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
Slow start to summer across Europe. A spell of cooler weather. . . Monday 1 June 2026
Temperature radar for Europe. A low-pressure system and a blue arrow are shown
Monday 1 June 2026

A spell of cooler weather

Slow start to summer across Europe
Unseasonably windy start to summer. Autumn-like gusts. . . Wednesday 3 June 2026
Wind forecast map of the UK and Ireland showing a low-pressure system west of Ireland, widespread orange wind zones, airflow streamlines, and gusts reaching 45 mph in parts of Ireland and southern Britain.
Wednesday 3 June 2026

Autumn-like gusts

Unseasonably windy start to summer
Solstice kicks off the summer season. June astronomy outlook. . . Thursday 4 June 2026
Silhouette of a person sitting beside a telescope on a tripod under a clear night sky filled with dense stars and the bright band of the Milky Way.
Thursday 4 June 2026

June astronomy outlook

Solstice kicks off the summer season
All weather news
This might also interest you
Bright and warm conditions take hold. Spring-like outlook. . . Thursday 23 April 2026
Split UK map showing warm temperatures up to 21 degrees in orange on the left and clear sunny conditions with temperatures from 12 to 18 degrees on the right, with sun icons across the country.
Thursday 23 April 2026

Spring-like outlook

Bright and warm conditions take hold
Turbulent weather in the Canary Islands. Storm and rain. . . Friday 12 December 2025
Weather graphic showing rain and wind fields over the Canary Islands and a central warning symbol.
Friday 12 December 2025

Storm and rain

Turbulent weather in the Canary Islands
Wishes from Weather & Radar. Merry Christmas!. . . Thursday 25 December 2025
Outline of Santa Claus with a yellow and white hat, "Ho-Ho-Ho" next to the outline above a Christmas tree.
Thursday 25 December 2025

Merry Christmas!

Wishes from Weather & Radar
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