Six-month summers are here. Perhaps it is time to rethink the use of stations

Are we in October or June? This is what thousands of people in Spain are wondering these days when they see that the thermometers mark temperatures more typical of summer than autumn. And even more so with the surprising weather forecasts on the table for the remainder of the month: values ​​shot up to 10° above normal. In fact, as we have just told Xataka, this week the weather will be marked by a warm air current from the southa phenomenon known as “thermal arreón” that will cause October to close with a typical summer heat: maximums above 30ºC and minimums that will not fall below 20ºC.

This makes us rethink that perhaps the time has come to completely reformulate our concept of “seasons” and tie it more to meteorology than to the astronomical calendar. Let’s see the whole phenomenon in full.

The warmest October in history. With this new rise in thermometers, this month will most likely become the warmest October in Spain in the entire history of Spain for which data is available, according to several experts in this article from EL PAÍS. There is even a good chance that October 2022 will go down in history as the warmest in Europe, according to climatologist Mika Rantanenfrom the Finnish Meteorological Institute.

The trend in Spain. From what we have seen in the fall, it is clear that the numbers have not moved much since the summer. Spain has been anchored in temperature maximums for six months since May. And we don’t know when. A Aemet study of 2019 I suggested that the hot season is 40 days longer now than in the 1980s. In addition, more tropical nights are recorded (in which temperatures do not fall below 20°), something totally unusual that in the past occurred exceptionally on some days but not in a generalized and recurring way .

This warm circulation pattern, which has lasted for the 2/3 of October, is likely to prevail until the end of the month.

As a result, there is a good chance that October 2022 will go down in history as the warmest October in Europe. pic.twitter.com/zSjEBAeqwE

— Mika Rantanen (@mikarantane) October 22, 2022

When summer starts? It is the question that now seems to have no answer and that perhaps we should ask ourselves again. For that you have to understand how the seasons are measured, since there are two methods: astronomical, which are based on the position of the Earth as it revolves around the sun, and meteorological, based on temperature cycles. Both divide the year into four: spring, summer, autumn and winter, although with different start and end dates.

The beginning of the astronomical is delimited by an equinox or a solstice. The first occur every six months, in the spring and fall, when the Earth’s orbit and axial tilt combine to bring the sun directly over the equator. The solstices, which mark the brightest and darkest days of the year, kick off summer and winter.

Weather stations: more precise but changeable. For centuries, scientists have sought other ways to measure the seasons, adjusting more closely to temperatures and adapting to reality to organize daily life, such as weather stations. These Divide the calendar year into four parts, each lasting three months.. Winter occurs during the three coldest months, summer in the three hottest, and spring and autumn in the transition months. The start dates are: March 1 (spring), June 1 (summer), September 1 (autumn) and December 1 (winter). In the southern hemisphere, the seasons are reversed.

six month summers. However, climate change is driving significant changes in the pattern and the length of those seasons. If you are one of those who misses summer, be careful what you wish for, because in the future you could get fed up. A recent study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters notes that global warming is making summers hotter and longer, while reducing the other three seasons. Summers in the Northern Hemisphere could last almost six months by the year 2100 if business continues, and winters could last less than two months, according to the researchers.

scientific evidence. Studies have shown that over a period of nearly 60 years, summers grew from an average of 78 to 95 days in length. Similarly, the spring seasons were reduced from 124 to 115 days, and the autumn seasons were reduced from 87 to 82 days. An investigation of thinktank Australian Institute It suggested that between 1998 and 2018 alone, summer temperatures lasted 31 days more than the average recorded in the 20th century, and winter temperatures 23 days less. We have counted it in Magnet. That is, winter has lost about a month over the last two decades, and summer has gained one.