The meteorological reckoning of seasons is used in countries including Australia, New Zealand, Austria, Denmark, Russia and Japan.

In Ireland, the summer months according to the national meteorological service, Met Éireann, are June, July and August.

Midsummer takes place over the shortest night of the year, which is the summer solstice, or on a nearby date that varies with tradition.

[8][9][10] Reckoning by cultural festivals, the summer season in the United States is traditionally regarded as beginning on Memorial Day weekend (the last weekend in May) and ending on Labor Day (the first Monday in September), more closely in line with the meteorological definition for the parts of the country that have four-season weather.

In some Southern Hemisphere countries such as Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, summer is associated with the Christmas and New Year holidays.

[citation needed] Because the temperature lag is shorter in the oceanic temperate southern hemisphere,[13] most countries in this region use the meteorological definition with summer starting on 1 December and ending on the last day of February.

[17] In the northern Atlantic Ocean, a distinct tropical cyclone season occurs from 1 June to 30 November.

[19] The Northwest Pacific sees tropical cyclones year-round, with a minimum in February and March and a peak in early September.

[18] In the Southern Hemisphere, the tropical cyclone season runs from the start of November until the end of April with peaks in mid-February to early March.

Schools and universities typically have a summer break to take advantage of the warmer weather and longer days.

In the United States, public schools usually end in late May in Memorial Day weekend, while colleges finish in early May.

[citation needed] With many schools closed, especially in Western countries, travel and vacationing tend to peak during the summer.

Teenagers and university students often take summer jobs, and business activity for the recreation, tourism, restaurant, and retail industries reach their peak.