Al Ain: The year’s longest day, falling on Saturday (June 21), will herald the start of summer in the UAE, with more than 14 hours of sunlight expected in hot and humid conditions.
Known as the summer solstice, this phenomenon occurs when the Earth’s North Pole points right at the sun. At this time of the year, people living in the north of the Arctic circle will see the sun all day and night, while those in Antarctica will not see the sun at all.
The UAE is located in the northern hemisphere. The temperature could shoot up to 49 degree Celsius at some places on Saturday.
Meteorologists said the day would be 14 hours and 23 minutes long on Saturday. The sun will rise at 5.29am and set at 7.12pm in Dubai. Sunrise and sunset has a time difference of a few minutes in cities across the UAE.
The day is commemorated in numerous ways around the world. It carries a festive significance in the US, Canada, and European countries where people enjoy the optimum daylight with the seasonal solstice festivals and feasts.
On this day, the sun’s rays directly hit the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. It heralds the beginning of summer in the northern hemisphere and the onset of winter in the southern hemisphere. This happens since the earth spins on a tilted axis with an angle of 23.5 degrees around the sun.
Similarly, December 21 is the day when the northern hemisphere points away from the sun on the axis and heralds winter in this part of the world.
