June solstice brings one of the longest days of the year in PH

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Filipinos will experience one of the longest days of the year on Sunday, June 21, as Earth reaches the June solstice, an astronomical event that marks the Sun’s northernmost position in the sky.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the June solstice will occur at exactly 4:24 p.m. Philippine Standard Time.

The event brings longer daylight hours and slightly shorter nights across the country.

Nearly 13 hours of daylight

Pagasa said most parts of the Philippines will receive between 12 hours and 50 minutes and 13 hours of daylight during the June solstice.

In Cebu, residents can expect nearly 13 hours of daylight.

Data from Pagasa showed that in Mactan, the Sun will rise at 5:24 a.m. and set at 6:08 p.m. This will give Cebu about 12 hours and 44 minutes of daylight.

Meanwhile, Tuguegarao City in Cagayan will record the longest daylight duration among the areas listed by Pagasa. Residents there will enjoy 13 hours and 11 minutes of daylight.

READ: Summer solstice marks ‘longest days’ in Philippines

Not the start of summer

Many countries refer to the event as the “summer solstice,” but Pagasa clarified that the phenomenon does not signal the start of summer in the Philippines.

The country has a tropical climate. It experiences wet and dry seasons instead of spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

“The solstice is an astronomical event and not the start of the season,” Pagasa said.

Earth’s axis tilts by about 23.5 degrees. During the June solstice, the Northern Hemisphere tilts most toward the Sun.

As a result, the Sun appears higher in the sky at local noon. This also leads to longer daylight hours.

Small difference in the tropics

Pagasa noted that countries near the equator experience only slight changes in day length throughout the year.

Because the Philippines lies close to the equator, Filipinos will receive around 13 hours of daylight during the June solstice.

READ: Year’s shortest day descends on Northern Hemisphere

In comparison, some countries farther north can experience up to 18 hours of daylight.

Ancient civilizations celebrated the solstice for thousands of years. Many monuments around the world, including Stonehenge in England, align with the sunrise or sunset during the event.

As Filipinos enjoy one of the year’s longest days, Pagasa advised the public to stay hydrated, use umbrellas or hats, and avoid prolonged exposure to the intense midday heat.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Read Next

Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.