Summer Solstice: Latvia Welcomes Longest Day of the Year

Summer Solstice Marks Longest Day of the Year in Latvia

On June 21, 2023, Latvia will experience the summer solstice, marking the longest day of the year, according to the Latvian Meteorological Service. The event occurs at 11:24 a.m. local time, when the sun reaches its highest point in the sky for the Northern Hemisphere, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Shortest Night of the Year

The shortest night of the year will occur on June 20, lasting six hours and eight minutes in Riga, the capital. In northern Latvia, the night will be slightly shorter, with the shortest duration of five hours and 48 minutes in the Valmiera region near the Estonian border. In the southernmost part of the country, the night will last six hours and 28 minutes, according to the Latvian Meteorological Service.

Sunrise Times Vary Across the Country

Sunrise times on the solstice will range from 4:10 a.m. in the northeastern village of Pededze, located in the Alūksne region, to 4:48 a.m. in the southwestern coastal area of the Kурzeme region. In Riga, the sun will rise at 4:29 a.m., as reported by LTV, Latvia’s national public broadcasting company.

Daylight Duration Begins to Decrease

After the solstice, the length of daylight will gradually decrease. By June 23, the day will be five seconds shorter, and by June 28, it will be five minutes shorter, according to calculations by the Latvian Astronomical Society. By July 21, the day will be one hour shorter than the solstice day, the society noted.

End of Astronomical Summer

The astronomical summer will conclude on September 22, as the autumnal equinox approaches. The longest period of daylight, defined by the solstice, is considered the midpoint of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, according to the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

For real-time updates on daylight changes, the Latvian Meteorological Service provides hourly forecasts and historical data on solar events.