The first thing that usually comes to your mind when you hear the word summer is sun-kissed skin, bikinis, and beach. It’s about fun under the heat of the sun where people are off from class. Everyone can drink all day, take a vacation and relax. But there are actually more to summer than you officially have known. The following are the 10 facts about summer that will totally blow your mind. Here they are:

Fact #1:  The first day of summer is officially termed as summer solstice. Solstice is a Latin word which means sun stand still. At this point of time, the world shifts from the cold weather with sky bluer than ever. The sun is also higher and its beams on Earth are more direct, therefore causing the warm temperature in many places.

Fact #2: Different places on earth have different summertime. In the western countries, summer falls between June to September while in Eastern countries, summer starts in April. The only place on earth that experiences less summer is the Polar Region. The areas in this city are generally colder compared to any other places on earth. Its amount of daylight during summer can dramatically change but it experience total darkness between November to January.

Fact #3: Romans believed that it was Sirius, the god of fire, who brought the summer. So they blamed him for the drought and sickness that came in the late summer. Ironically, Romans also started the June Wedding tradition in praise for Juno’s blessings.

Fact #4: Thunderstorms and tornadoes usually occur during summer. The top ten most tornado-prone places in the world are Europe, South Africa, Australia, and Southern Brazil, some parts of Argentina, Uruguay, Eastern Asia, and New Zealand.

Fact #5: The northeastern parts of United States experienced snow in 1816 despite the fact that it was summer. According to weather experts and scientists, it was due to a volcanic eruption in Indonesia.

Fact #6: Summer can cause heat waves. These are prolonged period of heat, usually combined with extreme humidity in the air. According to records, heat waves kill more Americans during summer than other diseases.

Fact #7:  Since summer weather is so warm, it causes the frequency of cricket chirps to fluctuate. If you count the number of chirps of one cricket for 15 seconds and add 37, you would be surprise to know that it is equal to the approximate temperature outside.

Fact #8: The Eiffel Tower in France can grow six inches during summer as the iron bars expand due to heat

Fact #9: You will often hear “The Dog Days of Summer” during summer. But the truth is that, there are no Dog Days on summer. Dog Days happen between July 3 and August 11 and only happen in the northern hemisphere. In southern hemisphere, Dog Days occur in February to March, which are the hottest season in the area. The term was inspired by the 2007 “Dog Days of Summer,” which originally coined its name after the Dog Star in the constellation named Sirius.

Fact #10: Summer is the season for ice cream. In many places you will taste different colors and flavors of cream. In United States, summer in July is the National Ice Cream Month.  People would consume about 5.5 gallons of ice cream in every year. The U.S. National Ice Cream Month on summer was designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1984. During these days, you’ll witness a lot of ceremonies and activities throughout every city. So if you are craving for ice cream on summer, you know where to go.