Summer solstice celebrations begin as parts of UK faces 34C heat on longest day of year
Update:
Date: 02:55 BST
Title: A303 temporarily closed
Content: Sammy JenkinsBBC 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.
Update:
Date: 02:50 BST
Title: Does the summer solstice mark the start of summer?
Content: 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.
Update:
Date: 02:45 BST
Title: It's the longest day of the year - and one of the hottest
Content: 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.
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