After a very cloudy period in the 1970s and 1980s, the duration of sunshine in Switzerland has increas again. A steady increase can be observ north of the Alps. Last year, 2022, was the sunniest in the Swiss plateau since measurements began in the late 19th century.
Before the cloudy period in the 1970s and 1980s, there were fairly stable sunshine conditions north of the Alps for several decades. The period before 1900 was sunnier. In the last few years, the annual sunshine duration has reach the highest level in the entire measurement period.
Graph showing the annual sunshine duration
The duration of sunshine in the Swiss plateau since measurements began at the end of the 19th century. The average of the measuring locations in Geneva, Neuchâtel, Bern, Basel, Lucerne and Zurich was calculat. (MeteoSwiss)
More sunshine earlier in the south
A different development can be seen on the southern side of the Alps. Here, too, the cloudy period in the 1970s and 1980s is clearly visible. But before that, the southern side of the Alps was sunnier than it is today. It was thailand phone number library sunniest at the beginning of the measurement series more than 100 years ago.
But it is very important to note that the southern side of the Alps is still significantly sunnier today than the northern side. In Lugano, the annual average is over 2100 hours of sunshine, while the Central Plateau has an annual average of just over 1800 hours of sunshine. Even in the cloudy period in the 1970s and 1980s, Lugano was sunnier on average than the Central Plateau today.
Graph showing the annual sunshine duration
The duration of sunshine in Lugano since the strategic value of the call center in generating new customers measurements began at the end of the 19th century. (MeteoSwiss)
More sunshine thanks to more high pressure systems
The annual sunshine duration is mainly controll by the alb directory summer half of the year. In the summer half of the year, the days are longer and the sunny days contribute the most to the annual sunshine duration.
In the summer months, Switzerland has record around 40 more days of high pressure in recent years compar to the minimum in the 1970s. More than a month more of summer high pressure weather certainly leads to more sunshine. In this respect, the change in summer weather conditions is a plausible explanation for the current increase in sunshine duration in Switzerland.
