The changing daylight hours thread

[Cheshire Freeze]

The only thing I don’t like about autumn is the glut of spiders early on in the season. Seemingly every day you see a house spider the size of a rodent scuttling across the floor.

[Weather Enthusiast91]

13 minutes ago, CreweCold said:

The only thing I don’t like about autumn is the glut of spiders early on in the season. Seemingly every day you see a house spider the size of a rodent scuttling across the floor.

Peppermint oil seems to work wonders for me. I add some to a spray bottle along with some water, give it a good shake and spray it around areas where spiders are likely to come into contact with. Last year I sprayed it all around the window frames (we keep our ventilation windows open at night) and as a result I didn't see one September sized spider. It really did work and smells lovely too.

Another alternative is window fly screens.

Edited July 17, 2023 by Weather Enthusiast91

[stainesbloke]

2 hours ago, Dark Horse said:

And have you noticed most sun worshipers who sit out in for hours look older than their ages? Like shriveled up prunes.

Some do, usually those who don’t protect their skin and damage it. A decent sunscreen will stop the prune look and allow a healthy colour. 

[Sunny76]

3 hours ago, Don said:

Not noticing shortening days just yet with sunset at 21.26 this evening.  Will start to notice early August, but from mid-month, nights will start drawing in rapidly.

No, even with duller days.

My perception is slightly skewed because I was in Latvia last week and evenings over there are even longer. 
 

Still bright sunshine until almost 9, and the daylight continues to fade until about 10:30pm over there. Even during the night it remains twilight, because turning back to daylight around 4am.

I think by mid August is where I notice the drop in light levels by a wider margin. Still a good way to go yet.

 

[Dark Horse]

10 minutes ago, stainesbloke said:

Some do, usually those who don’t protect their skin and damage it. A decent sunscreen will stop the prune look and allow a healthy colour. 

I think the problem is when people go to the Caribbean, SE Asia, the Americas, Australia etc....places like those with a UV above 10. Not unheard of for it to be 13 or 14 in those popular tourist spots frequented by British people. Extremely intense sunlight which is why indigenous people evolved darker skin in those areas which is harder for the sun to damage. Compare that with the usual 7 in June in the UK. Even a high factor sunscreen won't fully protect fair skinned people if your out in it ages when its above 10. The effects like cancer don't tend to show up for years afterwards as well. We need vitamin D but no need to stay out in it for hours, 30 mins around the solar noon is enough for recommended intake. Some people can get that in their lunch break if they have time and strip off a bit. But clearly in the UK it's not always practical given cloud cover.

[Weather Enthusiast91]

Seems a little early this year, but tonight is the first night I have started noticing the sunset time very gradually getting earlier. I have routinely been closing my curtains at 21:30 for the last six or so weeks. Right now the time is 21:15 and it's as dark as it has been when I close the curtains.

Edited July 18, 2023 by Weather Enthusiast91

[*Stormforce~beka*]

2 hours ago, Weather Enthusiast91 said:

Seems a little early this year, but tonight is the first night I have started noticing the sunset time very gradually getting earlier. I have routinely been closing my curtains at 21:30 for the last six or so weeks. Right now the time is 21:15 and it's as dark as it has been when I close the curtains.

Coz of all that cloud innit! I been closing really early too!

[Cheshire Freeze]

Only around a week or so to go until true night returns to this location.

[cheeky_monkey]

darkness slowly creeping in on my morning walks...street lights are now still on when i first set out..although its still light sunrise before me leaving has now gone for another year 

[Guest]

Really noticed it tonight thanks to the grey and overcast conditions. Light levels at 8.30pm were more akin to what they were at 10.30pm a few weeks ago.

[Dangerous55019]

It was my first time on earlies this morning since before the solstice, and the darkness in the morning is coming on in leaps and bounds! 

I had no option to put the light on in the kitchen this morning at 04:00!

Mind you, this coming weekend, true darkness returns to my neck of the woods for the first time since mid May! The vice is finally starting to loosen its grip.

[Seasonal Trim]

True night finally returned 2 nights ago to my latitude. The slow decent into the best time of the year (personal opinion) begins.  

[Seasonal Trim]

1 hour ago, Seasonal Trim said:

True night finally returned 2 nights ago to my latitude. The slow decent into the best time of the year (personal opinion) begins.  

Just to add as well, tomorrow night will be my first pre 9pm sunset! 

[Weather Enthusiast91]

1st of August will be the first pre 9pm sunset for this neck of the woods since 17th of May.

[Premiere Neige]

On 24/07/2023 at 17:22, Weather Enthusiast91 said:

1st of August will be the first pre 9pm sunset for this neck of the woods since 17th of May.

Mine is 2 days later on 3rd August when it will set at 20.59...

[chilly milly]

Sunsets dead on 9pm tonight here. Tomorrow it will be 20:58. Happy days.  

[NUT]

Noticed not getting the constant seemingly twilight blue skies at night now defo darkening earlier too good times are back IMO

[NorthSeaCloud]

Defiantly noticing the nights drawing in now. I always notice around now but especially tonight with the thick cloud.

[sundog]

I always think  its around now  the 25th of July  when it starts to become that bit noticeable that the days are getting shorter. 

[Sunny76]

Even with a sunny clear evening, I think this week is the gradual start of the decline to slightly darker evenings.

The daylight is now fading around 9:30pm, but only 2-3 weeks ago it was still gone 10pm.

As we move through August the loss of evening daylight will build more quickly with darkness arrived at 8:30pm(unfortunately). 
 

Still ok waking up at 5am on Sundays for the security gig, but by mid August it will be time to stick the light on in the morning yet again. 
 

By mid September, I’ll be leaving my flat in pitch black darkness until April.

The darkness is coming again

[S Bragg]

My location is currently experiencing its first true nighttime since the 17th of May.  Autumn is getting ever closer now!

[Nick L]

With the gloomy, rainy evening it was the first one where it felt darker earlier.

[cheeky_monkey]

13 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

 

Still ok waking up at 5am on Sundays for the security gig, but by mid August it will be time to stick the light on in the morning yet again. 
 

By mid September, I’ll be leaving my flat in pitch black darkness until April.

The darkness is coming again

i already have the lights on in the morning here ..sunrise by 5am is long gone now ..been cloudy and rainy the last cpl days so has still been half dark past 6am with street lights still on ..i wont see this kind of light again at this time until early May next year 

Edited July 27, 2023 by cheeky_monkey

[Sunny76]

3 hours ago, cheeky_monkey said:

i already have the lights on in the morning here ..sunrise by 5am is long gone now ..been cloudy and rainy the last cpl days so has still been half dark past 6am with street lights still on ..i wont see this kind of light again at this time until early May next year 

You seem to lose the light quicker over there. Must be further south.

I remember Toronto used to get dark at 9pm during peak summer Late May until mid July, but by august it was 8pm.

[cheeky_monkey]

2 hours ago, Sunny76 said:

You seem to lose the light quicker over there. Must be further south.

I remember Toronto used to get dark at 9pm during peak summer Late May until mid July, but by august it was 8pm.

no im further North ..same latitude as Manchester