Iraq's Meteorological Authority says summer solstice falls on June 21

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Meteorological Authority has announced that the summer solstice will occur on Sunday, marking the longest day and shortest night of the year in the country. According to the agency's report, daylight hours will begin to shorten gradually from that date onward. Officials said the autumn equinox is expected to take place on the morning of September 23, when day and night will be of roughly equal length. The solstice, a regular astronomical event, occurs when the sun reaches its northernmost point relative to the equator, producing the year's longest period of daylight in the Northern Hemisphere. Iraqi meteorological officials noted that nights will begin to lengthen in the weeks following the solstice as the country moves toward autumn.