Summer solstice 2022 in Bristol: what time is sunrise and sunset - and how many daylight hours are there?

After the recent arrival of hot-tempered heatwave that summer-like temperatures to Bristol last week, people of the city are anxiously awaiting the official arrival of summer.

Bristol is a city that boasts a long list of fun and exciting things to do, such as its many walks and trails, all of which would be that much more enjoyable in the summertime.

Luckily for people throughout the UK, the arrival of the summer solstice means that summer is officially upon us.

Countries throughout the northern hemisphere will experience varying levels of daylight hours as it brings us the longest day of the calendar year.

But how many daylight hours will there be in Bristol for the summer solstice in 2022? What does it mean? Here is everything you need to know.

What is the Summer Solstice?

Traditionally, solstices mark the changing of the seasons, emerging whenever Earth’s axis of rotation is tilted around 23.4 degrees around the sun which helps to bring more sunlight to the south or northern hemispheres.

The summer variation of a solstice occurs whenever the planet is tilted the closest to the sun, which in-turn creates the year’s longest day as it reaches its highest point.

It also means that countries in the  northern hemisphere will also experience its shortest night of 2022 too.

Solstices were important in prehistoric times - with sunlight being crucial for warmth and to allow crops to grow - and people used this time to observe the rising and setting positions of the sun.

It normally takes place at the same time every year and is traditionally celebrated in the UK in areas such as Stonhenge, which is located in Salisbury - only around 45 miles away from Bristol if you fancy a nice day out.

When is the Summer Solstice in 2022?

As previously mentioned, the summer solstice is celebrated at more or less the same time annually and is the longest day of the year.

In 2022, the arrival of the summer seasons will fall on Tuesday, 21 June.

How many daylight hours will there be in Bristol today?

The summer solstice synonymously brings increasing levels of sunshine to various countries all around the world.

For example, countries like Iceland are set to experience as much as 21 hours of daylight on Tuesday, 21 June.

The average daylight hours expected in the UK during summer solstice this year is 16, but what about Bristol? How much sunshine will the city and the South West of England experience?

This year, the people of Bristol and the surrounding area are expecting to see just-above average levels of daylight with around 17 hours of sun.

When will the sun rise and set in Bristol during the summer solstice?

According to the Met Office, the sun rose on Tuesday morning at 4:53 am and is expected to set at 9:31 pm in the night.

Therefore, the exact amount of daylight hours forecasted in Bristol is 16 hours and 38 minutes.

What will the weather be like in Bristol today?

Experts at the Met Office are expecting Bristol to experience nothing but sunshine at certain times throughout the day, as much like most of the country, warm temperatures and good weather is expected to continue.

However, there might be certain times of the day that will see more clouds than usual, such as at 3 pm and 5 pm in the afternoon.

The sunshine will still bring hot temperatures as highs of 23℃ are expected until the sun disappears at 9 pm.

From 10 pm onwards, there will be no sun but temperatures will remain a consistent mild temperature of between 20-17℃ heading into the early hours of Wednesday morning.