Summer: the warmest season
Summer in the UK begins in June and is typically our warmest season, summer is the warmest season due to the northern hemisphere being tilted towards the Sun.
When is summer?
As with all the seasons, there are two ways to define summer.
Meteorological summer
Running from 1 June to 31 August, this three-month period aligns with the calendar for easier tracking of weather patterns.
Astronomical summer
Astronomical summer starts around 21 June which is the summer solstice and longest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. It ends around 22 September. The summer solstice marks the point when the Sun reaches its highest point in the sky. After this, days get gradually shorter until the winter solstice in December.
What is the weather like in summer?
- Warmth and sunshine: July is typically the warmest month, while June is the sunniest. Sometimes, blocking anticyclones bring prolonged warm spells and even heatwaves.
- Thunderstorms: Summer is the most thundery season, with ideal conditions for thunderstorms, especially in the East Midlands and southeast.
- Average temperature: The long-term average for UK summer is 14.59°C (1991–2020).
-
Snow in June: Rare, but possible—one such case was when snow forced cricket match cancellations on 2 June in 1975.
-
Strange but true: You can estimate the temperature by counting cricket chirps for 25 seconds, dividing by 3, and adding 4 for Celsius.