Why does it feel like the long, dark nights last forever in winter? The sun sets way before work finishes, and we’re heading home without any sunshine. Since March, however, we’ve seen a rapid change in our fortunes with the arrival of after 7pm sunsets (for the first time in six months)—and the days are only getting brighter, longer and warmer.
Just in time for the late May bank holiday (May 26) and with some actual nice weather in Bristol, we’re taking a great leap forward into summer this week. Bristol welcomes its first 9PM sunset of the year on Sunday, May 18: The sun will set at 21:00 (and having risen at 05:14, that’s exactly 15 hours and 46 minutes of daylight). What a treat!
We’re now hurtling towards the longest day of the year on June 21 (aka summer solstice), when the Northern Hemisphere is most tilted towards the Sun. Giving us 16 hours, 37 minutes and 49 seconds of daylight, the sun will rise at 04:53 and set at 21:31 in Bristol. The days will only get shorter from then on.
Don’t stress out too much, because the last 9PM sunset in Bristol won’t occur until July 30 (at 21:01). After that, the last 8PM sunset is August 30, and the last 7PM sunset is September 25. This is all heading to the shortest day of the year (less than 8 hours long) on December 21.
So make the most of these late sunsets in Bristol while you can. They open up the city to a plethora of evening activities—including city festivals, outdoor swimming, alfresco dining, and Harbourside chilling—that we often take for granted. Even if it’s as simple as an evening picnic or a kickabout in some of Bristol’s beautiful green spaces, embrace the 9PM sunset.