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Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours
The climate of Jan Mayen is
sub-polar, wet and windy, with a long, freezing and snowy winter, and a cold summer.
Jan Mayen is an island, 53 km and a half (33 mi) long, not permanently inhabited, located in the Arctic Ocean, 550 km (340 mi) north-east of Iceland and at the same latitude as the North Cape. To the west, 450 km (280 mi) away, we find Greenland, from which cold air masses arrive, which however often collide with milder air coming from the south. For this reason, the
wind blows hard, especially from September to May, with real storms. June and July are the least windy months.
The island is divided into two parts, connected by an isthmus. The north-eastern part (Nord-Jan) is occupied by
Beerenberg volcano, 2,277 meters (7,470 feet) high, which is largely occupied by a glacier, with snow and ice sliding by its own weight into the sea, especially on the north side, where snowfalls are more abundant (since the dominant wind is by far that from the north). The southern-west part (Sør-Jan) is occupied by hills, which reach 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level, and which are covered with snow for many months of the year. In the isthmus there are two lagoons, Sørlaguna and Nordlaguna.
Being that it is to the north of the Polar circle (the latitude is 70°59'N), in Jan Mayen, you can see the
midnight sun from May 13 to July 31, and the white nights (when the sun falls below the horizon, but it doesn't get completely dark) from April 8 onwards, and until September 4.
In winter, the sun never rises
(polar night) from November 20 to January 20, although around noon, when the sun is near the horizon, there's a bit of light even at the winter solstice (i.e. December 21, the shortest day of the year).
The average
temperature is below freezing (0 °C or 32 °F) from November to April, and around freezing in May and October, while it rises a few degrees above in summer, between June and September.
Precipitation amounts to 640 millimeters (25 inches) per year and is frequent and well distributed over the seasons. However, there is a relative maximun in autumn, and a relative minimum between April and July. Snowfalls are frequent from October to May.
Winter goes from November to April and is characterized by low temperatures, a few degrees below freezing, frequent wind and snowfalls occurring almost daily, though usually not abundant. The average temperature in January and February is not far from that of the Norwegian capital,
Oslo.
During some periods, the temperature can rise slightly above freezing, up to 2/3 °C (36/37 °F) even in winter, and it can rain.
Sometimes there may be
relatively mild short periods, perhaps of a day or two, when the high pressure of the Azores brings subtropical air, while polar air descends over Europe. In January 1985, the temperature reached 6.7 °C (44.1 °F). On December 14, 2001, while it was snowing in Barcelona, the temperature in Jan Mayen reached 12.3 °C (54.1 °F) and was the warmest day of the year.
During
cold spells, the temperature can drop to -10/-15 °C (5/14 °F), but it rarely drops below these values because of the influence of the ocean, which does not freeze even in winter. However, occasionally, the temperature can drop further. However, after 2000, it dropped to -20 °C (-4 °F) only in January 2003, and this fact is in line with climate change.
In the short seasons of
spring and autumn, ie in May and October, the temperature fluctuates around freezing, and snowfalls are frequent.
Summer, from June to September, is cold, with average temperatures a few degrees above freezing. The sky is often cloudy and the wind blows frequently, though less than in the rest of the year. The rains are frequent, though usually not abundant. Sometimes, it can snow even at sea level, especially in June and September, while on the slopes of Beerenberg, it normally snows even in summer.
On the warmest days of the year, the temperature typically reaches 12/14 °C (54/57 °F). The highest record is 17 °C (62.6 °F) and was set in August 2019.
In September, although the temperatures are still above freezing, the wind begins to blow with a higher intensity and the days get shorter in an evident manner.
The amount of
sunshine in Jan Mayen is definitely scarce, in fact, cloudy skies prevail throughout the year. However, there's a peak of 5 hours of sunshine per day in May and June, which drop to 4 hours in July and 3 in August: it's not much, since the day in this period is very long (it lasts 23/24 hours from May to July and 18 hours in August). In fact, with 825 hours of sunshine per year, we are in one of the least sunny places in the world.
The temperature of the
sea is always very cold, in fact, it is about 1 °C (34 °F) from January to April, and reaches 7 °C (44 °F) in August. The sea is so cold because the Gulf Stream flows further east, towards Norway.
In the past,
polar bears were sometimes sighted on the island, but after 1990 this never happened again. In fact, polar bears used to arrive on icebergs that were carried by the Greenland current, and which have diminished due to global warming.
Best Time
The
best time to visit Jan Mayen is obviously the summer, especially from June to August, when the days are longer and the rains are less frequent. In June, the day lasts 24 hours, but the temperature is a bit lower.
However, you should bring warm clothes even in summer.
To observe the northern lights, on the other hand, you need the darkness, so the best period goes from November to January.
Jan Mayen - Climate data
In Jan Mayen, the
average temperature of the coldest month (March) is of
-3.7 °C, that of the warmest month (August) is of
6.5 °C. Here are the average temperatures.
Jan Mayen - Average temperatures (1991-2020) |
| Month | Min | Max | Mean |
|---|
| January | -5.2 | -0.7 | -2.9 |
|---|
| February | -5.5 | -1.2 | -3.4 |
|---|
| March | -5.8 | -1.6 | -3.7 |
|---|
| April | -3.9 | -0.2 | -2.1 |
|---|
| May | -1 | 2.2 | 0.6 |
|---|
| June | 1.6 | 5.1 | 3.4 |
|---|
| July | 4.4 | 7.6 | 6 |
|---|
| August | 5.1 | 7.9 | 6.5 |
|---|
| September | 3.2 | 6.1 | 4.6 |
|---|
| October | -0.3 | 3 | 1.4 |
|---|
| November | -2.8 | 0.9 | -1 |
|---|
| December | -4.7 | -0.4 | -2.6 |
|---|
| Year | -1.2 | 2.4 | 0.6 |
|---|
amounts to
640 millimeters per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from
25 millimeters in the driest month (June) to
75 millimeters in the wettest ones (September, October) Here is the average precipitation.
Jan Mayen - Average precipitation| Month | Days |
|---|
| January | 60 | 13 |
|---|
| February | 50 | 11 |
|---|
| March | 55 | 12 |
|---|
| April | 40 | 9 |
|---|
| May | 35 | 7 |
|---|
| June | 25 | 5 |
|---|
| July | 35 | 8 |
|---|
| August | 55 | 10 |
|---|
| September | 75 | 12 |
|---|
| October | 75 | 13 |
|---|
| November | 70 | 13 |
|---|
| December | 65 | 13 |
|---|
| Year | 640 | 127 |
|---|
The
sea temperature ranges from
1 °C in January, February, March, April to
7 °C in August. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Jan Mayen - Sea temperature| Month |
|---|
| January | 1 |
|---|
| February | 1 |
|---|
| March | 1 |
|---|
| April | 1 |
|---|
| May | 2 |
|---|
| June | 3 |
|---|
| July | 5 |
|---|
| August | 7 |
|---|
| September | 6 |
|---|
| October | 4 |
|---|
| November | 3"> |
|---|
| December | 2 |
|---|
| Year | 3 |
|---|
There are on average around 825
sunshine hours per year. Here are the average hours of sunshine per day.
Jan Mayen - Sunshine hours| Month | Average | Total |
|---|
| January | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| February | 1 | 30 |
|---|
| March | 2 | 60 |
|---|
| April | 4 | 120 |
|---|
| May | 5 | 155 |
|---|
| June | 5 | 150 |
|---|
| July | 4 | 125 |
|---|
| August | 3 | 95 |
|---|
| September | 2 | 60 |
|---|
| October | 1 | 30 |
|---|
| November | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| December | 0 | 0 |
|---|
| Year | 2.3 | 825 |
|---|
Jan Mayen - Weather by month
Based on the period 1991-2020
January is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-2.9 °C, with a minimum of
-5.2 °C and a maximum of
-0.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-12.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-23.4 °C in January 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
5 °C. However, it reached
9.5 °C in January 2007.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 1 hour and 5 minutes. So the days are very short.
There are on average 0 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 0% of the time.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
28.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
1 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
February is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-3.4 °C, with a minimum of
-5.5 °C and a maximum of
-1.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-12.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-19.5 °C in February 1998.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
3.5 °C. However, it reached
8.5 °C in February 2006.
Precipitation amounts to
50 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 7 hours and 40 minutes. So the days are short.
There is an average of 1 hour of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 13% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
28.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
1 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
March, the coldest month of the year, is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-3.7 °C, with a minimum of
-5.8 °C and a maximum of
-1.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-13 °C. However, it dropped to
-19.3 °C in March 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
4 °C. However, it reached
8 °C in March 2003.
Precipitation amounts to
55 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 50 minutes.
There are on average 2 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 17% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
27.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
1 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
April is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-2.1 °C, with a minimum of
-3.9 °C and a maximum of
-0.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-10.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-17.4 °C in April 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
5 °C. However, it reached
10.3 °C in April 2007.
Precipitation amounts to
40 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 16 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 24% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
23.9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
1 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
May is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
0.6 °C, with a minimum of
-1 °C and a maximum of
2.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-5.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-11.2 °C in May 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
7 °C. However, it reached
14.4 °C in May 2017.
Precipitation amounts to
35 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 23 hours and 0 minutes. So the days are very long.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 22% of the time.
The average humidity is 85%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
21.3 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
2 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
June is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
3.4 °C, with a minimum of
1.6 °C and a maximum of
5.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-1.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-3.2 °C in June 2000.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
9.5 °C. However, it reached
14.6 °C in June 2002.
Precipitation amounts to
25 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 24 hours. So the sun is always above the horizon.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 21% of the time.
The average humidity is 88%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
17.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
3 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
July is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
6 °C, with a minimum of
4.4 °C and a maximum of
7.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-0.6 °C in July 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
11.5 °C. However, it reached
15 °C in July 2005.
Precipitation amounts to
35 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 24 hours. So the sun is always above the horizon.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 17% of the time.
The average humidity is 90%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
16.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
5 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
August, the least cold month of the year, is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
6.5 °C, with a minimum of
5.1 °C and a maximum of
7.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2 °C. However, it dropped to
-0.4 °C in August 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
11 °C. However, it reached
17 °C in August 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
55 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 18 hours and 35 minutes. So the days are very long.
There are on average 3 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 16% of the time.
The average humidity is 89%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
16.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
7 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
September is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4.6 °C, with a minimum of
3.2 °C and a maximum of
6.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-1 °C. However, it dropped to
-3.4 °C in September 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
10 °C. However, it reached
14.2 °C in September 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
75 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 2 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 15% of the time.
The average humidity is 87%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
21.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
6 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
October is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
1.4 °C, with a minimum of
-0.3 °C and a maximum of
3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-5.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-10.8 °C in October 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
7.5 °C. However, it reached
9.8 °C in October 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
75 mm, distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 35 minutes.
There is an average of 1 hour of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 12% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
24.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
4 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
November is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-1 °C, with a minimum of
-2.8 °C and a maximum of
0.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-9 °C. However, it dropped to
-13.5 °C in November 2006.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
5 °C. However, it reached
8.5 °C in November 2004.
Precipitation amounts to
70 mm, distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 2 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are very short.
There are on average 0 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 0% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
26.2 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
3 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
December is generally a very cold month. The average temperature is of
-2.6 °C, with a minimum of
-4.7 °C and a maximum of
-0.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-12 °C. However, it dropped to
-17.6 °C in December 2000.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
5 °C. However, it reached
12.3 °C in December 2001.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 13 days.
The day lasts on average 0 hours and 0 minutes. So the sun is always below the horizon.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
28.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
2 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.