Autumn has officially arrived in Formby as the autumn equinox takes place today

If you have been out and about around Formby recently, you will probably have noticed that autumn is already beginning to make itself known.

Leaves on trees across the village are starting to turn from green to shades of brown, gold and orange, conkers are beginning to fall from the horse chestnut trees and there is definitely a cooler feel in the air.

And today, Wednesday 23 September, it is official.

Today is the autumn equinox, marking the beginning of astronomical autumn in the Northern Hemisphere.

The equinox took place at approximately 1.06am this morning. It happens when the Sun is positioned directly above the Earth’s equator, meaning the Northern and Southern Hemispheres receive roughly equal amounts of sunlight.

Here in Formby, it certainly feels like the seasons are changing. Temperatures today are around 15°C, accompanied by northerly winds of around 15mph, adding a distinctly autumnal chill.

What does the autumn equinox actually mean?

The word equinox comes from Latin and roughly translates as “equal night”.

It happens twice each year, once in spring and once in autumn, when neither half of the Earth is tilted towards or away from the Sun.

Although we often hear that the equinox means exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness, that is not quite the case. In the UK, the day when daylight and darkness are closest to equal this year will actually be Friday 25 September, known as the equilux.

What happens now?

From today, the days will continue to get shorter and the nights longer as we head towards winter.

Around Formby, the signs of autumn will become much more noticeable over the coming weeks. More leaves will change colour and fall, conkers and acorns will cover the ground and those darker, cooler evenings will gradually draw in.

There is also something special to look out for in the sky this weekend. The Harvest Moon falls on Saturday 26 September, the full Moon closest to this year’s autumn equinox. Traditionally, its bright light helped farmers continue gathering their harvest after sunset.

And for anyone already wondering when the really dark evenings arrive, the clocks go back by one hour on Sunday 25 October 2026.

So although we may not be quite ready to say goodbye to summer, nature around Formby is already doing it for us.