The UK is experiencing a "false autumn", according to the Met Office , with leaves turning brown and berries starting to ripen weeks ahead of the official start of the season. Trees and plants started exhibiting behaviours associated with autumn in August, due to "the stress of extreme summer conditions", the weather agency said.

When does autumn officially begin?

Traditional "folk" markers for the start of autumn include leaves turning brown, hawthorn berries ripening, swallows migrating and, more recently, coffee chains launching their pumpkin spice brews.

More scientifically, there are three ways to define when a season begins: meteorological, astronomical and phenological. Across the northern hemisphere, meteorological autumn begins on 1 September and ends on 30 November. Using

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