Summer Solstice 2026: The date of the longest day and shortest night, and the beginning of astronomical summer

Arab Weather - Jordan and the Arab world are anticipating a prominent astronomical event, the summer solstice, which this year falls on Sunday, June 21, 2026 at 11:24 AM Saudi Arabia and Jordan time, thus announcing the official start of summer astronomically in the northern hemisphere.

The summer solstice is the day with the longest daylight hours and shortest nighttime hours of the year, when the sun reaches its highest point above the horizon at noon, and its rays are perpendicular to the Tropic of Cancer at a latitude of 23.5 degrees north.

What happens during the summer solstice?

During this astronomical phenomenon, the tilt of the Northern Hemisphere towards the sun reaches its maximum, resulting in the highest annual daylight hours. After this date, daylight hours gradually decrease while nighttime hours increase until the winter solstice in December.

Why does summer begin astronomically on June 21st?

The astronomical calendar is based on the Earth's movement around the sun, which results in two equinoxes and two solstices throughout the year. The summer solstice marks the beginning of summer astronomically, while the winter solstice marks the beginning of winter astronomically.

What is the difference between astronomical summer and meteorological summer?

Although the astronomical summer begins this year on June 21, meteorologists use June 1 as the start date for meteorological summer. This is done to facilitate the classification and analysis of climate records and weather statistics, as meteorological seasons are divided into complete periods of months.

Thus, the meteorological summer began on June 1st, while the astronomical summer officially begins with the summer solstice on June 21st, 2026.

The summer season continues astronomically for several months before the autumnal equinox occurs in September, signaling the beginning of the autumn season astronomically.