Timing

Further information: Meteorological seasons

From an astronomical view, the equinoxes and solstices would be the middle of the
respective seasons,[2][3] but sometimes astronomical summer is defined as starting
at the solstice, the time of maximal insolation, often identified with 21 June or
21 December. By solar reckoning, summer instead starts on May Day and the summer
solstice is Midsummer. A variable seasonal lag means that the meteorological centre
of the season, which is based on average temperature patterns, occurs several weeks
after the time of maximal insolation.[4]

The meteorological convention defines summer as comprising the months of June,

July, and August in the northern hemisphere and the months of December, January,
and February in the southern hemisphere.[5][6] Under meteorological definitions,
all seasons are arbitrarily set to start at the beginning of a calendar month and
end at the end of a month.[5] This meteorological definition of summer also aligns
with the commonly viewed notion of summer as the season with the longest (and
warmest) days of the year, in which daylight predominates.

The meteorological reckoning of seasons is used in countries including Australia,

New Zealand, Austria, Denmark, Russia and Japan. It is also used by many people in
the United Kingdom and Canada. In Ireland, the summer months according to the
national meteorological service, Met Éireann, are June, July and August. By the
Irish calendar, summer begins on 1 May (Beltane) and ends on 31 July (Lughnasadh).
[citation needed]

In the middle of summer, the sun can appear even at midnight in the northern
hemisphere. Photo of midnight sun in Inari, Finland.
Days continue to lengthen from equinox to solstice and summer days progressively
shorten after the solstice, so meteorological summer encompasses the build-up to
the longest day and a diminishing thereafter, with summer having many more hours of
daylight than spring. Reckoning by hours of daylight alone, summer solstice marks
the midpoint, not the beginning, of the seasons. Midsummer takes place over the
shortest night of the year, which is the summer solstice, or on a nearby date that
varies with tradition.

Where a seasonal lag of half a season or more is common, reckoning based on

astronomical markers is shifted half a season.[7] By this method, in North America,
summer is the period from the summer solstice (usually 20 or 21 June in the
Northern Hemisphere) to the autumn equinox.[8][9][10]

Reckoning by cultural festivals, the summer season in the United States is

traditionally regarded as beginning on Memorial Day weekend (the last weekend in
May) and ending on Labor Day (the first Monday in September), more closely in line
with the meteorological definition for the parts of the country that have four-
season weather. The similar Canadian tradition starts summer on Victoria Day one
week prior (although summer conditions vary widely across Canada's expansive
territory) and ends, as in the United States, on Labour Day.

In some Southern Hemisphere countries such as Brazil, Argentina, South Africa,

Australia and New Zealand, summer is associated with the Christmas and New Year
holidays. Many families take extended holidays for two or three weeks or longer
during summer.

In Australia and New Zealand, summer begins on 1 December and ends on 28 February
(29 February in leap years).

In Chinese astronomy, summer starts on or around 5 May, with the jiéqì (solar term)
known as lìxià (立夏), i.e. "establishment of summer".[11][12] Summer ends around 7
August, with the solar term of lìqiū (立秋, "establishment of autumn").

In southern and southeast Asia, where the monsoon occurs, summer is more generally
defined as lasting from March, April, May and June, the warmest time of the year,
ending with the onset of the monsoon rains.[citation needed]

Because the temperature lag is shorter in the oceanic temperate southern

hemisphere,[13] most countries in this region use the meteorological definition
with summer starting on 1 December and ending on the last day of February.[14][15]

Weather
See also: Hail, Tropical cyclone, and Wet season

Wet season thunderstorm at night in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

Summer is traditionally associated with hot or warm weather. In Mediterranean
climates, it is also associated with dry weather, while in other places
(particularly in Eastern Asia because of the monsoon) it is associated with rainy
weather. The wet season is the main period of vegetation growth within the savanna
climate regime.[16] Where the wet season is associated with a seasonal shift in the
prevailing winds, it is known as a monsoon.[17]

Image of Hurricane Ida from late August 2021.

In the northern Atlantic Ocean, a distinct tropical cyclone season occurs from 1
June to 30 November.[18] The statistical peak of the Atlantic hurricane season is
10 September. The Northeast Pacific Ocean has a broader period of activity, but in
a similar timeframe to the Atlantic.[19] The Northwest Pacific sees tropical
cyclones year-round, with a minimum in February and March and a peak in early
September. In the North Indian basin, storms are most common from April to
December, with peaks in May and November.[18] In the Southern Hemisphere, the
tropical cyclone season runs from the start of November until the end of April with
peaks in mid-February to early March.[18][20]

Thunderstorm season in the United States and Canada runs in the spring through
summer but sometimes can run as late as October or even November in the fall. These
storms can produce hail, strong winds and tornadoes, usually during the afternoon
and evening.

Holidays
School breaks
Schools and universities typically have a summer break to take advantage of the
warmer weather and longer days. In almost all countries, children are out of school
during this time of year for summer break, although dates vary. Many families will
take holidays for a week or two over the summer, particularly in Southern
Hemisphere Western countries with statutory Christmas and New Year holidays.

In the United States, public schools usually end in late May in Memorial Day
weekend, while colleges finish in early May. Public school traditionally resumes
near Labor Day, while higher institutions often resume in mid-August.

In England and Wales, school ends in mid-July and resumes again in early September.
In Scotland, the summer holiday begins in late June and ends in mid-to-late August.
Similarly, in Canada the summer holiday starts on the last or second-last Friday in
June and ends in late August or on the first Tuesday of September, with the
exception of when that date falls before Labour Day, in which case, ends on the
second Tuesday of the month. In Russia, the summer holiday begins at the end of May
and ends on 31 August.
In the Southern Hemisphere, school summer holiday dates include the major holidays
of Christmas and New Year's Day. School summer holidays in Australia, New Zealand
and South Africa begin in early December and end in early February, with dates
varying between states. In South Africa, the new school year usually starts during
the second week of January, thus aligning the academic year with the Calendar year.
In India, school ends in late April and resumes in early or mid-June. In Cameroon
and Nigeria, schools usually start a summer vacation in mid-July and resume in the
later weeks of September or the first week of October.

Public holidays
A wide range of public holidays fall during summer, including:

Northern Hemisphere
Bank holidays in the United Kingdom and Ireland
Bastille Day, National Day of France (14 July)
Belgian National Day (21 July)
Canada Day (1 July)
Festa della Repubblica, Italian national day and republic day (2 June)
Independence Day (Jordan) (25 May)
Independence Day (Pakistan) (14 August)
Independence Day (India) (15 August)
Independence Day (Indonesia) (17 August)
Independence Day (Malaysia) (31 August)
Independence Day (United States) (4 July)
Juneteenth (United States) (19 June)
King's Official Birthday (United Kingdom and some Commonwealth countries) (third
Saturday in June)
Memorial Day (United States) or Victoria Day (Canada) through Labor Day
National Day of Singapore (9 August)
National Day of Sweden (6 June) and Midsummer, sometimes referred to as the
"alternative National Day"
Ólavsøka, Faroe Islands (29 July)
Swiss National Day (1 August)
Victory Day (Turkey) (30 August)
Southern Hemisphere
Australia Day (26 January)
Christmas Day (25 December) and Boxing Day (26 December) in many countries
New Year's Day (1 January) and the following day (2 January) in many countries
Waitangi Day (6 February) In New Zealand
Activities

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Summer is usually the season of travel, swimming, summer vacation for many people,
and also the season for fruits and plants to fully develop.

Hotels and tourists along the Atlantic Ocean shoreline in Myrtle Beach, South
Carolina in summer
People generally take advantage of the high temperatures by spending more time
outdoors during summer. Activities such as travelling to the beach and picnics
occur during the summer months. Sports including cricket, association football
(soccer), horse racing, basketball, American football, volleyball, skateboarding,
baseball, softball, tennis and golf are played.

Water sports also occur. These include water skiing, wakeboarding, swimming,
surfing, tubing and water polo. The modern Olympics have been held during the
summer months every four years since 1896. The 2000 Summer Olympics, in Sydney,
were held in spring and the 2016 Summer Olympics, in Rio de Janeiro, were held in
winter.

In the United States, many television shows made for children are released during
the summer, as children are off school.

Conversely, the music and film industries generally experience higher returns
during the summer than other times of the year and market their summer hits
accordingly. Summer is popular for animated movies to be released theatrically in
movie theaters.[citation needed]

With many schools closed, especially in Western countries, travel and vacationing
tend to peak during the summer. Teenagers and university students often take summer
jobs, and business activity for the recreation, tourism, restaurant, and retail
industries reach their peak.

Children cycling during summer

Children cycling during summer

Barefoot skiing
Barefoot skiing

Fig trees bear fruit when summer is near

Fig trees bear fruit when summer is near

Using a handheld fan in summer

Using a handheld fan in summer
See also
Summer Olympic Games
Summer War
References
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Ball, Sir Robert S (1900). Elements of Astronomy. London: The MacMillan Company.
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2011.
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"First day of summer worth celebrating". JSOnline. Archived from the original on
13 July 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
"Father's Day is first day of summer". Fox11online.com. 19 June 2009. Archived
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"Summer Solstice". Eric Weisstein's World of Astronomy. Scienceworld.wolfram.com.
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Stepanchuk, Carol (1991). Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts: Festivals of China. San
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Williams, Jack (22 February 2005). "Answers: When do the seasons begin".
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"Characteristics of tropical savannas". Charles Darwin University. 2009. Archived
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Archived from the original on 22 March 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
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"Frequently Asked Questions: When is hurricane season?". National Oceanic and
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External links