Summer begins with the Longest day

Here comes Summer!

Today is the Summer Solstice, when the North Pole is tilted closest to the Sun.

The longest days of the year are here and hopefully go with the extra daylight, there will also be some sunshine.

The Solstice marks the official start of the Summer and the season lasts until the Autumn Equinox on September 23rd.

We can enjoy 16 hours and 38 minutes of daylight, with a sunrise at 4.42am and a sunset at 9.21pm. 

Even better, for real daylight hours, look to the civil twighlight hours, when, although the sun has set, we are so close to it, that light still radiates.  For the next 7 days, expect to see bright blue skies all night as the very short perpetual twilight phenomena is visible throughout Great Britain.   Until the June 30th, we will have no real night time!

Civil twilight is a scientific term, and we define it as “the period after sunset or before sunrise ending or beginning when the sun is about 6 degrees below the horizon and during which on clear days there is enough light for ordinary outdoor occupations.”

Although we have dark winters, somehow, being light in the evenings until after 10pm, offers a significant compensation!