Exact date sunsets will be before 8pm again after Summer Solstice

Today, Saturday 21 June, signifies this year's summer solstice, or the longest day of the year. It marks the beginning of summer on the astronomical calendar, although using meteorological seasons, summer began nearly three weeks ago.

The summer solstice, along with the rest of the astronomical calendar's seasons, are dictated by the tilt of the Earth's axis in relation to its orbit around the sun. That calendar sees summer begin with the summer solstice, and conclude with the autumn equinox.

This year, astronomical summer will run from 21 June to 22 September. And from 22 June, the days will start to shorten again, with sunsets occurring imperceptibly earlier, reports the Express.

Forecasts suggest that the UK will witness its first pre-8pm sunset on Sunday, 24 August. It will be seen at Ness Point, the most eastern part of the UK, which has a predicted sunset time of 7.59pm on this date.

Those in County Fermanagh, one of the most western parts of the UK, will experience its first pre-8pm sunset some 17 days later, on Wednesday, 10 September. Those in London will see the sun set before 8pm on Wednesday, 27 August, while those in Cardiff can expect this to happen on Monday, 1 September.

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Meanwhile, thousands of people saw the sun go up over Stonehenge to mark the summer solstice. People who gathered in Wiltshire enjoyed a warm start to the morning.

Temperatures in Salisbury and Greater London reached 18C by 5am, according to the Met Office. The Met Office's experts said Yeovilton in Somerset and Crosby in Merseyside recorded the highest overnight temperatures in England. They had both reached 19.7C by 6am on Saturday.

Towns in Cumbria and Lancashire also notched up temperatures above 19C. Officials say an amber heat-health alert for all regions in England is in place for the weekend.

The amber heat-health alert was issued by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) for the first time since September 2023 and will last until 9am on Monday.

The alert means that weather impacts are likely to be felt across the whole health service and possibly across the wider population. The UKHSA says we may also see an increase in risk to health for people aged over 65 or those with pre-existing health conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, Head of Extreme Events and Health Protection at UKHSA, said: "We have already seen warm weather across the week, and temperatures are set to increase in the coming days, exceeding 30°c in many areas.

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"Our findings show that heat can result in serious health outcomes across the population, especially for older adults or those with pre-existing health conditions. It is therefore important to check on friends, family and neighbours who are more vulnerable and to take sensible precautions while enjoying the sun."