Summer

Summer or summertime is the hottest and

Summer
brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring
after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the Temperate season
summer solstice, daylight hours are the longest and
darkness hours are the shortest, with day length
decreasing as the season progresses after the
solstice. The earliest sunrises and latest sunsets also
occur near the date of the solstice. The date of the
beginning of summer varies according to climate,
tradition, and culture. When it is summer in the
Northern Hemisphere, it is winter in the Southern
Hemisphere, and vice versa.

Etymology
The modern English summer derives from the
Middle English somer, via the Old English sumor.[1]
Summer in Belgium
Northern temperate zone
Timing Astronomical 21 June – 23
season September
From an astronomical view, the equinoxes and
Meteorological 1 June – 31 August
solstices would be the middle of the respective
season
seasons,[2][3] but sometimes astronomical summer is
defined as starting at the solstice, the time of Solar (Celtic) 1 May – 31 July
season
maximal insolation, often identified with 21 June or
21 December. By solar reckoning, summer instead Southern temperate zone
starts on May Day and the summer solstice is Astronomical 22 December – 21
Midsummer. A variable seasonal lag means that the season March
meteorological centre of the season, which is based Meteorological 1 December – 28/29
on average temperature patterns, occurs several season February
weeks after the time of maximal insolation.[4]
Solar (Celtic) 1 November – 31
The meteorological convention defines summer as season January
comprising the months of June, July, and August in Summer
the northern hemisphere and the months of Spring Autumn
December, January, and February in the southern
Winter
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).

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
During summer in the polar regions,
nearby date that varies with tradition. the sun can appear even at
midnight. Photo of midnight sun in
Where a seasonal lag of half a season or more is common, Inari, Finland.
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.
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
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]
Wet season thunderstorm at night in
In the northern Atlantic Ocean, a distinct tropical cyclone Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
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,
Image of Hurricane Ida from late
strong winds and tornadoes, usually during the afternoon and August 2021.
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
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
Summer is usually the season of
modern Olympics have been held during the summer months
travel, swimming, summer vacation
every four years since 1896. The 2000 Summer Olympics, in for many people, and also the
Sydney, were held in spring and the 2016 Summer Olympics, in season for fruits and plants to fully
Rio de Janeiro, were held in winter. develop.

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.
Hotels and tourists along the Atlantic
With many schools closed, especially in Western countries,
Ocean shoreline in Myrtle Beach,
travel and vacationing tend to peak during the summer.
South Carolina in 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 Barefoot skiing Fig trees bear fruit Using a
summer when summer is near handheld fan in
summer

See also
Summer Olympic Games
 Summer War

References
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External links
Quotations related to Summer at Wikiquote
The dictionary definition of summer at Wiktionary

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