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What are the record periods for those averages? I'm thinking of some of the cloudiest stations in Australia (highland parts of Western Tasmania) or say parts of Alaska, and seem to recall even the most cloudy climates tend to average at least 12-15 clear (almost cloudless) days a year. A place with only 249 hours a year would practically get no sunshine, or seem to get no sunshine. Such a place would probably average less than a handful of clear days a year, over 300 cloudy days a year and a similar number of days of precipitation. Couldn't find stats on Mt Waialeale in Hawaii, which supposedly gets 335-360 days of rain a year (which is the highest I've seen for any station) and I wonder how it's tropical location would affect sunshine totals.
What do you mean clear day?
In Tórshavn, there are 1,9 clear days (less than 20 % cloud cover) per year in average (record period: 1961-1990).
source: http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr98-14.pdf
What do you mean clear day?
In Tórshavn, there are 1,9 clear days (less than 20 % cloud cover) per year in average (record period: 1961-1990).
source: http://www.dmi.dk/dmi/tr98-14.pdf
Is that the international definition for a clear day, less than 20% cloud?!
I'd say here in Southern England there are a couple of completely clear (ie 0% cloud) days a month, but days with upto 20% cloud arent that uncommon.
Believe it or not, I was there for a day, a cloudy, overcast day in September. However, it didn't feel bone chilling damp, just cloudy and overcast. Interesting place and people.
I wonder what the percentage of total sun those 884 hours make up? The most we can get here is 4038, meaning that if their maximum is the same then 884/4038*100= 21.9%, i.e. slightly more than a London January and the same as one of our Decembers. You won't have to go back that far in our sun records to find individual months worse than the Torshavn averages. Torshavn will of course still feel gloomier due to the lower sun angle year-round - I noticed being back up north at Christmas how much gloomier an overcast day feels at 54N to 51N irrespective of sunrise/sunset times, so I can't imagine how much worse it is at 62N.
Between 51 and 54n you wouldn't tell the difference at all. I live at 51n currently and there is absolutely no difference at all to York!
Well it was certainly noticeable to me, including in York itself where I spent the afternoon on my way back to the Dales. Aside from the fact the sun sets a little earlier and rises later the streetlights came on earlier relative to sunset than I'd expect it to in London and waking up, say, an hour after sunrise it still seemed oddly dim - the few days around Christmas were particularly overcast though, especially coming after a bright and sunny 22nd down here.
It makes sense that a cloudy midday on the shortest day at 54N will be darker than a cloudy midday at 51N, whether or not it's immediately noticeable. The maximum sun angle would be roughly 20% lower, at 15 or so degrees compared to 12, and there'd be less solar radiation. I've been looking at the webcam for this place at 61N in Canada most days recently to see how gloomy it looks at this time of year, and as I write now it's close to 11am there, two hours after sunrise and yes, it's snowing, but it's much, much darker than any 11am I've ever seen in England, foggy, snowing or whatever the weather.
Dark enough for me though. Under clear skies in summer light levels seem higher there even some time after the sun has actually set. Torshavn is marginally further north than Kirrimut, plus it won't have snow/ice cover as often to reflect the light, so I suspect it would be even gloomier. Under Faroe law, as in Norway and I suspect some other Nordic nations, it's compulsory to have headlights on while driving regardless of the time of year, which gives some indication of how gloomy it must be.
I wonder what the percentage of total sun those 884 hours make up? The most we can get here is 4038, meaning that if their maximum is the same then 884/4038*100= 21.9%, i.e. slightly more than a London January and the same as one of our Decembers. You won't have to go back that far in our sun records to find individual months worse than the Torshavn averages. Torshavn will of course still feel gloomier due to the lower sun angle year-round - I noticed being back up north at Christmas how much gloomier an overcast day feels at 54N to 51N irrespective of sunrise/sunset times, so I can't imagine how much worse it is at 62N.
Without obstructions, and allowing for attenuated sunlight not measureable by manual methods the 884 would probably be out of a total of at least 4300. For Campbell the percentage is about 15-16%, ranging from 5-6% in June to 20-21% for Nov-Feb.
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