The UK has two common ways to define the seasons: astronomical and meteorological. Astronomical seasons shift a little each year, while meteorological seasons use fixed calendar dates.
Astronomical seasons in the UK
- Spring: around 20 March to 20 June.
- Summer: around 20 June to 22 September.
- Autumn: around 22 September to 21 December.
- Winter: around 21 December to 20 March.
Meteorological seasons
- Spring: 1 March to 31 May.
- Summer: 1 June to 31 August.
- Autumn: 1 September to 30 November.
- Winter: 1 December to 28 February.
What people usually mean
In everyday UK weather talk, meteorological seasons are often the easiest to use because they match the calendar and stay consistent every year. Astronomical seasons are the ones tied to the equinoxes and solstices, so the exact start day can change slightly.
In one line
If you want the simplest answer: Spring = Mar-May, Summer = Jun-Aug, Autumn = Sep-Nov, Winter = Dec-Feb.
