The Sunniest Cities in Europe, According to New Data (2023)

FAQs

Which countries in Europe get the most sunshine? ›

Most of Spain and Portugal, Southern Italy, Sardinia, Southern Greece, the South of France and coastal Croatia are basking in between 2500 and 3000 hours of sunshine every year – an average of up to 8.2 hours a day, and even more in the summer!

Cloudiest Cities by European Region

The most overcast place in Southern Europe is Ljubljana, Slovenia with 1712 sunny hours annually. In Eastern Europe, Saint Petersburg, Russia ranks as the cloudiest at 1636 hours of sun a year. Overcast skies are common in Glasgow, Europe's cloudiest city.

Yuma (USA)

According to the World Meteorological Organization, Yuma (Arizona) is the sunniest place on earth. It has a total of 11 hours of sunlight in winter and up to 13 in summer. This means Yuma experiences an average of 4,015 hours of sunshine per year.

Travel Tip: Croatia, Greece and Italy have the warmest weather in Europe year-round. Summer in Southern Europe means lots of locals and tourists on holiday. They all make their way here to enjoy the incredible climate.

Granada, Spain

The Spanish city located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains is one of the sunniest cities on the continent, with 341 hours of sunshine per month on average. It's known for its Andalusian-Moorish culture, reflected in whitewashed buildings like in the Albaicin quarter.

Lanzarote

This Canary Island enjoys permanent sunshine throughout the year. Lanzarote has a favourable microclimate and more than 2500 hours of sunshine a year, a record in Europe. The temperature in winter is never lower than 14 degrees (57 F) and goes up to 20 degrees (68 F) on sunny days.

Rhodes, Greece, Europe

Expect 300 days and 3,000 hours of sunshine per year.

Svalbard is the place in Norway where the midnight sun occurs for the longest period. Here, the sun doesn't set between 20 April and 22 August.

A quick internet search suggests the answer is Tórshavn, capital of the Faroe Islands. With less than 900 hours of sunlight per year, that is a lot of cloud.

1. Anchorage, AK. With an average of over 230 cloudy days per year, Anchorage is the gloomiest city in the United States. This high number of cloudy days actually means that Anchorage spends about 65% of every year under clouds.

Where is the lowest humidity in Europe? ›

' Höfn (Iceland) takes the crown as the most 'dry' humidity in Europe, at 99.1% of the day.

For the most sun year-round, Arizona is your best bet, with Yuma, Phoenix, and Tucson taking top spots on the list. But Yuma stands far above the others as the sunniest with 242 days of sunshine—that's two-thirds of the year lookin' at clear skies.

Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff are all in the top 25 sunniest cities in the US, and Phoenix ranks #1 with an annual sunshine rate of 85.8%.

Phoenix, Arizona

The sun shines 85 percent of the time in Phoenix, making it the sunniest city in the nation.

Sweden. Sweden is the top country in 2022 best quality of life rankings. The country stands out in the ranking of quality of life for health systems and well-developed public education, security, economic stability, and politics.

#1 Portugal. Portugal has some of the best weather in all of Europe. You can kiss snow- and sleet-filled winters goodbye in this compact country. Whether you are a cold-weather person, love the intense heat of summer, or prefer a year-round, spring-like climate, Portugal has something for everyone.

Let's look at some of the warmest places in Europe in winter: Portugal, Crete, Andalusia, Balearic Islands, Sicily, Malta, Southern Turkey, and the Canary Islands.

Securing the number one spot as the rainiest city in Europe is Bergen in Norway! Topping the data table for being both the city with the highest average rain days per month (12.7) as well as the highest average daily rainfall (8.8mm), Bergen is the outright rainiest city in Europe.

While temperatures fluctuate throughout the year in most U.S. states, there are some that see averages around 70-degree weather year-round. These states include Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Mexico.

Where do Europeans go for a beach vacation in the winter? ›

Chemnitz can rejoice at being officially named the sunniest city in Germany! Here, the sun shines for an average of 5,2 hours per day. Every day during June and July, the city basks in a glorious nine hours of sunshine - more than any other city!

On June 21 and December 22, sunlight does not spread evenly to all parts of the earth. Actually, the earth rotates making an angle of 66 degrees. Due to this inclination, there is a difference in the time of day and night. The 40-minute night in Norway takes place in June 21 situation.

Alaska Gets Six Months of 24-Hour Sunlight and Darkness

Interestingly, this myth was perpetrated by our science books for many years. Only the furthest north and south points have equal parts daylight and darkness throughout the year, and Alaska isn't north enough to experience six months of either extreme.

During summertime, most parts of Finland never experience a sun set for straight 73 days. However, in winter time, no sunlight is seen in the region. As a result, people in those areas sleep more during the winter and less in summer, due to the constant sunlight.

1. Washington. Washington State features a climate that is similar to Oregon's, but even more extreme. Between the effects of the Pacific Ocean, the Cascades and more, cities like Olympia receive 52 days of full sun per year.

The wettest city in the U.S. is Hilo, Hawaii, where it rains 211 days a year. Interestingly, Hilo gets between 10 and 40 times as much rain as some other parts of the Big Island. It also rains and snows a lot in Alaska. Sitka gets about 86 inches of precipitation a year over a whopping 173 days.

The city of love conquers all. Paris, France, has secured the No. 1 spot as the best city in the world, according to Euromonitor International's Top 100 City Destinations ranking.

What are the two cloudiest cities in the United States? ›

The west coast cities of Portland and Seattle top the list of cloudiest large cities in the United States. Overall, ten major American cities have solid overcast for more than 180 days a year.

A recent study named Seattle the No. 1 "gloomiest place in America." The website Bestplaces.net, which ranks locations on all kinds of qualities, created a "gloom index" for the largest cities in the nation, based on weather data during the darkest months of the year.

Athens clearly leads the pack as Europe's least rainy major city. Over a year, Athens averages the lowest amount of precipitation at 365 millimetres (14.4 inches) and the fewest wet days at 43.

Utqiaġvik, Alaska is home to around 5,000 residents

UTQIAGVIK, Alaska – Northern Alaska is now home to the only place in the U.S. that will see nonstop sunlight in the annual period known to locals as Midnight Sun. The sun rose at Utqiaġvik at 2:58 AM AKDT on Tuesday and will not set again until August 2.

Norway. Norway, situated in the Arctic Circle, is called the Land of the Midnight Sun, where from May to late July, the sun actually never sets.

First place goes to San Francisco, with only two days of extreme heat and a low temperature just below freezing at 27 degrees. Second place goes to San Diego, followed by Los Angeles. Both have an average yearly temperature of 60 degrees with sunny days 70% of the year.

Highest Summer Temperature Overall

Phoenix and Las Vegas are the two major cities with an average temperature throughout summer that's above 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 °Celsius). Another ten US cities have average summer temperatures in the 80s.

1 San Diego, California, U.S

Because San Diego has an exceptionally great climate throughout the year.

Which cities have the best summers? ›

Chichester has been named the sunniest place in the UK – thanks to its record-high levels of sunshine this winter. Met Office data found the city received more than 230 hours of sunlight – or nearly ten days – across the coldest season, which is more than anywhere else in the country.

The major cities in United States with the most sun year round are Phoenix and Las Vegas. Both are sunny for 85 percent of the time between sunrise and sunset, amounting to over 3800 hours a year.

Scenery is frequently cited as the main attraction, so it was no surprise when Telegraph Travel's comprehensive study revealed it to be the most beautiful country in Europe. In truth, Norway has been turning heads for decades.

The Canary Islands - the hottest place to visit in Europe in winter, from December to February. The Canary Islands have one of the best climates in the world and here you can enjoy a day on the beach and a swim in the ocean at any time of the year.

Coming in at the top of the list as the most beautiful place on earth is Indonesia, which has a natural beauty score of 7.77 out of 10.

1. Switzerland. With its world-renowned mountain views and mesmerising Alpine scenery, it's no surprise to find Switzerland at the top of our list. With over 14% flatland coverage and 767 unique wildlife species, the central European country obtained a stellar final rating of 7.22.

Where is it 70 and sunny year-round? ›

While temperatures fluctuate throughout the year in most U.S. states, there are some that see averages around 70-degree weather year-round. These states include Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Mexico.

The Canary Islands climate is considered the best climate in the world, thanks to the year-round pleasant, mild temperatures. This is added to the facts that it rarely rains in the archipelago and that it is the region with the most hours of sunlight per day in Europe.

Phoenix, Arizona

The sun shines 85 percent of the time in Phoenix, making it the sunniest city in the nation.

While the majority of Canadian Snowbirds head south to the U.S., Mexico or Central America, some travel across the Atlantic to the warmer winter regions in southern Spain, Portugal, the Canary Islands, Italy, Malta and Cyprus. These destinations are especially popular for winter long-stays in February and March.

If you want some winter sun in Europe in December, your best bet is either Madeira or the Canary Islands. But you'll find warm weather and sunshine in Greece, Cyprus, the Algarve and Malta. Morocco is also an excellent option, only three hours flying time from the UK.