The sunniest city in the world. The sunniest city in the world

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With scientific point view, the sun shines on us during the day continuously. Even beyond the clouds. But we are waiting for a truly bright sunlight, which brings back to life and brings cheerfulness.

But the inhabitants of some cities of the world already used to waiting for the sun, and rejoice at his unexpected appearance as a holiday. What to do if the cities are located in places where nature has not provided for many sunny days. But here it has its own special charm, and not to say that it is always gloomy.

Birmingham, UK

Sees the sun approximately 62 days a year

One of the largest cities in the kingdom fully corresponds to the legend of Foggy Albion, a land where the sun is a rare visitor. The climate here is mild and humid, there are no sharp changes, but the sun too. 2 million local residents are accustomed to this state of affairs, but a sunny day becomes a real holiday and a good reason to go outside, postponing business.

Tourists are advised to prepare for the fact that the city is not too cold, but damp. But there is enough entertainment: numerous museums, monuments medieval architecture, Botanical Garden, music festivals- and there is no time to miss the sun.

Kiruna, Sweden

Sees the sun approximately 61 days a year

"White Bird" - this is how the name of the city is translated - a little magical place. It has always been associated with legends about alchemists, because local residents have been engaged in the mining industry for centuries, and it is there, somewhere in the depths of the earth, that philosopher's Stone. The "secret of darkness" of Kiruna is that it is very close to the Arctic Circle. Therefore, the sun is on schedule here - from May to July, and then twilight is getting closer until it turns into a polar night.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Sees the sun about 55 days a year

Getting into the bright and stylish capital of Iceland, you can’t say that the sun is such a rare guest here. colorful houses, friendly people, lots of entertainment, thermal pools, outdoor all year round. Almost like a resort! But the sun rarely shines here. No wonder, because Reykjavik is the northernmost state capital in the world. One of the main features of the city is incredible fresh air: there is no industry here, and houses are heated by water from hot thermal springs.

Murmansk, Russia

Sees the sun approximately 53 days a year

Murmansk is located beyond the Arctic Circle, so the night here can last a long time, but the polar day brings the long-awaited sun. From December to January, the sun does not rise above the horizon, so the joyful holidays “First Dawn” and “Hello, Sun” are celebrated by all citizens. Meeting " full sun' usually takes place on the last Sunday of January.

Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada

Sees the sun approximately 52 days a year

A gloomy town on Cayenne Island pacific ocean surrounded by mountains, and as a place of residence it will never be accepted by lovers of a dry and hot climate.

240 days a year here it's raining, and when it ends, the city is enveloped in thick fogs. The perfect place to shoot thrillers. This is the ocean climate.

Nevertheless, it is a large and quite significant city for the Canadian economy, and you can get to the mainland from it by bridge.

Nikolskoe, Kamchatka, Russia

Sees the sun about 41 days a year

The harsh island of Bering is where this gloomy village is located. Sunlight here is an amazing and rare phenomenon, but otherwise the life of the 700 inhabitants who live there is not too different from the life of people elsewhere Russian hinterland. In addition, the village even has its own airport for communication with major cities Kamchatka. Nikolskoye - the only place in Russia, where the rare Aleut people live compactly. These are natives of the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, and it is not surprising that the cloudy climate does not particularly bother them.

During the autumn-winter-spring blues, many of us imagine ourselves in warm lands, where the sun shines all year round and the sky is always blue. Where are such places?

Contrary to popular belief, such places are not only on the equator and in Africa, they are on all continents. But before proceeding to their review, it should be noted that there are two methods of counting.

The first - by percentage. Scientists have calculated maximum amount daytime hours, when the sun can illuminate a particular area. This figure is 4456 hours per year. Accordingly, subtracting the number of cloudy hours from this figure, we get exact number solar. Let's say, if in a certain city there is 2228 hours of clear weather per year, then the percentage of its "sunshine" is 50%.

The second method is less accurate, it is measured by the number of days in a year that were predominantly clear rather than overcast. The concept is rather vague, as you know ...

Given the existence of two methods, as well as the ever-changing climate, it is not surprising that the sunniest cities in the world are constantly changing places in the ranking. However, the leaders have remained unchanged for many years.

The sunniest cities in Europe

On the European continent such places are found in the Mediterranean countries, namely in Spain, Italy and Cyprus, where the sun shines for about 320 days a year! The record holders were, of course, the most southern ones, like Nicosia in Cyprus and Malaga in Spain. BUT most sunny city Europe - Italian Foggia(region of Apulia).

All these cities have at least 9 hours of clear weather per day. Southern Spain, namely Andalusia, is famous for the fact that it shines here for about 10 months a year bright sun and the weather is warm to hot all year round. An additional delight is the beautiful nature.

The sunniest countries in Europe are also Greece(Thessaloniki, Athens, Alexandroupolis) and (Haifa, Tel Aviv). Here, the number of clear days per year approaches 310.

America's sunniest cities

It is on the American continent that sunniest city in the world - Yuma, Arizona. This is an official record listed in the Guinness Book. Here in the year there are as many as 325 sunny days (or 4050 hours, which is 93%) with a temperature of + 32 ° C, precipitation is extremely rare, and daylight hours are 11 hours.

Along with Yuma, its neighbor, the city of Phoenix, as well as Las Vegas, in Nevada. Duration daylight hours here more than 10 hours a day, and the climate is very dry.

Of the American continents, one can also distinguish central part, namely Caribs. For example, in Jamaica the sun shines almost all year round, the weather is always warm and friendly. Also highlighted in general background city Istapa, in .

Sunny cities of Africa

From African countries Egypt can boast, especially its south, the city Aswan. It is located near the border with Sudan, daylight here also lasts more than 10 hours, the number of sunny days in a year is more than 90 percent. Since the climate in southern Egypt is very dry, vegetation is found only along the Nile River, which contributes to the absence of fumes and clouds.

Summer temperature in Aswan fluctuates between 40-50 degrees during the day, and in winter it does not fall below +25. southern part Egypt and all of Sudan can be considered one of the most arid zones on our planet.. The lack of fertile soil, lack of water and year-round heat make these places very difficult to live in.

Sunny cities of Asia

Arabian Peninsula, Middle East, of course, is also a well-known sunny place on the planet. and Saudi Arabia can boast that they have practically whole year clear sky except for a couple of days.

The Far East, namely, is proud that they have more than 300 days a year of bright sunshine, the weather is almost always hot or warm. This exotic corner of the planet, with its beaches and blue skies, forever conquers the hearts of tourists who dream of living, or at least relaxing, not in a hot desert, but in a sunny country with beautiful green nature.

Near Indonesia, you can bask in the sun in Singapore. This amazing eastern country with modern technologies and fast-growing progress attracts great amount tourists who are crazy about the weather. You don't have to worry about prolonged downpours or overcast skies, Singapore is another country of eternal summer.

Australia, a continent that is 75 percent desert, cannot boast large quantity hot and sunny days, like its African desert brothers, as it falls here a large number of precipitation. However, there is also plenty of sun in this side of the world.

The cloudiest cities in the world

There are other places on the planet where the sun is a rare guest. Cloudy and rainy cities are also found on all continents. London or St. Petersburg almost always cloudy, good weather is not expected here, but it can be worse.

Colombia's Buenaventura has been named the rainiest city in the world. It rains almost constantly there. Residents are accustomed to constant water around and, in best case, partly cloudy. Cloudy skies are almost always observed by residents of the tropics, many oceanic islands and countries such as Liberia, Samoa, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea. The inhabitants of these countries, and especially some cities, not only do not see the sun, but also suffer from constant floods.

Of course, there are very few clear hours in northern countries. Even if on far north there is a polar day, which can last for months, there is little sense in this, since the weather is very cold.

Those who really love good weather and are tired of waiting for their summer should definitely arrange a holiday for themselves in the form of a trip to a sunny and warm country, where you can forget about rains, clouds and gray depression. And there are a lot of such places on our planet.

In this country, the sun shines gently and cheerfully, warming with its rays all those who live here permanently or come to rest. Athens, Thessaloniki and Alexandroupolis can spoil their guests 308 sunny days in a year. The sun simply floods the surroundings and fills every cell of the tourist with its warmth.

Despite such an abundance of clear sunny days, these cities are not leaders in this indicator. Even in Europe there are sunnier cities.

The sunniest city in Europe

There are enough cities in Europe that could compete for the title of the sunniest. Rome, Madrid, Valencia, they are all filled sunlight throughout almost the entire year. But there's a town that gets sun rays much more. It is located in southern Italy and is called Foggia.

330 days in the sun is enough for this city normal phenomenon. Therefore, Foggia is the most suitable place for all lovers of sunbathing.

Israel - a place for a warm holiday

in the east mediterranean sea another sunny spot. The country with the largest number of holy places and monuments can compete with the Italian record holder. Tel Aviv, Haifa and Eilat will offer their guests more than 330 sunny days per year.

In addition, the latter, among other things, is a wonderful resort on the Red Sea coast. And what could be better than the sun, the sea and the sandy beach for a lover of sunny holidays.

The sunniest cities

All these cities and countries occupy only the lower positions in the ratings of cities with the largest number sunny days per year. The championship belongs American cities literally immersed in the sun.

The cities of Phoenix and Yuma are the sunniest in the world. Both of these cities are located in Arizona, in the United States. Each of them has an indicator equal to almost a year-round sunshine. Daylight here lasts more than 11 hours and it is not surprising that the climate in these places is arid.

The sun has been shining here for more than 350 days, and therefore sunbathers should not be too zealous with their passion. The sun is enough to get a good tan, and if you do not follow the safety rules, you can get a serious burn.

So, while passing through record-breaking cities, you need to remember that the sun is fraught with not only warmth and affection, but also great deceit.

In the 20th century, the World Meteorological Association began to record the number sundial in half the countries of the world. These observations lasted three decades and used data from 1,800 meteorological stations scattered from the Antarctic to the Arctic. As a result of such a large-scale work, the sunniest cities in the world were identified. In the top ten were sunny places from Africa and North America, which, in general, was not a big surprise. In parentheses after each city is the number of hours of sunshine per year.

1. Yuma, Arizona, USA (4050 hours)


In western Arizona, not far from California and the Mexican border, is the town of Yuma - the most sun-loved place on earth, because it sheds its light on Yuma for over 4,000 hours a year. Not surprisingly, a man decided to take advantage of this - he built a large photovoltaic plant that generates 290 MW of electricity, which goes to the neighboring more densely populated California, where it is distributed among 230,000 houses. It is worth noting that theoretically in this place the sun is above the horizon 4456 hours a year, that is, it turns out that in 91% of cases nothing hides it. According to this pleasant indicator, Yuma got into the Guinness Book of Records as the sunniest city in the world.
But not everything is so rosy in this city either, because it has a desert climate with very hot summers. For example, on July 28, 1995, the maximum temperature of +51 degrees was recorded here. Even the average summer temperature here is uncomfortable - in the range of + 30-40 degrees. True, the winter here is mild, the temperature is rarely below 0 degrees (in January 2007, the temperature minimum was beaten - minus 11 degrees, such a frost could last as long as 2 hours).


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2. Phoenix, Arizona, USA (3872 hours)


The 1.5 millionth Phoenix is administrative center state of Arizona. This is one of the driest and hottest cities in the US and the world. From June until November, the temperature here almost never drops below +30 degrees. The sun bakes here on average 10.6 hours daily, and 3872 hours of sunshine are accumulated at such a rate per year.
The average daily temperature exceeding 30 degrees is observed here for more than 80 days. For Phoenix, the snow is almost fabulous phenomenon, since the founding of the city, only 7 cases of its fallout have been noted, and last time such significant event happened in 1985. Near Phoenix, the Americans also installed a solar power plant that generates 280 MW of electricity. It uses Newest technologies, allowing electricity to be generated for another 6 hours after the sun has set.

3. Aswan, Egypt (3863 hours)


The Egyptian city of Aswan has become the sunniest African city. The British during the period when they were the colonizers of Egypt, used it as a winter resort. In summer, unbearable heat of +50 degrees reigns here. The sun burns for about 10.6 hours a day. Naturally, Aswan was among the driest cities on the planet - 1.4 mm of precipitation falls there a year, who knows - maybe these are the tears of the inhabitants, praying the sky to send them rain. At Egyptian state no technological resources and means to use solar energy, but it hopes to try to solve this problem with the help of foreign investment. The government has plans to achieve by 2020 the production of a fifth of the country's electricity needs from renewable sources.


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4. Las Vegas, Nevada, USA (3825 hours)


One of the world's major entertainment centers and the unofficial "capital of vice in the United States" - Las Vegas consumes a huge amount of electricity - more than small countries. So far, Americans have not been able to meet its needs with solar energy alone, although the state authorities are constantly looking for new opportunities to increase the share of solar energy in the state's energy balance. So, nearby, in the Mojave Desert, two solar power plants were built - at 64 MW and the largest in the world at 392 MW.

5. Dongola, Sudan (3814 hours)


This city is located in the middle of the Nubian desert and is famous for the ruins of temples from the period of the Egyptian pharaohs, palm groves and incredibly hot sun. This city is one of the driest on the planet. The sun shines here 10.4 hours a day. Like the whole of Sudan, especially the area near Dongola is considered incredibly dry, because no more than 28 mm of rain falls here a year. This country is not richer than Egypt, therefore it does not have the potential to develop solar energy. Investors are also in no hurry to invest here, mindful of the long civil war. However, one French company took the risk of investing $10 billion in 2010 to build a series of solar power plants but none of them have worked so far.

6. Tucson, Arizona, USA (3806 hours)


This city is also from the desert hot Arizona, but despite this, it is one of the most dynamically developing cities in the United States. It was built in a large oasis that existed on the Santa Cruz River. Near the city, one of the largest solar power plants in the state was quickly built, producing 1.6 MW of electricity. Arizona is known to have a desert climate with long and very hot summers. But due to the fact that the city is located on a hill (800 m above sea level), the average temperature here is slightly lower than in the state capital. In summer, the average daytime temperature is above 35 degrees, and at night it drops to only 20-28 degrees. In early October, 35-degree heat is not uncommon. In July-August, a short-term monsoon season sets in in Tucson. On winter days, the average temperature reaches 15-20 degrees, only occasionally there are small frosts and even less often snow falls for a short time, which instantly melts.


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7. Faya-Larjo, Chad (3792 hours)


This locality, located in the north of Chad, was lost in the endless sands of the Sahara. From April to August, the average temperature here exceeds the 40-degree mark, and it reaches its peak in May - +44 degrees. Faia Larjo is located in an oasis, and to the north of it there are three small lakes. The local desert climate is dry and hot all year round. Only in April-October it is a little wetter here, when the summer monsoon acts in this area. Chad is one of the poorest countries (in terms of GDP per capita - 196th place), so it is not only not up to development alternative energy, but even the traditional one has nothing to develop. Therefore, the huge solar potential here is wasted.

8. Kharga, Egypt (3791 hours)


The Kharga oasis is the southernmost in Egypt. He was lost 200 kilometers west of the Nile in the sands of the Libyan desert. AT ancient times it served as an important outpost that guarded the intersection of caravan routes; ruins of fortresses remained from this period. In April-May it is very hot here + 35-45 degrees. But these chic opportunities are not used in any way to generate electricity.

9. Abu Hamed, Sudan (3763 hours)


On the right bank of the Nile, 300 km east of Dongola, there is another Sudanese sunny settlement - the Abu Hamed oasis. Local residents here are bothered not only by the ever-scorching sun, but also by regular dust storms, forcing them to wrap themselves from head to toe even in unthinkable heat.

10. El Paso, Texas, USA (3763 hours)


Exactly the same amount of sun shines in the city of El Paso, which is located near the Mexican border on the Rio Grande. locals nicknamed it "sunny city". El Paso is located at the junction of three states: Texas and New Mexico (both US) and Mexican Chiawa. The city is dominated by a hot desert climate, height above sea level makes its contribution. Precipitation most often falls here in July-September, when the monsoons blow. El Paso has very hot summers and dry, cool winters. It may snow once every few years.
There are no large solar power plants built in the district of the city, but in general, Texas is considered a promising state for the production of solar electricity, especially since recently it has become cheaper than that obtained by traditional methods. More recently, a company from Austin entered into a contract with the city authorities, according to which it undertakes to supply "solar" electricity for less than 5 cents per kilowatt, for comparison - electricity obtained by burning natural gas, costs 6.1 cents, and in the case of coal is even more expensive - 6.6 cents per kilowatt.