We're more than halfway through June and it's almost time for the Summer Solstice!

This twice-yearly event occurs when one of the Earth's poles has its maximum tilt towards the sun, making it the day with the longest period of sunlight.

In the Northern Hemisphere, where the UK is, the solstice happens in late June and is the longest day of the Gregorian calendar.

This year's solstice is set to happen on Monday June 21 next week, so get ready to make the most of those extra moments of daylight!

It is interesting to note the difference in times for sunrise and sunset across the country.

Nub News has websites in towns across England and Wales, and the hours of daylight differ significantly between them.

For instance, our town furthest to the east is Felixstowe in Suffolk, where sunrise will be at 4.34am and sunset at 9.18pm.

However in Falmouth, our west-most town, sunrise will not be until 5.10am and sunset at 9.33pm.

Teddington is located more to the east of the country and will see sunrise at 4.44am.and sunset at 9.21pm - making the day last for approximately 16 hours and 37 minutes here!

It's also useful to point out that though the Solstice is often referred to as a day, there is actually a specific time when the Earth's North Pole will be most tilted towards the sun.

Known as the astronomical summer solstice, this will occur in the UK at 04:32pm - before dawn for most places!

Why does the Summer Solstice matter?

The Summer Solstice is a significant time of year for many cultures, and many rituals can be linked to this.

In ancient times, the Athenians used the first moon after the June solstice to start their calendar .

And cultures across the world have long held feast days around the solstice as part of Midsummer celebrations

This includes the UK, where Midsummer festivals were common from the 13th to the 19th centuries.

Nowadays the occasion is marked by fewer people in Britain though groups still travel to Stonehenge to celebrate.

Cornwall's Golowan festival has also been revived and features traditional midsummer bonfires as well as arts and culture events.

Thank you to the website timeanddate.com for the times included in this article.

Do you have plans to celebrate the Summer Solstice this year? Let us know!