We have officially arrived into the season Spring-ter, Fools Spring, a time when the sun pokes it's head out of the gloom of January and a few foolhardy Brits have chosen to anger the weather overlords by daring to wear florals out.
Last week, some headlines even declared that Saturday, the hottest February day on British record was going to see England get warmer weather than Barcelona (which we all felt emotional about: the UK has never in our living memory been warmer than a Spanish city - just more expensive and presently a lot more politically fraught). And while for a moment it might you might have felt optimistic about uncorking a bottle of Rosé and talk in tentative, hushed tones about organising a get-together at a rooftop bar (remember those?), we all know that now is not the time to be fooled by this snap of warm weather.
And of course there's the other big elephant in the room: Global Warming. Should we really be getting excited about Sunshine when it in probability also melting away the ice caps? Chances are you've had at least one moment of 'ermm....is it ok to feel positive about this?' The emotions around fake spring are certainly conflicted.
But whichever side of the fence you're sitting on, I hate to break it to you but we're not in Spring yet; in fact, as one much-circulated Facebook that you have probably seen has very accurately put it, the UK has at least 11 colloquially recognised seasons. And we have to make it through another four before we are anywhere near actual Spring.
This news will come as a blow to some - especially to those who have optimistically shaved their legs for the first time since November. I'm sorry, it would be great to believe that we're officially in Daffodil and Jacobs Creek season. But as per the diagram - which by the way, is the realest representation of British weather that we've seen in a while - we still obviously have to make it through the baltic climes of Second Winter, Spring of Deception (this is when everybody falls victim to the folly of purchasing cold-shoulder tops), Third Winter and Mud Season before we reach the finish line of Actual Spring.
Remember last year? We had a couple of lovely days like we're experiencing now. Gorgeous, vernal days full of fragile hope and then we got hit by the Beast from the East. But in a nice way, it was a reminder that at least the planet was at a point where we don't have to wonder whether an early summer indicates an imminent apocalypse.
So let this be a warning to all: I know we've probably seen at least one person on the tube wearing wedges or a skirt without 1000 denier tights but we must not allow ourselves to fall into the trap of believing we're the climate clear. Still, while it's temporarily warm (and it's going to be okay-ish for the next week) there's no harm in at least pretending it's Spring right? Choose your days, use them wisely and when all else fails easter is around the corner which means chocolate, pancakes and four-day-public holiday weekends.
Just don't become a victim to Fools Spring by packing your umbrella away: because there are still all the March winds and April showers to go, and experimenting with ankle-grazers probably isn't going to ward them off.