Your definition of high summer

[damianslaw]

The expression 'high summer' is often banded about in July.. I use it, and by my defintion class the period 15 July to 10 August as high summer. Whilst 15 July marks the mid point of metereological summer, it isn't usually until mid July we enter the warmest part of the year statistically (not always, last year for example). The warmth tends to ebb during second week of August hence the 10th cut off. All arbritary and open to debate.

I also feel second half of summer and first 10 days August marks height of summer in terms of feel, triggered largely by start of english school holidays, and other factors such as parliament recess. Mother nature also goes very quiet around this time, birds skulk in undergrowth, farm animals seek shade etc and the countryside takes on a deep green dull shade, before early stirrings of autumn hues take hold combined with lowering light levels. 

I'd be interested in knowing people's definitions of high summer. 

 

Edited July 8 by damianslaw

[ChezWeather]

To me its always been the last week of June, all of July and the first week of August. 

Longer days are what make summer my favourite season and by mid August you really start noticing the sunsets getting earlier and earlier. 

[damianslaw]

 ChezWeather Yes I agree last week of June marks start of true summer, and light levels are at their max. However that feeling of heady summer doesn't kick in until next week combined with greater chance of warm weather, not necessarily sunny and dry mind! 

[danm]

Peak Summer - when we traditionally see the warmest weather of the year - for me has always been mid July to mid August. Our hottest temperatures have always come during this period. The 1990, 2003, 2019, 2022 all time records did, most other notable high temperatures too.

[SunnyG]

It's right now, and it feels like November.

[In Absence of True Seasons]

My personal window is late June to early August. My perception of it aligns to the period with the longest daylight hours and highest average max temp in correlation. 

Of course, the notion of "high summer" itself is a bit of an imagined period in terms of actual conditions reflecting said period.

As @SunnyG said, it doesn't really matter what part of summer you're in when it's 17c, dark, and raining. It feels Autumnul.

In a year like 2024, September-October may very well *feel* more summery than the majority of actual high summer. 

[*Stormforce~beka*]

 ChezWeather I think I'm with this actually. Yes June for me with the sun high has the summer feel to it and july and yea agree 1st week of August. Then its all down hill with lgiht levels etc

[IcySpicy]

I use a pretty broad range, high summer to me is from around 20th of June to 15th of August. And within that time period I'd consider 10th of July to 10th of August the peak summer period. (mid July to early August being the warmest time of the year climatologically)

But to be honest in recent years the best weather rarely falls in said period. This year we had a few days in late May that could easily be mistaken for July. In 2022 we had many warm days in late August and last year even in September all while July has been rather poor in recent years.  So more and more I feel like adapting the mentality that high summer is whenever the best weather is.

[damianslaw]

 IcySpicy Assume referring to Estonia, July in recent years exception of 2020 and 2023 has delivered heat, most notably in 2018, 2019 and 2022, especially around third week. July 21 did the same though first part and end was cooler. 

[LetItSnow]

I’d say roughly the 20th of June to the 10th of August. 

[Freeze]

July and August, warm and packed with  thunderstorms 🌩 

[sundog]

Late June to early August 

[SunSean]

I would say June 10th to June 26th is high Summer these days with the rest being forever-Autumn! Lol.

[Cheshire Freeze]

Approx 20th June to the end of the first week of August for me.

After that the sun just doesn’t feel as intense to me and the noon shadows begin to lengthen noticeably.

Last September was crazy hot for the time if year but light levels felt very wishy washy.

Edited July 8 by Cheshire Freeze

[cheeky_monkey]

Here for me tis June 15 - Aug 15..thats when Autumn officially starts in my location 

[Catherine91]

Mid July to mid August for me.

[B87]

Mid July to mid August, the warmest part of the year. The average high on 1st August in London is about 24.5c.

[audiotech]

I like to think of it:
21st May - 30th June early summer
1st July - 10th August high summer
11th August - 10th September late summer.

I would also use other overlapping references like:
15th June - 30th June midsummer (longest evenings, sunset time doesn’t change)
20th July - 10th August peak summer (hottest period)
15th August - 10th September dog days of summer (lengthening shadows, temperatures not yet significantly dropping)

All just opinion of course they will not be official definitions. Statistically 20th July - 10th August is the highest average temperature period for Southern England.

 

EDIT: just looked up the official definition of dog days of summer and it’s 3rd July 2024 - 11th August 2024!

Edited July 8 by audiotech

[Weather Enthusiast91]

For me, the beginning of July to around the 10th of August is the high summer period. Anything before and after that is early summer and late summer.

The 10th of August is usually around the time the shortening daylight hours becomes much more noticeable, though I begin to notice gradual changes from around the time the schools break up.

[Norrance]

From when I was young from the second week of July until the second week of August. Our local Highland games were on the second Saturday in August and marked the start of the quietening down of the tourist season. Also up here the dread of going back to school grew markedly around then. 

[Guest]

Right now.....but it isnt

[Turnedoutniceagain]

Mid-July onwards is the generally accepted time

[IcySpicy]

 damianslaw Yeah, I am pretty much always talking about Estonia. We usually still get one short hot spell in July, even in poorer years but in most recent years June and August have been better than July and a lot of the better weather has occurred outside of the peak summer period. For example 2022 had the best weather from 22 of June till 4th of July and then again from the 11th of August till the 28th. 2020 and 2019 also had a better June and August rather than July.

[CryoraptorA303]

16th July-August 31st.

[cheese]

Also mid July to mid August for me. I base my definition of high summer more on temperature/weather than sunlight. June has never felt like high summer to me, regardless of how long the days are.

I think for me, the early part of June especially is still too prone to being cool - especially when we get easterly winds delivering North Sea gloom. That's not often an issue in July and August. 

Edited July 9 by cheese