Home
Weather Dublin
WeatherRadar
RainfallRadar
TemperatureRadar
WindRadar
LightningRadar
Weather News
Editor's Pick
Discover the app
Weather widget
Contact us
Apps
    Home / Editor's Pick /

    Midnight sun: Relentless daylight in the arctic

06:00
21 May 2023

Midnight sun
Relentless daylight in the arctic

Midnight in June in the Khibiny Mountains, Arctic Russia, with a light blue sky
Midnight in June in the Khibiny Mountains, Arctic Russia.

Can you imagine never seeing the sun set during the summer months?

During this time of year, a phenomenon called ‘Midnight Sun’ or 'Polar Day’ occurs in places north of the Arctic circle, when the sun does not set below the horizon.

In Norilsk (69.3° N in latitude), the Midnight Sun this year lasts from 20th May to July 24th.

The further north the location, the longer the Midnight Sun. In Svalbard, Norway (77.8° N), there is no sunset between the end of April to late August, whereas at the North Pole, it lasts for six months.

The opposite is then true during winter, when the sun does not rise above the horizon, and there is no daylight. This is called the Polar Night and begins around the Autumn Equinox in September.

Even in the British Isles, though not quite land of the Midnight Sun, northern extremities of Scotland experience sustained nautical twilight, where the sun never dips more than 12° below the horizon.

This occurs between the end of May and mid-July, so don't miss the opportunity to get out there and snap some shots! You can share them with us via our uploader.

Weather & Radar editorial team
More on the topic
Split graphic showing a warm temperature map of the UK on the left with temperatures reaching 30°C near London, and a person applying sunscreen in bright sunshine on the right beside a thermometer icon.
Thursday 21 May 2026

Combating UV

Staying sun safe as heat rises
Temperature map of the UK and western Europe showing intense red and orange heat across southern Britain, with temperatures reaching 31°C near London and a large thermometer icon beside the map.
Friday 22 May 2026

Highs over 30 degrees

Unusually warm for the long weekend
Temperature map of southeast England showing overnight low temperatures, with Kenley highlighted at 21.3°C and surrounding areas in yellow-orange shades indicating mild nighttime conditions.
Tuesday 26 May 2026

May heatwave

Tropical night breaks overnight record
All weather news
This might also interest you
Split image showing strong winds over the UK on a forecast map and widespread rain and snow on a weather radar map.
Tuesday 27 January 2026

Severe gales & heavy rain

Storm Chandra makes impact
UK temperature map dated 14.02 showing widespread subzero values in blue shading, with readings such as −4 in Glasgow, −3 in Dublin, and −2 in London, alongside a blue thermometer icon.
Friday 13 February 2026

Icy conditions

A frozen start to the weekend
Split image showing coastal sunset with layered lenticular clouds over rooftops and palm trees on the left, and a green valley with river and hills under soft daylight on the right.
Sunday 19 April 2026

Your weather - Your shots

Seasonal warmth between spring thunder
All articles
Weather & Radar

Weather & Radar is also available on

Google Play StoreApp Store

Company

Contact us Privacy Policy Legal info Accessibility statement

Services

Uploader

Socials

facebooktwitteryouTubelinkList