Spring arrives at a speed of about 2mph, according to research from Coventry University.
The figure was calculated by analysing the timing of spring events across the UK, which showed the season is developing quicker than in the past.
The events were hawthorn flowering and the arrival of swallows and orange-tip butterflies.
The study was carried out by the Woodland Trust, the British Science Association and BBC Springwatch.
More than 20,000 public records of spring events submitted to the trust’s nature’s calendar over the last four months were analysed by Professor Tim Sparks from Coventry University.
He found the average speed of the passage of spring this year was around 1.9mph, taking nearly three weeks to cover the length of the country from south to north.
An average of 1.2mph was recorded using data between 1891 and 1947 and 1.8mph from figures taken between 1998 and 2014.
The latest research found that the passage of spring is not directly south to north but south-west to north-east.
Four additional spring events were analysed as part of the research.
The speed of travel of all seven events this year was :
- Ladybirds arriving, 6.5mph
- Hawthorns leafing, 6.3mph
- Swallows arriving, 2.4mph
- Hawthorns flowering, 1.9mph
- Orange tip butterflies arriving, 1.4mph
- Oak tree leafing, 1.3mph
- Frogspawn, 1mph
Prof Sparks said: “Some of these events appear to be more reliable than others in determining the speed of the progress of spring.
“Comparison with previous years does suggest that spring may be moving faster now than it did in the past.”
Dr Kate Lewthwaite, the Woodland Trust’s citizen science manager, said: “The timing of the seasons is hugely important for wildlife and any long-term changes could have implications on the success or failure of a particular species.
“Without the volume of records supplied by members of the public this analysis wouldn’t be possible, so we’re hugely grateful for every single piece of information.”