Every time a new season starts in New Zealand a debate fires up over just why we start and end our seasons earlier than most other countries.

A recent poll at WeatherWatch.co.nz asked readers to tell us when they believe the seasons really start – is it the start of the month, as is recognised now, or is it around the equinox and longest and shortest days of the year?

38% said they believe each new season kicks off at the start of the month.  For example, Spring kicks off on September 1st.

However many argue this date makes no sense – it is the meteorological start of spring and while spring affects our weather, the weather does not control the seasons – the sun and earth’s axis do.  This is called the astronomical start of the season and it is widely recognised around the world as the start and end points to all the seasons.

So while our seasons change under the meteorological dates, the northern hemisphere stays “locked in” to their season until the astronomical date around three weeks later.  When the equinox arrives on September 22 it is this date that most northern hemisphere nations will then recognise the official end to their current season – summer. 

WeatherWatch.co.nz contacted the Depart of Internal Affairs to find out why New Zealand has the odd start and end dates – which we also share with Australia and South Africa.

Senior Communications Advisor Tony Wallace told us as far as he is aware there is nothing “official” around our earlier start and end dates in the sense of “resulting from legislation or regulation”. In other words, they come and they go without intervention by the State and to his knowledge there is no particular agency responsible for regulating seasons.

“The Department of Internal Affairs, though, does have legislative responsibility for Daylight Saving” says Mr Wallace.

He went on to agree with us that the media, and others, often report the 1st day of March, June, September and December respectively as the start of Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer “no doubt as approximations for the March and September equinoxes and the December and July solstices”.

When we asked him if the dates should change to be in line with the rest of the world Mr Wallace said it was out of their hands – and from what we can tell, it appears to be in no ones hands.  “The Department of Internal Affairs cannot say if the dates are something that could be changed. Because there is nothing official resulting from legislation or regulation then it might be an issue that needs to be raised informally, for example, through community forums and debate”.

So if only 38% said the first of the month should be the start of the season what did the other 62% of readers say?

Well, just 26% supported the astronomical dates around the equinoxes and solstices and 36% answered “It doesn’t have a date, it arrives when it arrives”.

It appears New Zealanders don’t seem too hung up on our odd start dates – and some might even argue it’s good for the mind to be the first to see the new seasons.  But others say that while it may seem good to say farewell to the seasons we like the least, the earlier dates do work both ways – meaning our summer ends 3 weeks earlier than perhaps it should.

– Homepage image / Sunset, Chris Gin

– By Philip Duncan, WeatherWatch.co.nz

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