Thursday will be the shortest day of the year — the winter solstice — the South African Weather Service said.
The solstice marks the astronomical beginning of the southern hemisphere’s winter, said spokesperson Garth Sampson on Wednesday.
At exactly 8.08pm on Thursday the sun would be at its furthest point from the equator.
Sampson said there was ”some truth” to the belief that the coldest part of the South African winter came after the solstice.
”There is more cold weather on the way, there’s no doubt about that.”
According to Wikipedia, the name was derived from the Latin world sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), because at the solstice, the sun’s movement north or south was minimal.
According to Sampson, interpretation of the event varies from culture to culture. Many people recognise it as a symbol of rebirth and celebrate it through festivals, gatherings or rituals.
The southern hemisphere’s summer solstice — the longest day of the year — occurs around December 21. – Sapa