As London has been hit with heavy snow and ice, it feels like winter has arrived in full force.
The Beast from the East has caused freezing temperatures with snow seen in most parts of the UK.
There are just days to go until Christmas and people across the UK are already making the most of the festive season.
According to certain calenders, Wednesday December 21 means it is now officially winter with today bringing in another noteable day, the winter solstice.
Here’s a look at what is the winter solstice and the reason why winter has two different dates.
When does winter start?
The definition of when winter actually starts changes depending on what kind of winter you’re talking about: the astronomical winter or the meteorological winter.
The astronomical winter is affected by the Earth’s axis and how it orbits the Sun.
In 2022, astronomical winter will begin today, December 21, 2022, and end on March 20, 2023.
The astronomical seasons also decide the equinoxes and solstices.
However, the meteorological definition of the seasons is decided by the calendar and splits the seasons into periods of three months.
According to this calendar, the first day of winter always falls on December 1 and ends on the last day of February.
By contrast, the astronomical winter changes each year, falling on December 22 in 2023.
What is the winter solstice
The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere and is also known as the December solstice – an astronomical occurrence which happens due to the Earth’s tilted axis of rotation in relation to the sun.
It also means that Wednesday, December 22 will have the darkest and longest night of the year as the sun is at its lowest point in the sky.
The actual moment of the solstice in 2022 will occur at 9.48pm GMT in the UK with the day only lasting 7 hours 49 minutes and 42 seconds in London, according to the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
For many people the winter solstice is a time to celebrate hope, new beginnings and light.
