The weather has really been putting London through it recently, with a particularly impressive amount of rain as of late. But, tonight a symbolic balm arrives in the form of the first 6pm sunset of the year. The days are getting longer, and summer is officially (pretty much) on the way – and here at Secret London we’re all about looking for the positives.
Today (March 12), the dramatic sunset time shift from 5:58pm to 6:00pm is set to floor us all. Londoners are sure to be driven to the point of delirium, with many likely rushing to grab the nearest bottle of Pimm’s and start lighting the disposable barbecues.
Okay, so that’s probably not going to be happening down your local big Tesco. But you still may get a cartful of extra endorphins this evening when you leave work and there’s still a decent chunk of daylight to play with.
Better still, it’s one more indication that summer is, in fact, not just a mirage. It’s not just an image we remember as a hazy memory that flitted in and out of our existence sometime around August 2023. Instead, it’s something we can look forward to, knowing that the next time we’ll see anything earlier than a 6pm sunset in London will be in October 2024.
We have sunset gurus Time and Date to thank for this important information – their handy table shows us that the winter blues will indeed start lessening from today.
Just to hammer it home even further, this is the first time the sun will set after 6pm in London since all the way back in October 18, 2023. Winter’s cruel grip is finally giving us some mercy, it seems (not that the weather would suggest that today).
While we are all hankering for the 9pm sunsets that June bestows upon London, we’ll take this small win (for now) as we strap into a DeLorean hurtling us towards summer in London. Next stop, cherry blossom season.
Get clued up on the habits of the London sunrise and sunset here.