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 While Thursday marks the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, it won't necessarily be the hottest.

The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere coincides with the winter solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.

Millions of people across countries in the Northern Hemisphere, including the United States and India, experience heatwaves even before the summer solstice, which marks the first day of summer.

After the solstice, daylight periods will shorten, and nights will get longer, but there will likely be little relief from the high temperatures.Climate activists vandalized the United Kingdom’s Stonehenge monument on Wednesday to demand the phasing out of fossil fuels, which are blamed for contributing to climate change and causing prolonged heatwaves and extreme weather conditions worldwide.

Meanwhile, revelers gathered at one of the world’s most famous prehistoric sites to celebrate the summer solstice. Stonehenge is believed to have been constructed with a specific alignment to the summer solstice sunrise.

So, what is the significance of the summer solstice, which marks the longest day of the year?

Here’s what you need to know:

**When is the summer solstice in 2024?**

The 2024 summer solstice falls on Thursday, June 20 at 20:50 GMT. People across the Northern Hemisphere will experience the solstice at the same moment.

The summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere typically occurs between June 20th and

June 22nd each year. This year's solstice is the earliest in 228 years, last occurring on June 20, 1796.

The most recent June 22 solstice took place in 1975. Since then, and until last year, it consistently occurred on June 21.

These date shifts happen because the Earth's orbit around the sun doesn't perfectly align with our calendar year.

While the orbital cycle and Earth’s axial tilt remain relatively stable over short periods, gradual natural variations cause a slight shift in the solstice date every few decades.

**Why is it the longest day of the year?**

During the summer solstice, the Northern Hemisphere experiences the longest period of sunlight in a day, marking the longest day of the year.

This phenomenon occurs because of Earth’s position in its orbit around the sun and the tilt of the North Pole toward the sun during the summer solstice. The sun’s rays strike the Northern Hemisphere at their most direct angle, resulting in the longest period of daylight.

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Regions farther from the equator will have longer daylight hours compared to those closer to it. For example, parts of India nearer to the equator will experience nearly 14 hours of daylight.

Within the Arctic Circle, there will be a polar day, also known as midnight sun, with 24 hours of continuous sunlight.

Is it the hottest day of the year?

Despite the long hours of sunlight, the summer solstice will not necessarily be the hottest day of the year.

This is due to a phenomenon known as “seasonal lag”. The Earth and its atmosphere take time to warm up, similar to how the hottest part of the day typically occurs in the afternoon rather than at noon when the sun is at its highest point in the sky.

The oceans, which cover about 70 percent of the Earth’s surface, absorb, store, and release heat slowly. This slow warming of the oceans contributes to the delay in reaching peak temperatures.

Why will it get hotter later?

The hottest days of summer usually occur several weeks after the summer solstice, often in July or August in the Northern Hemisphere.

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The heat absorbed during the long daylight hours accumulates on the Earth’s surface. Even though the days start to shorten immediately after the solstice, they remain relatively long, and the sun remains high in the sky, providing substantial solar energy.

The Earth’s surface and atmosphere efficiently absorb this solar energy but release heat gradually.

Due to these factors, temperatures typically continue to rise until late July or August, when the energy balance shifts toward losing more energy than gaining.

Aren’t there already several heatwaves?

From India to Greece and the US, numerous countries across the Northern Hemisphere have experienced heatwaves.

A heatwave is characterized by at least two or more days of unusually high temperatures compared to typical averages for that location during that period or month.

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For instance, in the northeast US, a heatwave is defined as temperatures reaching or exceeding 32.2 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) for three consecutive days.In India, a heatwave is officially declared when the maximum temperature reaches at least 40°C (104°F) in the plains or 30°C (86°F) in hilly regions, according to India’s meteorological department.

In the US, heat domes—large, high-pressure systems of trapped hot air—are exacerbating these heatwaves.