Summer officially begins on June 1st, although millions of people in the Northern Hemisphere—including those in the United States and India—bake in heatwaves much before the summer solstice.
After the solstice, the length of the evenings will increase and the amount of daylight will decrease, but there won't be much of a break from the heat.
On Wednesday, proponents of climate change decorated the Stonehenge monument in the United Kingdom with spray paint to call for the phase-out of fossil fuels, which are linked to climate change and are to blame for the prolonged heatwaves and extreme weather events that have been observed worldwide.
To commemorate the summer solstice, revelers assemble at one of the most well-known prehistoric locations in the world. It is thought that Stonehenge was built with a precise alignment to the sunrise of the summer solstice.
What does the summer solstice, which occurs on the longest day of the year, mean, then?
This is important to know.
In 2024, when is the summer solstice?
At 20:50 GMT on June 20, 2024, Thursday, is the summer solstice. The solstice will occur at the same time for everyone in the Northern Hemisphere.
The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere usually occurs between June 20 and June 22. The solstice this year, on June 20, 1796, is the earliest in 228 years.
The June 22 solstice has not occurred since 1975; up until last year, it had always fallen on June 21.
The reason for date shifts is that the Earth's yearly orbital period does not precisely coincide with our calendar year.
The Earth's tilt and orbital cycle are essentially stable during short time intervals, however every few decades, the date of the solstice somewhat varies due to slow, natural fluctuations.
What makes this day the longest in the year?
In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice marks the longest day of the year or the longest duration of daylight.
The North Pole's greatest tilt toward the sun at the summer solstice and Earth's location in its orbit around the sun are the causes of this. The Northern Hemisphere experiences the longest daytime hours due to the sun's rays striking at their most direct angle.
The length of the daylight hours varies depending on one's distance from the equator. For example, regions of India that are nearer the equator will have almost 14 hours of daylight.
Polar days, sometimes referred to as midnight suns, will occur in the Arctic Circle and provide 24 hours of sunshine.
Is this the year's hottest day?
It won't be the hottest day of the year despite the many hours of sunshine.
The reason for this is a notion known as "seasonal lag." It takes time for the Earth and its atmosphere to warm. This is comparable to how the afternoon is typically the hottest portion of the day rather than midday, when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
The seas, which make up almost 70% of the planet's surface, gradually absorb, store, and release heat. The general delay in attaining peak temperatures is partly caused by the warming of the oceans.
Why is it going to be hotter now?
The summer's warmest days will probably come a few weeks after the summer solstice, which in the Northern Hemisphere usually falls in July or August.
The earth will have stored heat from the extended sunshine hours. Furthermore, even though the days get shorter right after the solstice, they are still rather long and the sun stays high in the sky, meaning that a significant amount of solar energy is still obtained.
Although the Earth's surface and atmosphere are effective at absorbing solar energy, heat is gradually released.
Because of these reasons, the temperature will climb until the end of July or early August, at which point the energy balance will shift in favor of more energy being lost than being gained.
Have we not already had multiple heatwaves?
Heatwaves across the Northern Hemisphere have scorched various countries, from Greece and the US to India.
When two or more days in a row experience exceptionally high temperatures relative to the usual averages for that time of year or month, it is referred to as a heatwave.
For instance, three days in a row when the temperature reaches or surpasses 32.2 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) is considered a heatwave in the northeastern United States.
The Indian Meteorological Department states that a heatwave occurs when the highest temperature hits at least 40C (104F) in the plains or 30C (86F) in mountainous areas.
Heat domes, which are high-pressure masses of trapped heat air, are making heatwaves worse in the US.
Certain places may feel hotter than others due to humidity.
The Southern Hemisphere—what about it?
The winter solstice will occur in the Southern Hemisphere at the same time as the summer solstice in the North.
This is due to the fact that the seasons are reversed there; hence, while summer begins astronomically in the north, winter begins astronomically in the south.
Astronomical events relate to the Earth’s position in space, but the meteorological start of a season is based on the calendar year and the yearly temperature cycle.
The day with the least amount of sunlight will occur in the Southern Hemisphere on the shortest day of the year.
Read Also : How To Meditate Properly At Home For Beginners?
Mercado Wolski
Summer officially begins on June 1st, although millions of people in the Northern Hemisphere—including those in the United States and India—bake in heatwaves much before the summer solstice.
After the solstice, the length of the evenings will increase and the amount of daylight will decrease, but there won't be much of a break from the heat.
On Wednesday, proponents of climate change decorated the Stonehenge monument in the United Kingdom with spray paint to call for the phase-out of fossil fuels, which are linked to climate change and are to blame for the prolonged heatwaves and extreme weather events that have been observed worldwide.
To commemorate the summer solstice, revelers assemble at one of the most well-known prehistoric locations in the world. It is thought that Stonehenge was built with a precise alignment to the sunrise of the summer solstice.
What does the summer solstice, which occurs on the longest day of the year, mean, then?
This is important to know.
In 2024, when is the summer solstice?
At 20:50 GMT on June 20, 2024, Thursday, is the summer solstice. The solstice will occur at the same time for everyone in the Northern Hemisphere.
The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere usually occurs between June 20 and June 22. The solstice this year, on June 20, 1796, is the earliest in 228 years.
The June 22 solstice has not occurred since 1975; up until last year, it had always fallen on June 21.
The reason for date shifts is that the Earth's yearly orbital period does not precisely coincide with our calendar year.
The Earth's tilt and orbital cycle are essentially stable during short time intervals, however every few decades, the date of the solstice somewhat varies due to slow, natural fluctuations.
What makes this day the longest in the year?
In the Northern Hemisphere, the summer solstice marks the longest day of the year or the longest duration of daylight.
The North Pole's greatest tilt toward the sun at the summer solstice and Earth's location in its orbit around the sun are the causes of this. The Northern Hemisphere experiences the longest daytime hours due to the sun's rays striking at their most direct angle.
The length of the daylight hours varies depending on one's distance from the equator. For example, regions of India that are nearer the equator will have almost 14 hours of daylight.
Polar days, sometimes referred to as midnight suns, will occur in the Arctic Circle and provide 24 hours of sunshine.
Is this the year's hottest day?
It won't be the hottest day of the year despite the many hours of sunshine.
The reason for this is a notion known as "seasonal lag." It takes time for the Earth and its atmosphere to warm. This is comparable to how the afternoon is typically the hottest portion of the day rather than midday, when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.
The seas, which make up almost 70% of the planet's surface, gradually absorb, store, and release heat. The general delay in attaining peak temperatures is partly caused by the warming of the oceans.
Why is it going to be hotter now?
The summer's warmest days will probably come a few weeks after the summer solstice, which in the Northern Hemisphere usually falls in July or August.
The earth will have stored heat from the extended sunshine hours. Furthermore, even though the days get shorter right after the solstice, they are still rather long and the sun stays high in the sky, meaning that a significant amount of solar energy is still obtained.
Although the Earth's surface and atmosphere are effective at absorbing solar energy, heat is gradually released.
Because of these reasons, the temperature will climb until the end of July or early August, at which point the energy balance will shift in favor of more energy being lost than being gained.
Have we not already had multiple heatwaves?
Heatwaves across the Northern Hemisphere have scorched various countries, from Greece and the US to India.
When two or more days in a row experience exceptionally high temperatures relative to the usual averages for that time of year or month, it is referred to as a heatwave.
For instance, three days in a row when the temperature reaches or surpasses 32.2 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) is considered a heatwave in the northeastern United States.
The Indian Meteorological Department states that a heatwave occurs when the highest temperature hits at least 40C (104F) in the plains or 30C (86F) in mountainous areas.
Heat domes, which are high-pressure masses of trapped heat air, are making heatwaves worse in the US.
Certain places may feel hotter than others due to humidity.
The Southern Hemisphere—what about it?
The winter solstice will occur in the Southern Hemisphere at the same time as the summer solstice in the North.
This is due to the fact that the seasons are reversed there; hence, while summer begins astronomically in the north, winter begins astronomically in the south.
Astronomical events relate to the Earth’s position in space, but the meteorological start of a season is based on the calendar year and the yearly temperature cycle.
The day with the least amount of sunlight will occur in the Southern Hemisphere on the shortest day of the year.
Read Also : How To Meditate Properly At Home For Beginners?