Summary

Watch: Latest forecast from BBC Weather

Live Reporting

Edited by Jamie Whitehead and Rorey Bosotti

  1. Who celebrates the solstice?

    Well, anyone who fancies it really. But traditionally the event was one of eight annual Sabbats, or holidays, for Celts - today’s Celtic pagans - that follow the seasonal calendar.

    Traditionally, farmers would ask the goddesses and gods to bless their cattle and crops.

    Pagans believe that the solstice marks the moment when the Fae folk - faeries, elves and spirits - come out and play among the humans.

    A large crowd of people are gathered for sunrise at Stonehenge. The foreground is a sea of blurred heads which are shadowed, with one of the monument's large stones in the background. The sky is a light orange hue.In Pictures via Getty Images

  2. Good morning from Avebury

    Sammy Jenkins
    BBC News, Live page reporter

    Our reporters Sophie Parker and Adam Clerck have arrived at another, slightly less renowned, stone circle close to Stonehenge.

    Avebury is about 25 miles (40km) north of Stonehenge but always gets a good crowd for the winter and summer solstices.

    Drumming can be heard amongst the crowd, with someone also taking part in flame throwing.

    "The party has arrived," said Sophie.

    A large stone is lit up at the Avebury stone circle. A fire can be seen in the distance and people are crowded around the stone.
    A circle of space surrounds a flame-thrower who is twirling a lit baton. A crowd of a few dozen people watch on from camping chairs and picnic blankets.

  3. 'I had to visit Stonehenge before I leave the UK'

    Sammy Jenkins
    BBC News, Live page reporter

    Abigail Ng, 28, has lived in the UK for more than a decade and said she felt she had to visit Stonehenge before moving back home to Hong Kong.

    She said she was drawn to Stonehenge after hearing about the atmosphere and pagan festivals and traditions.

    "I had to come here before I left," she said. "So I grabbed my best friend who lives up in Edinburgh and dragged her here this morning."

    Abigail said the visit was all about appreciating the history of the site.

    Two women smiling into the camera. They are both wearing flower crowns.

  4. What is the solstice like at Stonehenge?

    In 2024, sun lovers who went to Stonehenge said the morning was "emotional" and a "spiritual experience".

    One person had travelled thousands of miles - from Washington state in America - to see the sun creep up over the ancient stone circle.

    How people from across the world welcomed the summer solstice in 2024

  5. Summer solstice baby celebrates 18th birthday at Stonehenge

    Five people looking into camera. Three women and one man. It's dark, the people are smiling.

    Karri (wearing a white coat) and her family travelled to Stonehenge from Atlanta, Georgia

    One of the most amazing stories we've heard this morning is that of Kerri Hobson-Pape and her family who have come to Stonehenge from Atlanta, Georgia

    Karri was born on the spring equinox, her daughter on the summer solstice and her son on the autumn equinox, and her husband close to the winter solstice.

    And today, Karri's daughter turns 18 and is celebrating at the ancient stone circle - a commitment Karri said the family made when she was born.

    "The weather has been absolutely amazing, the people have been amazing," Karri told our reporter Emma Elgee.

    She said it is "really special" to be there for the solstice.

  6. What’s Stonehenge got to do with the summer solstice?

    Stonehenge in Wiltshire has been an important landmark for thousands of years and has become a focal point for both summer and winter solstices each year.

    The stones are believed to have been moved there at about 2500 BC and are deliberately placed to line up with the Sun’s movement during the two solstices.

    No-one really knows why Stonehenge was built, but its connection with the Sun’s movement and burials uncovered at the site mean it’s believed to have played a spiritual role.

    A diagram shows Stonehenge, with an orange arrow in the north-east labelled as Summer sunrise pointing in towards the centre of the stone circle. A purple arrow in the south-east labelled as Winter sunrise is pointing towards the centre of the stone circle. There is text at the top of the diagram that says At summer solstice, the Sun rise in the north-east around 5am and at winter solstice, the Sun is visible in the south-east around 8am.

    The changing seasons would’ve meant a lot to the people who lived at the time, defining what would grow and the general living conditions, according to English Heritage’s website.

    The history charity adds that “we can imagine that people came here [to Stonehenge] to celebrate midsummer and midwinter”, with its design suggesting that winter solstice - rather than summer - may have been the most important focus for the people who built the stone circle.

    “We have few clues as to what they did here,” it says, adding excavations show the area within the circle seems to have been kept clean of everyday debris.

  7. Here’s the science behind the summer solstice

    Equinox: what is it and when is it?

    The Earth doesn’t spin on a vertical axis - it’s tilted, meaning the amount of sunlight reaching different parts of the planet changes during the year as the Earth orbits the Sun.

    On the summer solstice, the northern hemisphere is most tilted towards the Sun - but it’s the opposite for the southern hemisphere today, which is tilted the furthest away from it and is experiencing its winter solstice.

    The summer solstice always happens between 20 and 22 June but it’s not pinned down to be the same date each year.

    This is because the calendar year doesn’t exactly match the time it takes for Earth to orbit the Sun - it’s about a quarter of a day short, which is why we have leap years to bring it back in line with the planet’s orbit.

  8. The actual moment of the solstice is almost here

    Chris Kelly
    Digital Editor, BBC West

    The moment of the summer solstice - the point where the northern hemisphere of the planet is most tilted towards the sun - is about to happen.

    It will occur at 03.42 BST and will mark the official start of summer, for astronomers at least.

    For meteorologists the start of summer is a different date. Check out Darren Bett's explanation here.

    Now we are looking forward to the first sunrise after the solstice in the UK, in just over an hour's time.

  9. What is the summer solstice?

    The summer solstice marks the 24-hour period with the most hours of sunlight, which people often call the “longest day of the year”.

    It always occurs between 20 and 22 June and the tilt of the Earth determines how long you can expect to have sunlight - the further north you are, the longer you can expect to see the sun’s rays today.

    The Earth spins at a tilt and for half of the year, the northern half of the planet is tilted towards the Sun - which is the position the Earth is when it’s the summer solstice.

    From today onwards, the days will gradually get shorter until the winter solstice on 21 December.

    Three people are sat down watching the sun rise and one person is standing up. The sun is rising between clouds in front of them.PA Media

    These people in North Tyneside were up at the crack of dawn last year to watch the sun rise on the summer solstice

  10. 'What these ancient places were built for'

    Sammy Jenkins
    BBC News, Live page reporter

    Rollo Maughfling, the Archdruid of Stonehenge and Britain, told our reporters Emma Colman and Emma Elgee that he has been coming to the solstice at Stonehenge for the past 37 years.

    In his role, he says he is responsible for arranging the rights and access for people who want to participate.

    He said how busy the site is this year was "daunting at first".

    "It look a long time for people to get in," he said. "They were baking in the sun for an hour or two before they could get in.

    "Once everybody got in and it cooled down then it's become really very pleasant."

    "I think it's great really," he added. "I think it's what these ancient places were built for, so people can come together and have gatherings."

    Rollo Maughfling, the archdruid of Stonehenge and Britain. He is lit by TV lights and is smiling into the camera.

  11. What to expect over the next few hours

    It will be sunrise at 04:51 BST at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, where thousands of people have gathered.

    Our reporters Emma Elgee, Emma Colman and Chris Keen are there to bring you a flavour of celebrations from the ancient stone circle.

    But Stonehenge isn't the only stone circle in Wiltshire. At one of the others, Avebury, we have Sophie Parker and Adam Clerck.

    And Liam McGuinn and Simon Lewis will soon be making the climb up Glastonbury Tor for solstice celebrations there.

    Meanwhile, Kate Clark will join people heading to Cheltenham Lido for a sunrise dip.

    Glastonbury Tor - a hill with a tower on top. In the background, the sun risesPA Media

  12. 'Never been to Stonehenge before'

    Sammy Jenkins
    BBC News, Live page reporter

    Two women huddled together smiling into the camera. Both are wearing flower crowns. Blue lights can be seen shining on the Stonehenge monument in the background.

    Back in Wiltshire, people have travelled from far and wide to experience the summer solstice at Stonehenge.

    Anneka Watson, 38, told our reporter Emma Elgee she left her home in Edinburgh at 04:00 BST on Friday to get to Stonehenge for the solstice.

    "I've never been to Stonehenge or Wiltshire before," she said.

    "We've talked about doing it for years and we finally got round to doing it this year."

    "It's amazing," she added.

  13. Solstices around the world celebrated

    Chris Kelly
    Digital Editor, BBC West

    There have already been celebrations for the solstices in other parts of the world.

    At Long Beach in Hobart, Australia, nude swimmers enjoyed a dip to mark the winter solstice.

    A drone captures dozens of nude swimmers, all wearing the same red caps, swimming around a ponton in a deep blue ocean. About six people are stood on the pontoon and look as though they are about to jump into the water.EPA

    And people have been taking part in a Mind Over Madness Yoga event to celebrate the summer solstice in Times Square, New York.

    A woman sits on a yoga mat in Times Square. She is sat with her legs crossed and has her arms stretching above her head with her hands in a prayer position. Some of Time Square's billboards can be seen in the background.Reuters

  14. 'Relaxed' atmosphere as crowds gather

    Sammy Jenkins
    BBC News, Live page reporter

    A large crowd has gathered at Stonehenge ahead of the summer solstice. The sun will rise there in just over an hour, at 04:51 BST.

    Our reporters Emma Colman, Emma Elgee and Chris Keen are there soaking in the atmosphere.

    They say there is relaxed feel, with thousands of people already on site.

    A large crowd gathering at Stonehenge. There is a large orange cone like tent in the middle.
    Crowds gathered around the stones of Stonehenge. The stones are lit up in blue. A bright crescent moon can be seen in the top right of the image.

  15. Headed to Stonehenge? Here’s what you need to know

    Three revellers at Stonehenge during the 2024 Summer Solstice. The three women are standing together and are wearing long red dresses and red flowers in their hair. They all have their eyes closed, one has her hand clasped to her chest while the others have their palms out. Their faces are bathed in sunlight and the ancient stones and a crowd can be seen behind them.Getty Images

    People descend on Stonehenge each year to celebrate the summer solstice, so here’s a checklist of what you need to know if you’re joining them at sunrise:

    • Parking is very limited and visitors are advised to car share where possible, say English Heritage, which manages the historic site - you can find more about travel options on its website
    • Wear sensible footwear - you don’t want sore feet while waiting for the sunrise
    • People are asked to not wear hi-vis jackets as it can cause confusion with safety officials
    • Big umbrellas are not allowed but you can take a small one, so take a waterproof coat or hat instead
    • Drones and remote-controlled flying devices are banned from the site, and amplified music and alcohol are not allowed at Stonehenge, in the surrounding landscape, or in the car park
    • Don’t forget to take all of your rubbish with you when you leave

  16. Not everyone gets the same amount of daylight today

    BBC Weather image showing the times the sun sets and rises in five different cities. Plymouth (sunrise 05:05, sunset 21:31), Birmingham (04:44/21:34), Inverness (04:18/22:19), Reykjavic (02:55/00:03) and Tromso (up all day).

    As you can see from our colleagues at BBC Weather, the amount of sunlight you'll see today really is dependent on where you are.

    The sun will rise in Inverness in the north of Scotland 47 minutes before it rises in Plymouth on England's south west coast.

    But the daylight goes on longer into the night north of the border as well, with the Scottish city getting 48 minutes more daylight at the end of the day than its English counterpart 641 miles (1,031km) south.

    But neither place will get as much sunlight as Tromso, the world's most northerly city, where the sun will be up all day.

  17. A303 temporarily closed

    Sammy Jenkins
    BBC News, Live page reporter

    The A303 has been closed in both directions near Stonehenge due to a high volume of vehicles parked on the side of the road and pedestrians on the carriageway.

    Wiltshire Police said the road is closed between the A360 at Longbarrow Roundabout and Countess Roundabout, Amesbury.

    "The closure will be kept under review," it said.

    Motorists are being told to use an alternative route via Countess Road and through Larkhill.

    "We would like to remind motorists to drive safely and cautiously due to the increased risk of pedestrians walking in the road," it added.

  18. Does the summer solstice mark the start of summer?

    Several people partake in a yoga session in front of the Light Pyramid in Milton Keynes. They are all in a lunge position and have their hands raised above their heads towards the sky.

    One of the many places last year's summer solstice was marked was the Light Pyramid in Milton Keynes

    To answer this, let’s look at the two ways the start and end of seasons are defined.

    One is the astronomical seasons, which are based on the position of the Earth in relation to the Sun. The astronomical summer is often marked as beginning on the summer solstice.

    The Met Office says this year, astronomers are marking summer as starting today and ending on 22 September - but the dates shift slightly each year.

    Meteorological seasons are another way of defining the start and end of seasons. They’re based on the annual temperature cycle and are split into four quarters made up of three months each - a more consistent way that makes it easier to compare seasonal statistics.

    This means meteorologists always class the northern hemisphere’s summer as being from 1 June to 31 August.

    So, is today the start of summer? It depends on whether you’re asking an astronomer or a meteorologist.

  19. It's the longest day of the year - and one of the hottest

    Good morning, and if you're up in the middle of the night joining us, thank you, you have a very long day ahead - literally.

    Today marks the summer solstice, the longest day and shortest night of the year, and as you read this thousands of people will be gathering at sites around the UK to mark the start of the astronomical summer.

    We're up nice and early (or very late, dependent on your view point) for you, with reporters at Stonehenge, the Avebury Stone Circle and Glastonbury Tor.

    There's a good chance if you are reading this in the middle of the night you're struggling to sleep in the heat - and it's expected to continue today, with temperatures of up to 34C and a yellow warning for thunderstorms.