Summer Solstice 2016: First Day Of Summer Is Not Very Summery

And yes, it's still raining.
LOADINGERROR LOADING

It's the first day of British summer and yes, you guessed it, it's raining. If walking to work with only a soggy Metro to shield your coiffured barnet wasn't bad enough, we all had to wake to a cheery (read: smug) notification from Facebook reminding us it's "the first day of summer!" coupled with an illustration of people frolicking on a sandy beach. Not cool, Facebook. Not cool.

Monday also marks the Summer Solstice - the longest day of the year and the celestial transition point between the seasons.

Sharp showers fell across the South and Midlands on Monday morning, though the sun managed to break through further north.

The dull and wet start to the day was expected to largely clear in time for celebrations to mark the Summer Solstice.

Thousands of people will make their way to Stonehenge in Wiltshire to mark the occasion, which also coincides with a Strawberry Moon.

If the clouds give way, stargazers could also catch a glimpse of the rare phenomenon on Monday night.

Start Of Summer

A Strawberry Moon - a full moon which marks the start of the strawberry season - has not coincided with the Summer Solstice for almost 50 years.

Simon Partridge, forecaster at the Met Office, said: "It's a very wet start but it's not unusual to get a weather front coming across the UK at this time of year.

"It will brighten up through this afternoon and this evening, which should give us a few clear spells which should give a chance to do some moon-gazing."

But he warned there is a "a good chance" of patchy cloud around Stonehenge despite 17 hours of daylight which may infringe on the view.

Temperatures will be 18C (64.4F) or 19C (66.2F) on Monday - normal for this time of year - with some "decent sunny spells", Mr Partridge added

Meteorologists define the beginning of summer as June 1, while the astronomical calendar determines the seasons based on the Earth's rotational axis in relation to its orbit of the Sun.

Before You Go

LOADINGERROR LOADING
Close

What's Hot