Which is hottest, Lesser Heat or Greater Heat? The period before and after the middle dog days is the hottest period of the year.

Which is the hottest, Lesser Heat or Greater Heat? As the saying goes, "Greater Heat and Lesser Heat, the weather is hot from top to bottom", which vividly reflects the degree of heat in the scorching summer. Next, let us learn about the relevant content of Lesser Heat and Greater Heat.

Which is hottest, Lesser Heat or Greater Heat?

General Overview

The arrival of the Lesser Heat solar term marks the beginning of the hottest period of summer, but as to the question of whether Lesser Heat or Greater Heat is hotter, this way we can tell you accurately that of course Greater Heat is hotter. The ancients believed that the period of Lesser Heat had not yet reached the hottest time of the year, so it was called Lesser Heat. The Lesser Heat solar term begins around July 7 every year when the sun reaches 105° of the ecliptic longitude. This year, 2017, the Lesser Heat falls on July 7, which is June 14 in the lunar calendar, a Friday. Great Heat is one of the 24 solar terms in the lunar calendar. From July 22 to 24 of the Gregorian calendar every year, the sun reaches 120° of the ecliptic longitude, indicating that the weather is very hot. The Great Heat solar term coincides with the middle of the "dog days", which is the hottest period of the year and the time when crops grow the fastest. The Great Heat of 2017 is on July 22, Saturday, and on the 29th day of the sixth lunar month.

About the hottest days of summer

As the saying goes, "It's coldest in the coldest days and hottest in the hottest days." The "Three Fu" consists of the first, middle and last Fu. The third Geng day after the summer solstice is the first day of the first dog days. Ten days later is the fourth Geng day, which is called the middle dog days. If the fifth Geng day is before the beginning of autumn, then the middle dog days will last 20 days, commonly known as two middle dog days. If it is after the beginning of autumn, the middle dog days will last 10 days. The first Geng day after the beginning of autumn is called the last dog days. The "dog days" are the time of the year when the temperature is the highest. After the beginning of the dog days, the humidity on the ground increases, so it absorbs more heat every day and emits less heat. The heat on the surface accumulates, so it gets hotter day by day. When the dog days come, the accumulated heat on the ground reaches its peak and the weather is the hottest. The "bitter summer" that people talk about occurs at this time.

2017 Dog Days Schedule

The dates of the dog days are different every year. Usually, the dog days begin after the Lesser Heat solar term. Because the weather is hot during the Lesser Heat and the beginning of the dog days, we must pay attention to heatstroke prevention and health preservation. The time of the first, middle and last dog days of 2017 is as follows, a total of 30 days:
The first day of the dog days in 2017: July 12, 2017
The time of the mid-summer solstice in 2017: July 22, 2017
The last day of the dog days in 2017: August 11, 2017