Yesterday was summer solstice in the northern hemisphere and from now on the nights are drawing in. Across the UK it’s been a fairly cool and soggy June and a dispiriting start to summer, but thankfully there is still plenty of summer to come. That’s because our seasons lag behind the hours of sunlight we receive.
Earth’s oceans are responsible for much of this delay. Dip your toes in the North Atlantic right now and it is still pretty bracing. Warming up the ocean takes time: in the case of the North Atlantic, sea-surface temperatures will peak around the end of August or early September. Here on land the temperature of the air is controlled not just by the amount of sun beating down and warming the air, but also by the amount of heat stored in the ocean (which evaporates and heats the air above it). For the UK our hottest weather usually arrives in July and August, when the combination of direct heat from the sun and stored heat from the oceans is at its greatest.
So fear not. Although the longest day has passed, the hottest weather is still to come. And if you are planning a beach holiday then late August/early September might be the time to wax your surfboard and catch some waves.
