Dubai: For the next week, UAE residents will witness the longest week of the year with longer days and relatively shorter nights as daylight timings increase to 13 hours and 44 minutes from June 18 to 24.
In the run up to the summer solstice on Sunday, June 21 at 1.44 am, the UAE will see around three hours more daylight than the winter solstice, which happens in December. In most locations north of Equator, the longest day of the year is around the third week of June.
Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, said that while June 21 is the official day of summer, the number of daylight hours will be the same during that week.
“From June 18 to June 24, the northern part of the earth will witness the longest day, coinciding with the summer solstice on June 21. The length of daylight in the UAE, from sunrise to sunset, will reach approximately 13.44 hours during that period,” he tweeted.
What is a solstice?
The word solstice is derived from two Latin words: sol (sun) and sistere (to be still). A solstice can be defined as an event when the sun is at its highest or lowest point in the sky. This happens twice a year when the summer and winter solstices marks the longest and shortest two days of the year, respectively.
On the longest day of the year, the sun will rise at 5.28 am and set at 7.11 pm.
Hot summer
Throughout the next week, temperature in the country are expected to hover between 44 and 48 °C, according to the National Centre of Meteorology. Although the weather at night will become slightly cooler between 25 and 29 °C, it will be accompanied with maximum humidity levels of 80-95 per cent.
Longest days around the world
The longest days look different in other cities, as locations vary between cities in the northern and southern hemisphere.
London, United Kingdom
Earliest sunrise: 4.43 am from June 11 to 22
Latest sunset: 9.22 pm from June 21 to 27
Longest days: June 17 to 24
Hours of daylight on longest day: 16 hours and 38 minutes
Mexico City, Mexico
Earliest sunrise: 6.57 a.m. from June 3 to 7
Latest sunset: 8.19 pm from June 27 to July 12
Longest days: June 13 to 28
Hours of daylight on longest day: 13 hours and 18 minutes
Tokyo, Japan
Earliest sunrise: 4.25 am from June 6 to 20
Latest sunset: 7.01 pm from June 22 to July 5
Longest days: June 19 to 23
Hours of daylight on longest day: 14 hours and 35 minutes
