Summer

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Summer
Temperate season
Field Hamois Belgium Luc Viatour.jpg
Summer in Belgium
Northern temperate zone
Astronomical season21 June – 23 September
Meteorological season1 June – 31 August
Solar (Celtic) season1 May – 31 July
Southern temperate zone
Astronomical season22 December – 21 March
Meteorological season1 December – 28/29 February
Solar (Celtic) season1 November – 31 January
Summer
Spring Seasons.svg Autumn
Winter

Summer is the hottest and brightest of the four temperate seasons, occurring after spring and before autumn. At or centred on the 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.

Contents

Etymology

The modern English summer derives from the Middle English somer, via the Old English sumor. [1]

Timing

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. Inari, Finland - panoramio (5).jpg
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

Wet season thunderstorm at night in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. Darwin thunderstorm.jpg
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. Ida 2021-08-29 1400Z.png
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 finish 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:

Activities

Summer is usually the season of travel, swimming, summer vacation for many people, and also the season for fruits and plants to fully develop. Biokupalisko Sninske rybniky 011.jpg
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 Atlantic Ocean shoreline in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.jpg
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.

See also

Related Research Articles

June—abbreviated Jun or Jun.—is the sixth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars—the latter the most widely used calendar in the world. June is 30 days long, and comes after May and before July. June marks the start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere and contains the summer solstice, the day with the most daylight hours. In the Southern Hemisphere, June is the start of winter and contains the winter solstice, the day with the fewest hours of daylight out of the year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winter</span> Coldest of the four temperate seasons

Winter is the coldest and darkest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultures define different dates as the start of winter, and some use a definition based on weather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spring (season)</span> One of the Earths four temperate seasons

Spring, also known as springtime, is one of the four temperate seasons, succeeding winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of the term varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. When it is spring in the Northern Hemisphere, it is autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. At the spring equinox, days and nights are approximately twelve hours long, with daytime length increasing and nighttime length decreasing as the season progresses until the Summer Solstice in June and December.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low-pressure area</span> Area with air pressures lower than adjacent areas

In meteorology, a low-pressure area, low area or low is a region where the atmospheric pressure is lower than that of surrounding locations. Low-pressure areas are commonly associated with inclement weather, while high-pressure areas are associated with lighter winds and clear skies. Winds circle anti-clockwise around lows in the northern hemisphere, and clockwise in the southern hemisphere, due to opposing Coriolis forces. Low-pressure systems form under areas of wind divergence that occur in the upper levels of the atmosphere (aloft). The formation process of a low-pressure area is known as cyclogenesis. In meteorology, atmospheric divergence aloft occurs in two kinds of places:

Seasonal lag is the phenomenon whereby the date of maximum average air temperature at a geographical location on a planet is delayed until some time after the date of maximum insolation. This also applies to the minimum temperature being delayed until some time after the date of minimum insolation. Cultural seasons are often aligned with annual temperature cycles, especially in the agrarian context. Peak agricultural growth often depends on both insolation levels and soil/air temperature. Rainfall patterns are also tied to temperature cycles, with warmer air able to hold more water vapor than cold air.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1992 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span>

The 1992 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was unofficially the most active year on record for the basin, with 10 tropical storms developing, according to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC). There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean – the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent – and the Arabian Sea to the west of India. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the JTWC releases unofficial advisories. An average of four to six storms form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November. Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1996 Pacific typhoon season</span> Typhoon season in the Western Pacific Ocean

The 1996 Pacific typhoon season was a relatively active season, producing 30 tropical storms, 16 typhoons and six super typhoons. It has no official bounds; it ran year-round in 1996, but most tropical cyclones tend to form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean between May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. However the first named storm, Ann, did not develop until April 3. The final named storm, Greg, dissipated on December 27.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monsoon trough</span> Weather phenomenon

The monsoon trough is a portion of the Intertropical Convergence Zone in the Western Pacific, as depicted by a line on a weather map showing the locations of minimum sea level pressure, and as such, is a convergence zone between the wind patterns of the southern and northern hemispheres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical cyclone basins</span> Areas of tropical cyclone formation

Traditionally, areas of tropical cyclone formation are divided into seven basins. These include the north Atlantic Ocean, the eastern and western parts of the northern Pacific Ocean, the southwestern Pacific, the southwestern and southeastern Indian Oceans, and the northern Indian Ocean. The western Pacific is the most active and the north Indian the least active. An average of 86 tropical cyclones of tropical storm intensity form annually worldwide, with 47 reaching hurricane/typhoon strength, and 20 becoming intense tropical cyclones, super typhoons, or major hurricanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004–05 Australian region cyclone season</span> Tropical cyclone season

The 2004–05 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly below average tropical cyclone season. It began on 1 November 2004 and ended on 30 April 2005. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, which runs from 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2002–03 South Pacific cyclone season</span> Tropical cyclone season

The 2002–03 South Pacific cyclone season was the most active and longest tropical cyclone season since 1997–98, with ten tropical cyclones occurring within the South Pacific basin between 160°E and 120°W. The season started earlier than normal, with two systems developing before the official start of the season on November 1, 2002, while the final system dissipated on June 9, 2003, after the season had officially ended on April 30. During the season, tropical cyclones were officially monitored by the Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) in Nadi, Fiji and the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres in Brisbane, Australia and Wellington, New Zealand. The United States Armed Forces through the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), also monitored the basin and issued unofficial warnings for American interests. RSMC Nadi attaches a number and an F suffix to tropical disturbances that occur within the basin, while the JTWC designates significant tropical cyclones with a number and a P suffix. RSMC Nadi, TCWC Wellington and TCWC Brisbane all use the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale and estimate windspeeds over a ten-minute period, while the JTWC estimates sustained winds over a one-minute period, which are subsequently compared to the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale (SSHS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span>

The 1981 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was part of the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. The season has no official bounds but cyclones tend to form between April and December. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean. There are two main seas in the North Indian Ocean—the Bay of Bengal to the east of the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Sea to the west of India. The official Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre in this basin is the India Meteorological Department (IMD), while the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) releases unofficial advisories. An average of five tropical cyclones form in the North Indian Ocean every season with peaks in May and November. Cyclones occurring between the meridians 45°E and 100°E are included in the season by the IMD.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1986–87 South Pacific cyclone season</span> Tropical cyclone season

The 1986–87 South Pacific cyclone season was an event in the annual cycle of tropical cyclone formation. A total of 13 tropical cyclones developed during the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990–91 Australian region cyclone season</span>

The 1990–91 Australian region cyclone season was a slightly below average cyclone season, with ten tropical cyclones occurring within the region between 90°E and 160°E. The season officially ran from November 1, 1990, to April 30, 1991, with the first disturbance of the season forming on 10 December and the last disturbance moving out of the region during 11 May. Six people were killed by Cyclone Joy when it made landfall on Australia. During the season, tropical cyclones were monitored by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, who ran Tropical Cyclone Warning Centers (TCWC) in Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane. The United States Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and Papua New Guinea National Weather Service also monitored systems within the basin during the season. The JTWC designated systems with a number and either a S or a P suffix depending on which side of 135E. The Bureau of Meteorology and Papua New Guinea national Weather Service both used the Australian Tropical Cyclone Intensity Scale, and estimated windspeeds over a ten-minute period, while the JTWC estimated sustained winds over a one-minute period and are comparable to the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Scale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1989–90 Australian region cyclone season</span>

The 1989–90 Australian region cyclone season was an above average tropical cyclone season. It was also an event in the ongoing cycle of tropical cyclone formation. It ran from 1 November 1989 to 30 April 1990. The regional tropical cyclone operational plan also defines a tropical cyclone year separately from a tropical cyclone season, and the "tropical cyclone year" ran from 1 July 1989 to 30 June 1990.

A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and polar regions, the seasons are marked by changes in the intensity of sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface, variations of which may cause animals to undergo hibernation or to migrate, and plants to be dormant. Various cultures define the number and nature of seasons based on regional variations, and as such there are a number of both modern and historical cultures whose number of seasons varies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical cyclones in 2005</span>

During 2005, tropical cyclones formed within seven different tropical cyclone basins, located within various parts of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. During the year, a total of 141 systems formed with 94 of these developing further and were named by the responsible warning centre. The strongest tropical cyclone of the year was Hurricane Wilma, which was estimated to have a minimum barometric pressure of 882 hPa (26.05 inHg). 2005 was above-average in terms of the number of storms. The most active basin in the year was the North Atlantic, which documented 28 named systems. The Western Pacific had an near-average season with 23 named storms. The Eastern Pacific hurricane season experienced an above-average number of tropical storm intensity systems, numbering 15. Activity across the southern hemisphere's three basins – South-West Indian, Australian, and South Pacific – was fairly significant, with the regions recording 23 named storms altogether, with the most intense Southern Hemisphere cyclone of the year, Cyclone Percy from the South Pacific Ocean basin peaking at 145 mph (235 km/h) and 900 millibars. Throughout the year, 28 Category 3 tropical cyclones formed, including eight Category 5 tropical cyclones in the year. The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for the 2005, as calculated by Colorado State University was 899.6 units.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1979–80 Australian region cyclone season</span>

The 1979–80 Australian region cyclone season was an above average tropical cyclone season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season</span> North Indian Ocean tropical cyclone season

The 2018 North Indian Ocean cyclone season was one of the most active North Indian Ocean cyclone seasons since 1992, with the formation of fourteen depressions and seven cyclones. The North Indian Ocean cyclone season has no official bounds, but cyclones tend to form between April and December, with the two peaks in May and November. These dates conventionally delimit the period of each year when most tropical cyclones form in the northern Indian Ocean.

References

  1. ↑ "Etymology of summer". etymonline.com. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
  2. ↑ Ball, Sir Robert S (1900). Elements of Astronomy. London: The MacMillan Company. p. 52. ISBN   978-1-4400-5323-8.
  3. ↑ Heck, Andre (2006). Organizations and strategies in Astronomy. Vol. 7. Springer. p. 14. ISBN   978-1-4020-5300-9.
  4. ↑ Cecil Adams (11 March 1983). "Is it true summer in Ireland starts May 1?". The Straight Dope. Archived from the original on 30 August 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  5. 1 2 Meteorological Glossary. London: HMSO. 1991. p. 260. ISBN   978-0-11-400363-0.
  6. ↑ "Professor Paul Hardaker answers questions on meteorological forecasting". Royal Geographical Society . Archived from the original on 2 February 2017.
  7. ↑ Driscol, D. M.; Rice, P. B.; Fong, J. M. Y. (1994). "Spatial variation of climatic aspects of temperature: Interdiurnal variability and lag". International Journal of Climatology. 14 (9): 1001. Bibcode:1994IJCli..14.1001D. doi:10.1002/joc.3370140905.
  8. ↑ "First day of summer worth celebrating". JSOnline. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  9. ↑ "Father's Day is first day of summer". Fox11online.com. 19 June 2009. Archived from the original on 17 September 2011. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  10. ↑ "Summer Solstice". Eric Weisstein's World of Astronomy. Scienceworld.wolfram.com. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  11. ↑ Stepanchuk, Carol (1991). Mooncakes and Hungry Ghosts: Festivals of China. San Francisco: China Books & Periodicals. ISBN   0-8351-2481-9.
  12. ↑ 菇溪風情 (in Chinese). 寧波出版社. 1 January 2019. pp. 9, 21. ISBN   978-7-5526-3347-4. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
  13. ↑ Gabler, Robert E.; Petersen, James F.; Trapasso, L. Michael; Sack, Dorothy (2008). Physical Geography. Belmont, California: Cengage Learning. p. 107. ISBN   0495555061.
  14. ↑ Williams, Jack (22 February 2005). "Answers: When do the seasons begin". Usatoday.Com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2012. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  15. ↑ "Bureau of Meteorology". Bom.gov.au. 11 March 2011. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 27 September 2011.
  16. ↑ "Characteristics of tropical savannas". Charles Darwin University . 2009. Archived from the original on 17 February 2009. Retrieved 27 December 2008.
  17. ↑ "Monsoon". Glossary of Meteorology. American Meteorological Society. 2009. Archived from the original on 22 March 2008. Retrieved 16 January 2009.
  18. 1 2 3 Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, Hurricane Research Division. "Frequently Asked Questions: When is hurricane season?". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on 18 July 2006. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  19. ↑ McAdie, Colin (10 May 2007). "Tropical Cyclone Climatology". National Hurricane Center. Archived from the original on 6 May 2010. Retrieved 9 June 2007.
  20. ↑ "Tropical Cyclone Operational Plan for the Southeastern Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Oceans" (PDF). World Meteorological Organization. 10 March 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2009. Retrieved 6 May 2009.
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