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| Seasons |
| It seems
like the further north you go, the more do the seasons leave their
mark on the locals. There is greater variation in the
north, and the contrast between the Midnigth sun in summer and the Dark
season in winter has an effect on most of the people there.
The following is a brief account of
how the year unfolds in Nyksund |
| The
sun reappears above the horizon for the first time after a
month of darkness. |
| March |
| is
vernal equinox, and the daytime lasts equally as long all over
the country, but from then on, the further north you go, the
longer the daylight lasts. |
| The
spring |
| comes
slowly to Vesterålen. Even through the days get longer, and it
gradually becomes light all night, it takes a long time for
the winter to let go. There may easily be snowfall in April,
but there may also be fantastic Easter weather, too. It takes
a long time, however, before the surroundings turn really
green, and it is not until the last week of May that the birch
trees are lush and their foliage fully unfolded. But then
nature finally bursts into bloom, the flowers blossom, and
within a couple of weeks, the landscape is lush and luxuriant. |
| May
20 |
| is
the first day the sun can be seen above the horizon all night
long. In Nyksund you will have a first class view of the
Midnight Sun. |
| June
23 |
| is
mid-summers´eve - the brightest night of the year. |
| Juli |
| is
the peak season for the tourist industry in Nyksund, and the
village becomes a hive of activity night and day. After the
general public holidays, things calm down a bit, and there are
fewer Norwegian holidaymakers, but still a large number of
visitors from Germany and southern Europe. |
| The
autumn |
| is
changeable and unpredictable. Some years the mountainsides
come alive in every imaginable shade of red and yellow - other
years, all the leaves are lost in the autumn storms before
they even manage to turn yellow. |
| September
22 |
| is
autumnal equinox, and from then on it quickly gets darker and
darker. The days become discernibly shorter. |
| On
November 30, |
| the
sun can be seen for the last time before retiring below the
horizon for more at a whole month. It is not completely dark
all the time during the dark season, however. Around mid-day,
there are a few hours of "blue light", and in this
kind of winter illumination, Vesterålen can sometimes be at
its most beautiful. At times like this, the Northern Lights
may also be seen dancing across the skies on clear crisp
nights. |
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