The changing daylight hours thread

[Sunny76]

My waking up time is 5am, and for the first time today I noticed it wasn’t as light as it was a week ago. 
 

This is the last week of the really long days, as we move through august , my waking up time will be pitch black, and by September it will be dark when I leave for work. Not looking forward to it. By November, I’m used to the dark and kind of embrace the inevitability of winter, but in mid august to late September, I’m refusing to accept the fact, that darker mornings and evenings are gradually creeping in.

All that said, I’m still hopeful for more hot weather before the end of august. 

[ANYWEATHER]

Definitely noticeable now getting dark by nine pm and now we are into August it's gonna turn in very quickly and into September before slowly moderating speed in October and November

[Boydie]

Noticing it now TBH, there's a difference to the light around 9pm and I've noticed a couple of lights on in my neighbour houses now.

[damianslaw]

According to the time and date website, today is the last one of the season when we don't record any 'night', tomorrow 'night' creeps in suddenly, 40 minutes of it.

Quite fitting it has been a light evening, sun was shining still at 8.45pm.

Its usually in a week's time I start to notice loss of light more notably even on clear sky evenings, but much more so on overcast wet ones. I'll make the most of the coming week, but tomorrow could well be the last 'light' feeling summer evening, rest of the week unsettled with more cloud around.

Always feel like we are catching the 'light' in August, clinging onto it, but the momentum means it slips out of our hands, this is never the case in May, June or July.

[snowgirl30]

Definitely noticing it’s a lot darker on an evening, soon will be getting light a lot later aswell 

[cheeky_monkey]

now we are into August this is when the loss of daylight really starts to accelerate and we end up losing on average 30 mins a week..15 in the morning 15 in the evening...by the beginning of Sept we will have lost nearly 2 hrs.

[Weather Enthusiast91]

Yes, the nights drawing in is certainly starting to become noticeable. Just think, by mid August sunset will be around 8:30pm. Good thing I actually like the longer nights.

Edited August 3, 2021 by Weather Enthusiast91

[damianslaw]

Yes as I said today first one of the new season when we have 'true night'. I'm feeling despondent this evening both on this count and looking at prospects for August as a whole.

[Boydie]

I still think we will have some nice enjoyable weather, September is usually a settled month. The lack of daylight in the evening isn’t a big concern to me. 

[Badgers01]

really noticeable tonight its pretty clear out but the sun has long gone behind StGeorges Hill the fresh breeze is adding to the autumn in August feel...

[cheeky_monkey]

looks like this will be my last week of going walking at 5.30am ..sunrise is now at 6.05am ..this time next week it will be 6.17am..

[bomdabass]

Funny thing the changing of the seasons. We got a dog in February, so between morning and evening walks the changes have been a lot more apparent this year, both daylight and the changes in plants, trees etc.

One thing to consider in all this is usable daylight. They say that every place on earth receives the same amount of daylight per year, which is true (I think), but more importantly, is how much usable daylight do you get?

It's now 49 days since the summer solstice and it's still light here at 9pm. That will continue to be the case for another week or so. So for almost 1/3 of the year, it is light until 9pm, meaning for Mon to Fri people we still have time to finish work, eat and then still have at least 2-3hrs of usable daylight.

Compare that to the couple of years I lived in Brisbane. The latest sunset in early January is 18.47. So you get home from work and it's pitch black by the time you want to do anything, 32c usually, but dark. No long lazy evenings outside. And in their winter it's dark before 5pm, so no different to being in Scotland.

So all in all, we do not bad for usable daylight, particularly those doing a 9-5...just wish it could be 4-5c warmer and less cloud 

[Frost HoIIow]

Certainly noticing it getting darker a bit earlier now in the evenings but not in the mornings as I don't normally wake up until about 7 and obviously it's already light by then. Anyway for me personally perfect daylight is roughly around equal 12 hour mark, so around 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night. Can get outside jobs done in the daytime without it getting dark too early and it doesn't get light at ridiculous o'clock in the morning either. I find it's the right balance so just after mid September. But that's just me. However it doesn't stay that way for long as we quickly descend into more darkness soon after. 

Edited August 9, 2021 by Frost HoIIow

[snowgirl30]

I felt the first pangs of autumn last couple of days, certainly noticing the loss of daylight now.  It getting dark around 8pm and light around 7am is the perfect time for me personally 

[mb018538]

My least favourite part of the year now. The loss of light is accelerating to 3m30s a day, rapidly approaching 4m a day. Will soon be needing my lights on my bike for work, and the evenings are dark at 8:30pm. Summer is starting to fade. 

The only upcoming thing I like is where we get a bit of warmth in September and see 25c. It just feels totally different to 25c in June or July. A nice glowing kind of warmth rather than the out and out heat of high summer.

[Glaswegianblizzard]

As @bomdabass says, here in Glasgow it is still light until 9pm although that changes this week. That for me is usually the first sign of the waning summer with nights drawing in. The difference with 6 weeks ago around the solstice, or even 4 weeks ago when it was still light until about 10pm, becomes marked now.

I like to refer to the time around late August and early September as the dog days of summer. I know that term has a proper meaning, but for me it is about those late summer days where schools are back, football is back on, the nights become that bit darker. We tend here at least to get a spell of decent dry weather here around this time, but due to the schools being back in the place seems that bit quieter even with some nice weather. Everyone knows that soon they’ll have to hunker down for the first storms of autumn (not that they’ve been a feature recently) and that the days of being outside in T-shirt or sitting on the grass are numbered. Enjoy them while we can.

Edited August 10, 2021 by Glaswegianblizzard

[Weather Enthusiast91]

3 hours ago, mb018538 said:

The only upcoming thing I like is where we get a bit of warmth in September and see 25c. It just feels totally different to 25c in June or July. A nice glowing kind of warmth rather than the out and out heat of high summer.

September can bring lovely early autumn weather to the UK. Whilst I find it to be a fairly bland month from a meterological perspective, on a personal note it often feels very nice. We don't normally get the humidity which we have in high summer and the sun isn't as strong, so any heatwaves that occur don't usually feel too oppressive. That heatwave at the end of Sept 2011 and into October is a good example.

[mb018538]

On 10/08/2021 at 12:53, Weather Enthusiast91 said:

September can bring lovely early autumn weather to the UK. Whilst I find it to be a fairly bland month from a meterological perspective, on a personal note it often feels very nice. We don't normally get the humidity which we have in high summer and the sun isn't as strong, so any heatwaves that occur don't usually feel too oppressive. That heatwave at the end of Sept 2011 and into October is a good example.

Yep, I think that's why so many people enjoy Autumn warmth. By then the sun is at the same angle as in March, so it doesn't have that same power that it does in June. Lower humidity, and some of the leaves are on the turn. Just feels quite mellow.

I remember the 2011 one very well, I was hungover as hell and trying to play golf in Norwich - I just bailed out after 9 holes. I was 28c and absolutely toasted. 

[Cheshire Freeze]

On 10/08/2021 at 09:24, mb018538 said:

My least favourite part of the year now. The loss of light is accelerating to 3m30s a day, rapidly approaching 4m a day. Will soon be needing my lights on my bike for work, and the evenings are dark at 8:30pm. Summer is starting to fade. 

The only upcoming thing I like is where we get a bit of warmth in September and see 25c. It just feels totally different to 25c in June or July. A nice glowing kind of warmth rather than the out and out heat of high summer.

Yep heat is much more pleasant in September than in June or July. You don’t get that intense heat feeling in the sun. Just feels different, as you say.

[Sunny76]

Ok, so my first morning getting up at 5am for over a week and a half, and noticed the light is becoming more twilight now.

Still a few weeks away before the darkness creeps into my getting up time, but come September, it will be dark when getting up and leaving the house.

Not looking forward to it, and need to leave this job. My break in Latvia with the family reminded me just how much I need my life back, and a return to a 9-5 or 8-9 hour day type job.

 

With 12 hour jobs, we are the first to see the darkness arrive in august, and the last to see the back of it come April. And it’s just a narrow window of 4 months of long days for 12 hour shift folk.

 

[Sunny76]

19 hours ago, CreweCold said:

Yep heat is much more pleasant in September than in June or July. You don’t get that intense heat feeling in the sun. Just feels different, as you say.

I hope we have a hot spell in September. We usually get one on the back of a poor summer.

[Boydie]

On 11/08/2021 at 10:11, Sunny76 said:

I hope we have a hot spell in September. We usually get one on the back of a poor summer.

Me too its when I like to get the garden cut back for winter and paint my sheds.

[sarahng]

I absolutely dread the dark mornings and evenings - it feels very claustrophobic to me.  I like it light and bright - Northern Finland in summer would be perfect for me.  However, in an effort to understand others' preferences, could somebody perhaps explain to me just what it is you like about it being pitch dark for 16 hours a day for several months running?

[Sunny76]

3 hours ago, sarahng said:

I absolutely dread the dark mornings and evenings - it feels very claustrophobic to me.  I like it light and bright - Northern Finland in summer would be perfect for me.  However, in an effort to understand others' preferences, could somebody perhaps explain to me just what it is you like about it being pitch dark for 16 hours a day for several months running?

I don't like it either, but I find the shift in late october to complete darkness at 5pm is where it really hits you that winter is getting closer. By December I'm kind of used to it, and can understand why some folk enjoy the darker days. They feel more cosy at home, everything tends to be quieter during the darker months, especially if its raining, snowing or just generally cold outside, plus it's a good excuse for many not to leave the house/flat for one or two days at a time. 

People feel less obliged to meet others, visiting or socializing. But, the darker months seem to appeal more to folk who are introverted naturally. I like my own company, and can see the appeal of a quiet autumn, winters day at home on my own, but I always long for those warm sunny blue sky days.

Its the lack of sunshine that bugs me about living in this country, and despite what the stats say about an increase in sunshine over the years, I just can't see it.

[Glaswegianblizzard]

On 10/08/2021 at 10:46, Glaswegianblizzard said:

As @bomdabass says, here in Glasgow it is still light until 9pm although that changes this week. That for me is usually the first sign of the waning summer with nights drawing in. The difference with 6 weeks ago around the solstice, or even 4 weeks ago when it was still light until about 10pm, becomes marked now.

I like to refer to the time around late August and early September as the dog days of summer. I know that term has a proper meaning, but for me it is about those late summer days where schools are back, football is back on, the nights become that bit darker. We tend here at least to get a spell of decent dry weather here around this time, but due to the schools being back in the place seems that bit quieter even with some nice weather. Everyone knows that soon they’ll have to hunker down for the first storms of autumn (not that they’ve been a feature recently) and that the days of being outside in T-shirt or sitting on the grass are numbered. Enjoy them while we can.

Yesterday evening was the first time since early May that the sun went down earlier than 9pm here. I think this is what makes each part of the year quite unique. In Spring when we have light nights it’s still pretty cold, whereas in late August into September it can still be pleasant and warm but with darker evenings coming in. Each part of the year ‘feels’ different and you get a sense of it being so even from the light, heat and the ambience.

Edited August 13, 2021 by Glaswegianblizzard