August

August is the eighth month of the Gregorian calendar, the system of reckoning time most widely used in the world. It has 31 days. It falls between July and September.

The Somali name 'Agoosto' derives from European languages, particularly Italian (Agosto). The form 'August' is also used. In many Somali regions, months are counted by number: the eighth month.

Origin of the name

The name comes from Augustus, the first emperor of the Roman Empire. Before this, the month was called Sextilis, meaning 'the sixth month', because the earlier Roman calendar began in March. When the calendar was reformed, the name was changed to honour Augustus.

Climate seasons

In the Northern Hemisphere, August is part of summer and one of the warmest months of the year. In the Southern Hemisphere, the season is winter. Somalia, located near the equator, experiences August during the monsoon season: a period of strong winds from the southwest bringing rain and humidity to the southern coasts, while northern regions may experience high heat.

Calendar structure and properties

August always has 31 days, consistently from year to year, and is not affected by leap years. The first day of August always falls on the same day of the week as the first day of September—31 days apart.

Use in other calendars

The Islamic lunar calendar does not correspond to August, as the Hijri year is approximately 10 to 11 days shorter than the solar year. Consequently, Islamic months such as Ramadan shift backwards through the Gregorian calendar each year, sometimes falling in August and sometimes in other months.