Hot period

PDA edition

These weather trends apply to the whole Northern hemisphere and are relative to local climate (eg, 'cold weather' means different things in different regions, such as Alaska and Florida).

The weather during this two-month period is dominated by extreme heat. Summer heat arrives much earlier than average and there will be very little precipitation. The weather will not be as comfortable as it was in 2007; electric fans and air conditioners are soon sold out. Natural fires and droughts will be frequent in hot climates. Summer fruits and vegetables will grow very well. In particular, red-coloured crops (red peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, watermelons, etc.) will have a good harvest. The population of winged insects (flies, mosquitoes) will increase dramatically.

‘Summer Solstice’

Weather forecast

“Summer Solstice” is the middle of summer, with the longest day and shortest night. The sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer. We can see the sun directly overhead at noon. Near the North Pole, there are 24 hours of daylight. During this 15-day period, red-coloured fruits and vegetables grow well and will be harvested on time.

Chinese Farmer's Wisdom

The first day of Summer Solstice is one of the most important days for farmers because the prediction based on this day’s weather is generally very reliable. If there is a thunderstorm on this day, there will be a severe drought in July that will kill most crops. If it is raining on this day, summer will be extremely hot.

Health forecast

According to Chinese medicine, illnesses are related to the weather and climate. The problems listed here are more likely to occur in places where the weather conditions above are more pronounced.

• Watery eyes, ringing in the ears and dizziness.
• Excessive talking, restless mind and insomnia.
• Various kinds of infectious diseases.

What you can do

In Chinese medicine, food is the first line of defense against illness. The following recommendations can help prevent the health problems above.

Food: Increase cooling and leafy vegetables: rice, spinach, cucumber, tomato, all kinds of salads.

• Increase water intake and oil-based supplements.
• Increase cooling drinks, such as green and mint tea, and pear, apple, orange, watermelon juice.
• Increase seafood intake.
• Be careful not to have excessive amounts of fried food and alcohol. Eat less barbecued foods.

In addition to the weather forecasts, the full edition of The Chinese Almanac contains predictions on crops, livestock, pets, human relations, emotions, business trends and more, plus articles on food and health, and a monthly planning calendar that shows all the weather periods. More information is available on The Chinese Almanac page.

Excerpted from the current edition of The Chinese Almanac,
Copyright © 2008 Ginseng Press. All rights reserved.