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Gianna · June 19th 06, 10:45 PM posted to uk.sci.weather

wrote:
June 21st is the first day of summer, as it's a astronomical measure of
time.

In western European terms, it is midsummer, not the beginning. In olden times,
this would be celebrated three days later, on "midsummer day" (June 24) in much
the same manner as the Winter solstice (Dec 22) is celebrated three days later,
even in modern times.

I've never quite got that though. If astronomical summer is defined as
the lightest season (which, surely, it ought to be, just like climatic
summer is the warmest season) then astronomically, summer should be the
three months centred on June 21st, i.e. May 6th to August 6th.

Thus proving that you have in fact got it exactly (give or take a day or two).

Meteorological summer lags behind that by about a month, for reasons already
described on the group.

--
Gianna