Denmark had a record warm and sunny September

The Danish Meteorology Institute (DMI) said that the 201 hours of sunshine Denmark enjoyed in September 2016 was enough to tie 2002 for the sunniest September on record. 

 

Last month also set an all-time temperature record – if you focus on one particular measurement. DMI said that the average of the daily highest temperatures in September was higher than ever recorded. 

 

“If we only look at how high the thermometer reached in the daytime hours, then 2016 beat 1999, 2006 and all of the Septembers. The average highest daily temperature was 20.5C. We’ve never measured such warm days in September before,” climatologist Mikael Scharling said in a DMI press release. 

 

See also: Greenland has record highs as ice melts early

 

When looking at the more traditional measurement of the month’s overall average temperature, the 16.2C average in September 2016 equalled that of the same month in both 1999 and 2006.

 

And while the 35mm of rain that fell in September wasn’t enough to break any records, it was still only half of the normal precipitation that falls in the month, Scharling said. 

 

DMI meteorologist Lars Henriksen said that the unusually nice September was due to a long-lasting high pressure system over Scandinavia and eastern Europe that brought warm air from the south and east. 

 

“For this time of year, the European continent continues to be warm. Therefore it was a warm southern and eastern wind that blew over us for most of the month,” he said. 

 

DMI’s measurements for average monthly temperatures and precipitation date back to 1874, while its measurement of monthly sunshine hours began in 1920.