Today, the official start of summer is referred to by Chazal as “Yom Tekufas Tammuz”, the longest day and shortest night of the year. The day is 14 hours and 13 minutes as compared to the shortest day, which is 10 hours.

Beginning today, the days are getting shorter, on an average of 1.3 minutes a day until “Tekufas Tishrei” when the days will be even, 12 hours each.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)