Astronomical winter will begin today in our country at 5:03 p.m., on the day of the winter solstice, the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH) reports.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and the longest day in the Southern Hemisphere.

The sun rose today at 7:54 a.m. and will set at 4:56 p.m. The day will last nine hours and two minutes. The moon is in the phase one day after the new moon.

Winter is one of the four seasons in the temperate zone, along with spring, summer and autumn. Astronomically, it begins with the winter solstice - around December 21 in the Northern Hemisphere, and around June 21 - in the Southern Hemisphere.

Winter ends with the vernal equinox, which is around March 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and around September 23 - in the Southern Hemisphere.

During the winter season, the lowest temperatures are measured, and in the areas further from the equator, there are also significant snowfalls during the winter.

According to the 15-day forecast of NIMH, by the end of this month, the cloudiness will be more often significant, there will also be precipitation, mainly weak and mainly from rain, and in the low mountain areas towards December 26-27 it may also turn into snow. Temperatures will approach climatic norms. In the last days of the month, the weather in our country will remain mainly cloudy, it remains with an increased probability of precipitation, mainly snow, in the southeastern regions and along the Black Sea coast - from rain.