard barbie or a park catch-up, the start time is often just a suggestion. If it's at a restaurant or formal venue, though — arrive on time. No matter the setting, Aussies love a good chat. And we have some great words for that too. The word 'yarn' likely started as a nautical term. By the mid-19th century, people in Australia and New Zealand used it to mean chatting or storytelling. For many Indigenous Australians, 'yarning' has a deeper cultural meaning. Since the 1980s, yarning circles have been a safe, respectful space for storytelling and knowledge sharing. Whether you call it a 'chinwag' or a 'yarn,' Australians love gathering to share stories in a welcoming place. It's part of what defines our culture — being flexible, open, and connected. From surviving extreme climates to inventing backyard icons like the Hills Hoist, Aussie living shapes Aussie language. Whether we're finding ways to deal with the weather or sitting down for a yarn, we share everything — from food to stories. And the most wonderful part? Everyone — from locals to migrants — can be part of it. We're all shaping and sharing this unique Australian way of life. Weird and Wonderful Aussie English Video production company: New Mac Video Agency
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
A Year in the Woods; An Irishman in Northern Mesopotamia; and The Papers of Maurice FitzGerald
A Year in the Woods: Montalto through the Seasons by Paul Clements (Merrion Press,) The year 1992, the last days of summer, and Paul Clements and his wife move into a rented cottage in the woods of the Montalto estate, near Ballynahinch in Co Down. The move is intended to be temporary, but a year later they are still there: laying down memories of quiet rural living, absorbing the lessons of place, and observing the natural world into which they are now folded, and with which they come to feel a profound connection. This bewitching book – finely produced by Merrion Press – is the result of this unexpectedly lengthy sojourn: Clements is deeply sensitive to the effects of the changing seasons, and aware of the other creatures who share this space – and he renders his experiences in stirring and beautiful prose. – Neil Hegarty An Irishman in Northern Mesopotamia by Nicholas Mackey (Unicorn, £25) Northern Mesopotamia stands between the Euphrates and the Tigris rivers in what is now southeast Türkiye – the Turkish government changed the country's spelling to Türkiye in 2021. The author's journey through a distinctive part of west Asia embraces many aspects of history with an exploration of ancient wonders in 'the cradle of civilisation'. His book also reflects cultural life, the food, and colourful descriptions of local bazaars. As a young boy growing up in Ireland, Mackey read about the region, which lit a fire within him, leaving a deep impression. This forms part of a wider story, recalling a tour of the region based on his journal. The writings of explorers Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta, as well as the historian Herodotus, are all invoked. – Paul Clements READ MORE The Papers of Maurice FitzGerald, 18th Knight of Kerry by Adrian FitzGerald (Kingdom Books, 2 vols, €50) This collection of the papers of Maurice FitzGerald, 18th Knight of Kerry, has been prepared by his descendant Adrian FitzGerald, and is published in a boxed set of two volumes. Maurice FitzGerald (1774–1845) represented Kerry constituencies in the Irish House of Commons before the Act of Union of 1800 and afterwards in Westminster. He supported the union, but on the understanding that it would be accompanied by measures of Catholic relief. When such measures were not immediately introduced, he became disillusioned and increasingly absented himself from parliament. Catholic Emancipation was not granted until 1829. FitzGerald later opposed O'Connell's movement for repeal of the union. – Felix M Larkin
Fox News
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Jaire Alexander Released From Packers
The quarterback played with the team for 7 seasons. Fox's Joe Morgan has this and more in your 'Fox Sports Update' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit FOX News Radio
