The summer solstice will occur at 4:59 p.m. today, marking the point when the sun is farthest to the north, as seen from the northern hemisphere. The solstice also marks the longest period of daylight of the year. Orange County will have 14 hours and 24 minutes of daylight, and skies will be generally clear, sending inland temperatures into the 90s for a second straight day, the National Weather Service says.
But today’s heat won’t be as bad as it was Thursday, when the temperature peaked at 101 degrees in Yorba Linda and in Fremont Canyon, above the Anaheim Hills, near Irvine Lake.
Sky and Telescope magazine says, “The night of the summer solstice is traditionally called Midsummer’s Night, though this is a misnomer by the modern definition of the seasons. Traditionally, on this night spirit creatures were thought to be especially apparent (hence Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream), and the date was celebrated with all-night bonfires.”
Speaking of bonfires, this would be a great day to grab a firepit at a local beach and watch the sun set.
As of 11:30 a.m., temperatures in the area were as follows: Huntington Beach 74º; Santa Ana 85º; Fullerton 91º; Laguna Beach 67º; Yorba Linda 89º; Mission Viejo 93º.
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