Summer solstice

Solstice, from the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), heralds the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, marking the longest day and short night of the year — and it falls on Saturday.

Solstice, from the Latin solstitium, from sol (sun) and stitium (to stop), heralds the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, marking the longest day and shortest night of the year — and it falls on Saturday. At the same time, winter officially begins for the Southern Hemisphere. We take a look at the differing times of sunrise, sunset, average hours of sunlight and mean temperatures from 12 places around the world. Click to open up our PDF.