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Equinox Marks Fall's Start Amid Record Summer Heat
22 Sep
Summary
- Autumnal equinox officially begins fall in Northern Hemisphere.
- Record hot August and a potential El Niño forecast warm fall.
- Climate change, not El Niño, drives long-term warming trends.
The autumnal equinox, occurring precisely at 8:05 p.m. ET on September 22nd, signifies the beginning of fall in the Northern Hemisphere. This astronomical event, where day and night are nearly equal in length, contrasts with the ongoing warm weather. The summer just concluded was marked by record-breaking ocean and land temperatures globally and within the U.S.
Forecasters predict a warmer-than-average fall, influenced by a developing El Niño and long-term climate change. While El Niño redistributes heat, scientists emphasize that human-caused climate change is the primary driver of the observed warming trends and record-breaking temperatures.
Meteorologists consider summer to have ended on August 31st, based on the three hottest months of the year. Despite the equinox, warm conditions are expected to persist, with a strong El Niño event anticipated to peak later in the fall, potentially exacerbating existing warmth.
