List of atmospheric pressure records in Europe
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The following is a List of atmospheric pressure records in Europe and the extratropical Northern Atlantic (it does not include localised events, such as those that occur in tornados). Extreme pressure values in Europe show both seasonal and geographical differentiation. The greatest pressure extremes occur in winter (January) with the deepest lows occurring to the northwest of the continent with a diminishing influence of low pressure to the southeast towards Central Europe and Southeast Europe. This is related to the main cyclonic centre of the
Icelandic Low The Icelandic Low is a semi-permanent centre of low atmospheric pressure found between Iceland and southern Greenland and extending in the Northern Hemisphere winter into the Barents Sea. In the summer, it weakens and splits into two centres, one ...
, and the North Atlantic extratropical storm track, close to which have been observed some of the lowest atmospheric pressures of the Northern Hemisphere outside the tropics. Extreme high values are favoured over the north east of Europe where intense cold and long winter nights lead to cooling of the air column by
radiative cooling In the study of heat transfer, radiative cooling is the process by which a body loses heat by thermal radiation. As Planck's law describes, every physical body spontaneously and continuously emits electromagnetic radiation. Radiative cooling ha ...
causing sinking air reinforcing the development of the highest pressures. Other influences include the semi-permanent
Azores High The Azores High also known as North Atlantic (Subtropical) High/Anticyclone or the Bermuda-Azores High, is a large subtropical semi-permanent centre of high atmospheric pressure typically found south of the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean, at the Hor ...
, and
Siberian High The Siberian High (also Siberian Anticyclone; russian: Азиатский антициклон (''Aziatsky antitsiklon'')) is a massive collection of cold dry air that accumulates in the northeastern part of Eurasia from September until April. It ...
.


Land-based observations in Europe

Land-based records for Europe: :* Highest observed air pressure record: * 22–23 January 1907 in
Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet o ...
, Estonia and
Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
, Latvia at 1067.1 mbar reported in peer-reviewed literature. Other high values have been reported: * 23 January 1907 in Riga at 1068.7 hPa, this value is from a student generated report from the
Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in political science and t ...
Adopt a Vortex scheme. (supported with a 1068 hPa pressure reported in a Danish Meteorological Society publication.) * 17 February 1954 in northern Russia >1060 hPa, This high is claimed to have a pressure over 1070 hPa by a Free University of Berlin student generated report. * 16 February 1956, northern Urals 1070 hPa mentioned in student generated reports from FUB. 1067 hPa in another student report from FUB. Others give a figure for this high of 1065 mslp. An isobar of 1072 over Russia features on the Met Office Daily Weather Report 16 February 1956 centred about the town of
Vorkuta Vorkuta (russian: Воркута́; kv, Вӧркута, ''Vörkuta''; Nenets for "the abundance of bears", "bear corner") is a coal-mining town in the Komi Republic, Russia, situated just north of the Arctic Circle in the Pechora coal basin at ...
,
Komi Republic The Komi Republic (russian: Республика Коми; kv, Коми Республика), sometimes simply referred to as Komi, is a republic of Russia located in Eastern Europe. Its capital is the city of Syktyvkar. The population of the ...
. * 31 January 2012 station Khoseda-Khard directly west of Urals a value of 1068.3 hPa, also reported by SMHI, from a high pressure area named "Cooper/Dieter" by the Free University of Berlin in January 2012 which brought the
Early 2012 European cold wave A deadly cold wave started in Europe on January 27, 2012, and brought snow and freezing temperatures to much of the continent. There were more than 824 reported deaths in both Europe and North Africa. Particularly low temperatures hit several Ea ...
. Pressure is thought to have risen above 1060 hPa in Europe on only 12 occasions between 1871 and 2010, in the years 1893, 1899, 1907, 1915, 1920, 1938, 1944, 1946, 1956, 1972, 1995 and 2008. To this list might also be included high pressure anticyclones in 1954 and 2012 (see above), and 1869. The most notable high in Europe peaked in January 1907. This was an unusual development that brought high pressure to the west, and holds the officially-recognised record across multiple countries from Scandinavia to Central Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary). :* Lowest air pressure: * 2 December 1929 at
Stórhöfði Stórhöfði () is a peninsula and the southernmost point of Heimaey, the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, in Iceland. It is claimed to be the windiest place in Europe, and holds the record for the lowest on land observation of Lis ...
peninsula,
Heimaey Heimaey (), is an Icelandic island. At , it is the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, and the largest and most populated island off the Icelandic coast. Heimaey is off the south coast of Iceland. It is the only populated isla ...
southwest Iceland 920 hPa. Another value reported: * 6–7 January 1839, recorded at
Sumburgh Head Sumburgh Head is a headland located at the southern tip of the Shetland Mainland in northern Scotland. The head consists of a 100 m high rocky spur and topped by the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse. In the Old Norse language, Sumburgh Head was cal ...
,
Shetland Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom. The islands lie about to the no ...
during the
Night of the big wind The Night of the Big Wind ( ga, Oíche na Gaoithe Móire) was a powerful European windstorm that swept across what was then the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, beginning on the afternoon of 6 January 1839, causing severe damage to pr ...
storm this value is from non-standardised equipment, and is not fully supported by values at neighbouring stations (unknown if corrected for MSLP). The conversion to hPa above assumes an
Inch of mercury Inch of mercury (inHg and ″Hg) is a non- SI unit of measurement for pressure. It is used for barometric pressure in weather reports, refrigeration and aviation in the United States. It is the pressure exerted by a column of mercury in heigh ...
at 0 °F = 3376.85 Pa, if value assumes inHg at 60 °F = 3376.38 Pa the value could be as low as 920.2 hPa.


Northern Europe


Iceland

:* Highest air pressure: 3 January 1841, Reykjavik 1058.0 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 2 December 1929 at
Stórhöfði Stórhöfði () is a peninsula and the southernmost point of Heimaey, the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, in Iceland. It is claimed to be the windiest place in Europe, and holds the record for the lowest on land observation of Lis ...
peninsula,
Heimaey Heimaey (), is an Icelandic island. At , it is the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, and the largest and most populated island off the Icelandic coast. Heimaey is off the south coast of Iceland. It is the only populated isla ...
920 hPa.


Iceland monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure


Iceland list of atmospheric pressure over 1050 hPa

High pressure in Iceland has exceeded 1050 hPa 4 times in the twentieth century and five times in the nineteenth century, and 2 times in the twenty-first century.
Climatic Research Unit The Climatic Research Unit (CRU) is a component of the University of East Anglia and is one of the leading institutions concerned with the study of natural and anthropogenic climate change. With a staff of some thirty research scientists and s ...
Emulate data 1874–2002, also gives values on 10 March 1887 at Stykkishólmur 1052.43 hPa and also 9 January 1977 at the same location 1050.47 hPa.


Iceland monthly minimum figures for atmospheric pressure

In July the pressure in Iceland has only dropped below 975 hPa or lower three times over the entire record extending back to the 1820s. These cases were 974.1 hPa in Stykkishólmur on 18 July 1901, 974.3 hPa in Stykkishólmur on 19 July 1923 and 975.0 hPa in Reykjavík 11 July 1912.—to which can be added 22 July 2012, with 972.4 hPa reported on the Westman Isles, becoming the new national record for the month. A recent low pressure on 30 December 2015 was recorded at Kirkjubaejarklaustur (associated with an area of low pressure known as Eckard/Frank) at 930.2 hPa, the lowest pressure recorded on land in Iceland since 1989.


Faroe Islands

The
Danish Meteorological Institute The Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI; da, Danmarks Meteorologiske Institut) is the official Danish meteorological institute, administrated by the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate. The institute makes weather forecasts and observati ...
report record atmospheric pressure for the Faroe Islands (since 1961) as: :* Highest air pressure: 13 December 1995,
Tórshavn Tórshavn (; lit. "Thor's harbour"), usually locally referred to as simply ''Havn'', is the capital and largest city of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the northwest of the city lies the ...
and 28 March 2020
Vágar Airport Vágar Airport ( fo, Vága Floghavn) is the only airport in the Faroe Islands, and is located east of the village of Sørvágur, on the island of Vágar. Due to the Faroe Islands' status as a self-governing territory, the airport is not subje ...
, 1048.9 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 11 January 1993,
Vágar Airport Vágar Airport ( fo, Vága Floghavn) is the only airport in the Faroe Islands, and is located east of the village of Sørvágur, on the island of Vágar. Due to the Faroe Islands' status as a self-governing territory, the airport is not subje ...
during the Braer Storm 930.3 hPa.
Climatic Research Unit The Climatic Research Unit (CRU) is a component of the University of East Anglia and is one of the leading institutions concerned with the study of natural and anthropogenic climate change. With a staff of some thirty research scientists and s ...
Emulate data 1874–2002 give 3 dates when pressure exceeded 1050 hPa in
Tórshavn Tórshavn (; lit. "Thor's harbour"), usually locally referred to as simply ''Havn'', is the capital and largest city of the Faroe Islands. It is located in the southern part on the east coast of Streymoy. To the northwest of the city lies the ...
.


Ireland

Met Éireann Met Éireann (; meaning " Met of Ireland") is the state meteorological service of Ireland, part of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. History The history of modern meteorology in Ireland dates back to 8 October 1860, wh ...
list the following national records for atmospheric pressure: :* Highest air pressure: 28 January 1905,
Valentia Island Valentia Island () is one of Ireland's most westerly points. It lies off the Iveragh Peninsula in the southwest of County Kerry. It is linked to the mainland by the Maurice O'Neill Memorial Bridge at Portmagee. A car ferry also departs from R ...
, Co.Kerry 1051.9 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 28 November 1838,
Limerick Limerick ( ; ga, Luimneach ) is a western city in Ireland situated within County Limerick. It is in the province of Munster and is located in the Mid-West which comprises part of the Southern Region. With a population of 94,192 at the 2016 ...
931.2 hPa.


Ireland monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure


Ireland monthly minimum figures for atmospheric pressure


Isle of Man

1957–2005 * Highest air pressure: 26 January 1992,
Ronaldsway Ronaldsway () is a place in the parish of Malew in the south of the Isle of Man, between the village of Ballasalla and the town of Castletown. Features It is notable as the location of Isle of Man Airport and historically of RNAS Ronaldsway, to ...
1047.8 hPa. * Lowest air pressure: 1 December 1966, Ronaldsway 946.5 hPa. An earlier value on 8 December 1886, Cronkbourne .


United Kingdom

For the United Kingdom, the
Met Office The Meteorological Office, abbreviated as the Met Office, is the United Kingdom's national weather service. It is an executive agency and trading fund of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and is led by CEO Penelope E ...
record the record figures for atmospheric pressure (which are nominally since 1870) as: * Highest air pressure: 31 January 1902,
Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
Scotland 1053.6 hPa. * Lowest air pressure: 26 January 1884,
Ochtertyre Ochtertyre is a country house and estate in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is located in Strathearn, between Crieff and Loch Turret, north of the A85. History The ancient seat of the Ochtertyre estate was Castle Cluggy, on the shore of Loch ...
Scotland 925.6 hPa. Though the lowest pressure may be second to the
Night of the big wind The Night of the Big Wind ( ga, Oíche na Gaoithe Móire) was a powerful European windstorm that swept across what was then the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, beginning on the afternoon of 6 January 1839, causing severe damage to pr ...
low, which saw a value of at
Sumburgh Head Sumburgh Head is a headland located at the southern tip of the Shetland Mainland in northern Scotland. The head consists of a 100 m high rocky spur and topped by the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse. In the Old Norse language, Sumburgh Head was cal ...
, Shetland on non-calibrated, non-standard equipment 6–7 January 1839, with the mainland at
Cape Wrath Cape Wrath ( gd, Am Parbh, known as ' in Lewis) is a cape in the Durness parish of the county of Sutherland in the Highlands of Scotland. It is the most north-westerly point in mainland Britain. The cape is separated from the rest of the mai ...
reporting an observed pressure of . On 26 January 1884, during the Ochtertyre storm the Ben Nevis summit weather station recorded a low pressure of 784.7 hPa (at high altitude (above 750 m) and not reduced to sea level) this is proposed as being almost certainly the lowest surface pressure ever recorded in the UK, though due to altitude and not being a value reduced to sea level is not considered comparable to the other records presented here. A low pressure of 914.0mb affected the UK during the Braer Storm on 10 January 1993, however this figure is discounted as this reading was not recorded in the UK.


United Kingdom monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure

(† note the value of 1054.7 reported in some literature is an incorrect conversion.)


United Kingdom list of atmospheric pressure over 1050 hPa

In the period of instrumental measurement the atmospheric pressure has exceeded 1048 hPa somewhere over the United Kingdom and Ireland on 18 occasions. On 10 of these times, the pressure exceeded 1050 hPa. Intense high pressure is usually seen during midwinter with eight of the 10 occasions where 1050 hPa has been exceeded occurring in January. Pressure values have been recorded to have exceeded 1050 hPa in all areas of the UK and Ireland except south east England, though values close to this are documented from January 1882 and January 1905. To which high pressure in January 2020 saw a value of 1049.6 at Heathrow Airport measured, which is thought to be likely the highest pressure seen in the region with records back to 1692.


United Kingdom monthly minimum figures for atmospheric pressure

Cyclone Oratia Cyclone Oratia, (Tora in Norway) was an unusually deep European windstorm which affected Western Europe from 28 to 30 October 2000. The storm was the fiercest to hit Britain in October since the Great Storm of 1987, with wind gusts reaching , a ...
is estimated to have reached a low of 941 hPa in peer reviewed literature, though the lowest pressure occurred between Aberdeen and Norway over the North Sea and is not a land-based observation. The lowest land-based reported UK pressure during this storm was recorded from RAF Fylingdales at 951.2 hPa. On 7 September 1995, Scilly Isles, reported a low pressure of 966 hPa. The lowest minimum recorded values for the months May to August lie within 0.5 of 968 hPa. The 20th Century low pressure record in the UK occurred on 20 December 1982 at Sule Skerry it may have dropped as low as 936 mbar.


United Kingdom list of atmospheric pressure below 950 hPa (incomplete)

* 1821 December 25, London . * 1839 January 7,
Night of the big wind The Night of the Big Wind ( ga, Oíche na Gaoithe Móire) was a powerful European windstorm that swept across what was then the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, beginning on the afternoon of 6 January 1839, causing severe damage to pr ...
, pressure below at Inchkeith, Peterhead and Aberdeen. * 1865 November 22, * 1865 December 31, Butt of Lewis Lighthouse , with a report of from
Hoy Hoy ( sco, Hoy; from Norse , meaning "high island") is an island in Orkney, Scotland, measuring – the second largest in the archipelago, after Mainland. A natural causeway, ''the Ayre'', links the island to the smaller South Walls; the two ...
that is not supported by observation from Cantick head lighthouse on South Walls. * 1884 January 26, Ochtertyre, record lowest pressure value for the UK. * 1886 December 8, * 1982 December 20, Stornoway 937.6 hPa. * 1989 February 25,
Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...
, Dorset 948.8. * 2013 December 24, Cyclone Dirk,
Stornoway Stornoway (; gd, Steòrnabhagh; sco, Stornowa) is the main town of the Western Isles and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it by far the largest town in the Outer Hebrides, as well a ...
936.8 hPa. * 2020 February 9 Storm Ciara, Kirkwall Airport 945 hPa.


Home nation records

Based on Burt (2007) and Met Office.


=Scotland

= Same as UK national records. :* Highest: 31 January 1902, Aberdeen Observatory 1053.6 hPa. :* Lowest: 26 January 1884, Ochtertyre Scotland 925.6 hPa.


=Northern Ireland

= :* High: 29 March 2020, The Northern Irish north coast likely saw a value in the region of ~1051 hPa around Magilligan Point. :::29 March 2020,
Belfast Aldergrove Belfast International Airport is an airport northwest of Belfast in Northern Ireland, is the main airport for the city of Belfast. Until 1983, it was known as ''Aldergrove Airport'', after the nearby village of Aldergrove. In 2018, over 6.2 ...
1049.8 hPa. :* Lowest: 8 December 1886, in Belfast 927.2 hPa. (A reading of 922.5 mbar (corrected to MSL) was reported from Omagh in Co. Tyrone (Harding 1887) the graduation and calibration of the barometer were not considered satisfactory enough “to quote the reading as trustworthy”, the storm minimum over the Northern Ireland was thought to be close to 924 mbar.)


=Wales

= :* Highest: 19 January 2020, Mumbles Head, West Glamorgan 1050.5 hPa. :::Previously: 28 January 1905, Pembroke, 1050.1 hPa. :* Lowest: 22 November 1865,
Dolgellau Dolgellau () is a town and community in Gwynedd, north-west Wales, lying on the River Wnion, a tributary of the River Mawddach. It was the traditional county town of the historic county of Merionethshire ( cy, Meirionnydd, Sir Feirionnydd) un ...
, North Wales 944.8 hPa.


=England

= :* Highest: 28 January 1905, Falmouth, Cornwall . :* Lowest: 8 December 1886,
Stonyhurst Stonyhurst is the name of a rural estate owned by the Society of Jesus near Clitheroe in Lancashire, England. It is centred on Stonyhurst College, occupying the great house, its preparatory school Stonyhurst Saint Mary's Hall and the parish ...
in Lancashire, where the barometer fell to 940.4 hPa. Alt. 8 December 1886, Newton Reigny in Cumbria, .


Norway

Yr.no yr.no is a website and a mobile app for weather forecasting and dissemination of other types of meteorological information hosted by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation in collaboration with the Norwegian Meteorological Institute. The websit ...
the joint venture between the
Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation NRK, an abbreviation of the Norwegian ''Norsk Rikskringkasting AS'', generally expressed in English as the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, is the Norwegian government-owned radio and television public broadcasting company, and the largest ...
and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute give the national pressure records as: :* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907, Dalen, Telemark 1 061.3 hPa.http://artikkel.yr.no/tidenes-trykk-1.12165870 Yr.no – Tidenes trykk :* Lowest air pressure: 20 February 1907, at
Skudenes Skudenes is a former municipality in Rogaland county, Norway. It was part of the traditional district of Haugaland. The municipality existed from 1838 until its dissolution in 1965. The administrative centre was the town of Skudeneshavn (whi ...
on the island of Karmøy,
Rogaland Rogaland () is a Counties of Norway, county in Western Norway, bordering the North Sea to the west and the counties of Vestland to the north, Vestfold og Telemark to the east and Agder to the east and southeast. In 2020, it had a population of 47 ...
938.5 hPa. (formerly listed as 27 January 1907, Bergen 936 hPa.) A value of 702.0 mm Hg at Bergen Lungegård Hospital on January 27, 1884 (935.8 hPa) is also reported, which is likely to be from the same low as the UK record from Ochtertyre the previous day. Other sources give a pressure value of 939.8 hPa or 939.7 hPa in Bergen on 27 January 1884. Both records in same winter as each other and those of Denmark. Norway uses a different formula for correction of air pressure to sea level than Sweden. This affects the result for high altitude stations in cold weather.


Denmark

The
Danish Meteorological Institute The Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI; da, Danmarks Meteorologiske Institut) is the official Danish meteorological institute, administrated by the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Climate. The institute makes weather forecasts and observati ...
report record barometric pressure for Denmark (since 1874) as: :* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907, Skagen and Copenhagen 1062.2 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 20 February 1907, Skagen 943.5 hPa. Danish records both occurred within a month during the same winter, and same winter as Norwegian records.


Denmark monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure


Denmark list of barometric pressure over 1050 hPa


Denmark monthly minimum figures for atmospheric pressure


Sweden

The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute give the nation's barometric records as: :* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907 in Kalmar and Visby 1063.7 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 6 December 1895 Härnösand 938.4 hPa.


Sweden monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure


Sweden monthly minimum figures for atmospheric pressure


Finland

According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute: :* Highest air pressure: 22 January 1907, Helsinki 1066 hPa.Ilmatieteen laitos http://ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/saaennatyksia :* Lowest air pressure: 27 February 1990 Kuuskajaskari, Rauma 940 hPa. Though a reported low value by Weather Underground weather historian Christopher Burt on 1 March 1990 at an unknown location is reported at 939.7 hPa.
Helsingin Sanomat ''Helsingin Sanomat'', abbreviated ''HS'' and colloquially known as , is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. Its name derives from that of ...
report a value at Turku Airport on 28 February 1990 of 939.8 hPa, with the previous record reported as being from 16 December 1982 on Moikpää, in the Kvarken at 942.1 hPa.


Baltics

Maximum pressure in Europe 22–23 January 1907 recorded in
Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet o ...
, Estonia and
Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
, Latvia at 1067.1 mbar. The
Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public research university in Berlin, Germany. It is consistently ranked among Germany's best universities, with particular strengths in political science and t ...
state the European air pressure record is 23 January 1907 in Riga at 1068.7 hPa.


Estonia

As reported by the Estonian Weather Service :* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907, Tallinn 1060.3 hPa.‡ ::Alt: 21 November 1993, Narva 1057.2 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 16 December 1982,
Naissaar Naissaar ( sv, Nargö; german: Nargen) is an island in Estonia. It is situated in the Gulf of Finland, northwest of the capital city Tallinn, and is administratively part of the Viimsi Parish, Viimsi parish. The island covers an area of . It is ...
947.6 hPa. ::16 December 1982 Väike-Maarja 936.0 hPa is a station level value. ‡The Estonian Weather Service report on their website the record maximum observed air pressure in the country as 1060.3 hPa recorded 23 January 1907 in Tallinn. This figure is not supported by NOAA reanalysis charts and the values reported from neighbouring Finland and Latvia probably make this figure an underestimation or error. A possible maximum pressure value for the whole of Europe is thought to have occurred during the 22–23 January 1907 high pressure event with a record set in
Pärnu Pärnu () is the fourth largest city in Estonia. Situated in southwest Estonia, Pärnu is located south of the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and west of Estonia's second largest city, Tartu. The city sits off the coast of Pärnu Bay, an inlet o ...
, Estonia and
Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...
, Latvia at 1067.1 mbar. Though this value is exceeded by the value on 23 January 1907 in Riga reported at 1068.7 hPa by the Free University of Berlin's student generated reports, at which time the pressure is estimated to have reached around 1070 hPa by Yr.no in the Gulf of Riga.


Latvia

:* Highest air pressure: 22–23 January 1907 Liepāja 1065.9 hPa In the period 1960 to 2014, 16 December 1997
Daugavpils Daugavpils (; russian: Двинск; ltg, Daugpiļs ; german: Dünaburg, ; pl, Dyneburg; see other names) is a state city in south-eastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. The parts of the c ...
a value of 1055.8 hPa recorded. :* Low air pressure: 13 February 1962
Vidzeme Upland The Vidzeme Upland or the Vidzeme Highland ( lv, Vidzemes augstiene) is a hilly area of higher elevation in northeastern Latvia, named after the historical region of Vidzeme. Sometimes it is referred to as the Central Vidzeme Upland, to distingui ...
932.9 hPa (probably a station level reading).


Lithuania

:* Highest air pressure: December 1889 Vilnius 1058.5 hPa :* Lowest air pressure: January 1931
Ukmergė Ukmergė (; previously ''Vilkmergė''; pl, Wiłkomierz) is a city in Vilnius County, Lithuania, located northwest of Vilnius, with a population of about 20,000. Etymology and variant names The city took its original name ''Vilkmergė'' from th ...
and Dotnuva 951.6 hPa. 23 January 1907 1065.1 hPa. Deutsche Seewarte gives morning readings on 23 January 1907 in Klaipeda (Memel) of and in Vilnius (Wilna) of . There is a mention in the Hungarian meteorological journal ''Időjarás'' of reaching in Vilnius (Wilna) during the exceptional January 1907 anticyclone, but in the other place the Vilnius value of is reported. According to an article in the German-Austrian expert journal ''Meteorologische Zeitschrift'', on 23 January 1907 at 7 hrs Vilnius (Wilna) reached .


Kaliningrad/Königsberg

:* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907 1064.7 hPa


Western Europe


Channel Islands


Jersey

1862–present :* Highest air pressure: 29 January 1905, Jersey 1051.7 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 25 February 1989, Jersey 953.8 hPa.


Guernsey

Guernsey Airport 1960–present. :* Highest air pressure: 20 January 2020, 1049.1 hPa. :::Formerly 3 March 1990, 1047.7 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 25 February 1989, 952.5 hPa.


Alderney

:*Highest air pressure 20 January 2020, 1049.8 hPa.


France

Météo-France Météo-France is the French national meteorological service. Organisation The organisation was established by decree in June 1993 and is a department of the Ministry of Transportation. It is headquartered in Paris but many domestic operatio ...
figures from 1951–present. :* Highest air pressure: 20 January 2020, Abbeville, Somme 1049.7 hPa :::Previously: 3 March 1990, Pointe de Chémoulin,
Saint-Nazaire Saint-Nazaire (; ; Gallo: ''Saint-Nazère/Saint-Nazaer'') is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France, in traditional Brittany. The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean ...
Loire-Atlantique 1048.9 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 25 February 1989, Cap de La Hague,
Cherbourg Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Feb ...
951.8 hPa. though other listed figures predate Météo-France's records. * Highest air pressure: 6 February 1821 Paris 1050.4 hPa. * Lowest air pressure: 25 December 1821
Boulogne sur mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; pcd, Boulonne-su-Mér; nl, Bonen; la, Gesoriacum or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department of Pas-de-Calais. Boulogne lies on the ...
947.1 hPa. On 28 January 1905 values of in
Biarritz Biarritz ( , , , ; Basque also ; oc, Biàrritz ) is a city on the Bay of Biscay, on the Atlantic coast in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department in the French Basque Country in southwestern France. It is located from the border with Spain. ...
, and in Brest are listed in the Met Office Daily Weather Report. On the 29 January 1905, the atmospheric pressure reached a value of 1049.3 hPa in Paris.


Belgium

The Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute gives the national record values as: :* Highest air pressure: 20 January 2020, Uccle 1048.3 hPa. :::Previously: 27 January 1932, Uccle 1048 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 25 February 1989,
Blankenberge Blankenberge (; french: Blankenberghe; vls, Blanknberge) is a city and a municipality in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the town of Blankenberge proper and the settlement of Uitkerke. On 1 December 2014, Bla ...
954 hPa.


Luxembourg

:* Highest pressure: 20 January 2020 Luxembourg Findel Airport 1048.0 hPa. ::Previously:27–28 December 2016, MeteoLux recorded the highest atmospheric pressures observed at the Luxembourg Findel Airport weather station since measurement began in 1947, a value of 1047.2 hPa was recorded twice (under the high pressure ''Yörn''. The previous record to this was from February 15–16, 1959 at 1046.6 hPa. :* Lowest pressure: February 1989 Luxembourg Findel Airport, 959.8.


Netherlands

The Dutch Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute lists the following as national records: :* Highest air pressure: 26 January 1932, De Bilt, Utrecht 1050.4 hPa. ::* weergegevens.nl give a value on 23 January 1907 at Eelde of 1053.0 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 27 November 1983, Eelde,
Drenthe Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Nov ...
954.2 hPa.


Netherlands monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure


Netherlands monthly minimum figures for atmospheric pressure


Germany

The
German weather service The () or DWD for short, is the German Meteorological Service, based in Offenbach am Main, Germany, which monitors weather and meteorological conditions over Germany and provides weather services for the general public and for nautical, avia ...
(DWD) give the :* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907, Greifswald, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern 1060.8 hPa. :* Lowest air pressure: 27 November 1983 in
Emden Emden () is an independent city and seaport in Lower Saxony in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia and, in 2011, had a total population of 51,528. History The exact founding date of E ...
, Lower Saxony at 954.4 hPa. Other record figures and locations are also presented: * 23 January 1907
Dahlem (Berlin) Dahlem ( or ) is a locality of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough in southwestern Berlin. Until Berlin's 2001 administrative reform it was a part of the former borough of Zehlendorf. It is located between the mansion settlements of Grunewald and L ...
1057.8 hPa. It is claimed this is an incorrect correction to mslp and correct value is 1056.7 hPa. (neither figure is higher than the DWD value)


Germany monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure


Central Europe


Poland

::* The Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management list a record high pressure (post-war) on 16 December 1997 with 1054.4 hPa recorded in Suwalki. It is likely 23 January 1907 saw a pressure of 1064.8 ± 0.5 mbar over Polish territory. Deutsche Seewarte gives morning readings on 23 January 1907 in
Nowy Port Nowy Port (german: Neufahrwasser; csb, Fôrwôter) is a district of the city of Gdańsk, Poland. It borders with Brzeźno to the west, Letnica to the south, and Przeróbka to the east (over the Martwa Wisła). The landmark of the district is ...
(Neufahrwasser) of , in Darłowo (Rügenwalde) and Warsaw (Warschau) of , in Świnoujście (Swinemünde) of and in Kraków (Krakau) of . According to an article in the German-Austrian expert journal ''Meteorologische Zeitschrift'', on 23 January 1907 Suwalki reached and Warsaw (Warschau) at 7 hrs, while Nowy Port (Neufahrwasser) at 13 hrs. In another article in the same journal, Rudzki reports the highest value in Kraków (Krakau) of on 23 January 1907 at 10 a.m. Other high pressures are reported as 1051.1 hPa January 22, 2006, 1050 hPa January 3, 1993 and 1048 hPa 10 December 1991. ::* The lowest post WWII value of 965.2 hPa is reported from February 26, 1989 in
Szczecin Szczecin (, , german: Stettin ; sv, Stettin ; Latin: ''Sedinum'' or ''Stetinum'') is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major s ...
and Lodz. Reanalysis data show a low record likely occurred on 17 January 1931 when a below 960 hPa low moved over the Baltic skirting the very north of today's Polish territory.


Switzerland

:* A high pressure from MeteoSwiss: 16 January 1882 at
Zürichberg The Zürichberg is a wooded hill rising to 679 m (2,228 feet), overlooking Lake Zürich and located immediately to the east of the city of Zürich, Switzerland, between the valleys of the Limmat and the Glatt rivers. Its highest point is about ...
1047 hPa. : 27 December 2016 during the high pressure Yörn Bischofszell reported a QFF value of 1048.3 hPa. With the weather station at
Zürichberg The Zürichberg is a wooded hill rising to 679 m (2,228 feet), overlooking Lake Zürich and located immediately to the east of the city of Zürich, Switzerland, between the valleys of the Limmat and the Glatt rivers. Its highest point is about ...
reporting its highest ever value since the station was established in 1949. Other high pressures in Switzerland are given as 3–4 March 1990 at Zurich Airport of >1047 hPa and 29 January 1989 at Schaffhausen of 1047.2 hPa, which was the highest pressure in the country since the 1950s, when values on 15 February 1959 at Kloten reached 1047.1 hPa. A high value of 1050.2 hPa at Bern on 17 January 1882 is proposed as having occurred (on an internet forum). Though values in MeteoSwiss annals are unreduced to MSLP.


Liechtenstein

A private weather station in Balzers, southwest Liechtenstein reported on 28 December 2016 a value of 1046.4 hPa under the high named Yörn, described as a record by the
Liechtensteiner Vaterland ''Liechtensteiner Vaterland'' (lit. "Liechtenstein Fatherland") is the largest daily newspaper in Liechtenstein Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaki ...
.


Austria

* A high pressure on 16 January 1882 Vienna 1050.5 hPa, the highest there since 1775. The highest value is likely to have occurred during the 1907 high pressure event. Deutsche Seewarte gives an evening reading on 23 January 1907 in Vienna of . * A low pressure could possibly be 2 or 3 Dec 1976 (Based on HU and CZ records) <970 hPa.


Czechia

* 23 January 1907
Bystřice pod Hostýnem Bystřice pod Hostýnem (; german: Bistritz am Hostein) is a town in Kroměříž District in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 8,000 inhabitants. Administrative parts Villages of Bílavsko, Hlinsko pod Hostýnem, Rychlov and S ...
1057.2 hPa. A pressure value above >1050 hPa is also proposed on internet forums on 16 January 1882. * Lowest 26 February 1989
Čáslav Čáslav (; german: Tschaslau) is a town in Kutná Hora District in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 10,000 inhabitants. The town centre is well preserved and is protected by law as an urban monument zone. Administ ...
967.2 hPa appeared in press citing a
Czech Hydrometeorological Institute The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI; cs, Český hydrometeorologický ústav (ČHMÚ)) is the central state office of the Czech Republic in the fields of air quality, meteorology, climatology and hydrology. It is an organization establis ...
employee.


Slovakia

The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute report: :* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907
Oravský Podzámok Oravský Podzámok ( hu, Árvaváralja) is a village and municipality in Dolný Kubín District in the Zilina Region of northern Slovakia. Orava Castle is located in the village. The village is located at 508 m (1677 ft) and has a popu ...
1062.3 hPa (possible error +0.1 hPa) :*Low air pressure (1961-2010): 3 December 1976 Boľkovce 970.2 hPa (the lowest published value; though is not thought to be a correct absolute minimum)


Hungary

The Hungarian Meteorological Service (OMSZ) gives the following values: :* Highest air pressure: 24 January 1907 Budapest 1055.9 hPa. According to an expert article in the Hungarian journal ''Pótfüzetek a Természettudományi Közlönyhöz'', the highest reading in Budapest on 24 January 1907 was at 8 hrs. A Hungarian meteorological journal ''Időjarás'' reports in Budapest on the same day. :* Lowest air pressure: 2 December 1976 Nagykanizsa 968.6 hPa.


Slovenia

The
Slovenian Environment Agency The Slovenian Environment Agency (Slovenian: ''Agencija Republike Slovenije za okolje'' or ''ARSO'') is the main organisation for environment of the Republic of Slovenia. It was established in 2001 with a reorganisation of the ''Hydrometeorological ...
(ARSO) tweeted that pressure on 20 January 2020 reached 1048 hPa, slightly below the values seen on January 24, 1907 and 24 December 1963. :*A high pressure: attributed to ARSO 24 December 1963 in Murska Sobota 1052 hPa.


Italy

:*A high pressure: 16 January 1882, Turin 1049.3 hPa. :*A low pressure: 2 December 1976, Turin 971.7 hPa.


Southeast Europe


Croatia

:*Highest air pressure: January 1907
Gradec, Zagreb Gradec (), Grič (, hu, Gréc, lat, Mons Graecensis prope Zagrabiam) or Gornji Grad (meaning "Upper Town", cf. Donji grad, "Lower Town") is a part of Zagreb, Croatia, and together with Kaptol it is the medieval nucleus of the city. It is ...
1049 hPa. ::On 21 January 2020 the Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service (DHMZ) tweeted a high pressure value at
Kutjevo Kutjevo is a town in eastern Croatia. It is located in the Slavonia region, northeast of town of Požega. History Kutjevo is known for its wines, and the local agricultural joint stock company Kutjevo d.d. is the largest exporter of wines in Cro ...
in eastern Croatia at 1050 hPa.


Serbia

Deutsche Seewarte gives a morning reading on 24 January 1907 in
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
of .


Romania

:* A high air pressure on 24 January 1907 is reported at >1060 over Romania. Articles in expert journals ''Időjarás'' and ''Pótfüzetek a Természettudományi Közlönyhöz'' report on 24 January 1907 in Sibiu (Nagyszeben). Deutsche Seewarte gives a morning Sibiu (Hermannstadt) reading on 24 January 1907 of .


Greece

:*A high pressure: 24 January 1907 Athens 8 am daily reading . :*A low pressure: 21–22 January 2004 Icaria 972 hPa.


Eastern Europe


Ukraine

A reading of in Ternopil (Ternopol) on 24 January 1907 is reported by an expert article in the Hungarian journal ''Pótfüzetek a Természettudományi Közlönyhöz''. According to an article in the German-Austrian expert journal ''Meteorologische Zeitschrift'', Lviv (Lemberg) reached on 23 January 1907 at 21 hrs. Deutsche Seewarte gives morning readings on 23 January 1907 in Lviv (Lemberg) of .


Belarus

Deutsche Seewarte gives a morning reading on 24 January 1907 in Pinsk of .


Iberia


Spain

:* A provisional highest atmospheric pressure: 9 January 2015
Castile and León Castile and León ( es, Castilla y León ; ast-leo, Castiella y Llión ; gl, Castela e León ) is an autonomous community in northwestern Spain. It was created in 1983, eight years after the end of the Francoist regime, by the merging of the ...
~1050 hPa. Benavente, Zamora reached 1050.6 hPa breaking the previous record from 10 December 1980 at L'Estartit north eastern Spain at 1045 hPa. :On 29 January 1905 Instituto Central Meteorológico report in Santander an evening reading of . :* A low air pressure: February 1941,
Santander Santander may refer to: Places * Santander, Spain, a port city and capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria, Spain * Santander Department, a department of Colombia * Santander State, former state of Colombia * Santander de Quilichao, a m ...
950 hPa.


Balearic islands

:* Highest air pressure: 9 January 2015,
Ibiza Airport Ibiza Airport ( ca, Aeroport d'Eivissa, es, Aeropuerto de Ibiza) is the international airport serving the Balearic Islands of Ibiza and Formentera in Spain located southwest of Ibiza Town. In 2020, the airport handled 2.1 million passeng ...
1041.1 hPa. The 9 January 2015 air pressure was 0.3 hPa more than the previous record from January 1983.


Portugal

:* Highest air pressure: 9 January 2015 Chaves and Bragança, Portugal 1050.3 hPa. The first time values over 1050 hPa had been recorded in continental Portugal. :* A low air pressure: 15 February 1941 in Évora at 931 hPa is reported by one source, which also reports a minimum value of 937 hPa in Coimbra and 950 hPa in
Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
during the passage of this low pressure. The Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera give a value of 938.5 hPa at station level for Coimbra (not MSLP). Other sources only give minimum values of around 950 hPa in Lisbon as the minimum during the passage of this low. Garnier ''et al''. (2018) state a pressure of 948.29 hPa recorded by the meteorological services on 15 February 1941, which is described as the lowest pressure recorded in the Algarve area since 1854.


Notable non-tropical pressures over the North Atlantic

Notable atmospheric pressure reports from offshore and in the North Atlantic are: :* High pressure, 28 January 2003 saw high of 1057 centred a
51° N, 27° W
(approx. 1000km north of Azores). A lower value is reported from 27 to 28 February 1988 at 1053 hPa centred at approximately
53.5° N, 25.6° W
:* Low pressure, Two or three (possibly four) non-tropical areas of low pressure with central low pressure over the North Atlantic below 920 hPa have been reported, with a further unverified instance during the Night of the Big Wind (see above), these represent globally the lowest non-tropical large-scale synoptic values. ::* 13 January 1993 Braer Storm dropped 78 hPa in 24 hours, to a central pressure out in the Atlantic a
62° N, 15° W
of 914.0 hPa, and was likely the deepest cyclone on record for the North Atlantic, and very probably for any temperate latitude. ::* 14–15 December 1986, The British Meteorological Office assessed the centre of a depression at about 916 hPa, the West German Meteorological Service enclosed the depression with a 915 hPa isobar, indicating a pressure possibly as low as 912–913 hPa. For comparison, the lowest Atlantic basin tropical cyclone low pressure is Hurricane Wilma in 2005, which holds the record at 882 hPa.(see list of most intense tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic). Similarly low extra-tropical values elsewhere have only been documented near Antarctica, with 919 hPa observed at
Casey Station Casey Station, commonly called Casey, is one of three permanent stations and research outposts in Antarctica managed by the Australian Antarctic Division (AAD). Casey lies on the northern side of the Bailey Peninsula (Antarctica), Bailey Peninsu ...
on the
Windmill Islands The Windmill Islands are an Antarctic group of rocky islands and rocks about wide, paralleling the coast of Wilkes Land for immediately north of Vanderford Glacier along the east side of Vincennes Bay. Kirkby Shoal is a small shoal area with de ...
(just outside the Antarctic Circle) on August 8–9, 1976 at
Vincennes Bay Vincennes Bay is a large V-shaped bay, 105 km (65 mi) wide at its entrance between Cape Nutt and Cape Folger in Antarctica, marked by several large, steep glaciers near its head, lying along Knox and Budd Coasts. It was photographed f ...

66°17’S 110°31’E
. Though this value is considerably lower than any other on record and could conceivably be a fault with the recording instrument, though values are internally consistent with readings below 940 mb at this time. The two lowest extra-tropical pressures reported from the Pacific basin are the 8 November 2014 Bering Sea cyclone at 924 hPa (warnings for the low to reach 920 hPa were released by the Japan Meteorological Agency), and the 13 December 2015 North Pacific low at 924 hPa. 31 December 2020 NWS OPC analysis of a low 52N 173E down to 921 hPa.


North Atlantic low pressures below 940 hPa

During a typical winter, one or perhaps two low pressure areas in the North Atlantic will deepen below 950 hPa, with pressures only deepening below 940 hPa on average once or twice per decade. Before the satellite and weather model era, records (mostly from shipping) reported barometric pressures over the extratropical North Atlantic as going as low as 925 hPa, with values below 940 hPa being very rare occurrences. The frequency of very deep depressions (central pressure below about 940 hPa) in the North Atlantic is thought to have increased significantly since the winter of 1982/83 to 1993.


Table of North Atlantic low pressures below 940 hPa (incomplete)


See also

* Climate of Europe *
Climate of the United Kingdom The United Kingdom straddles the higher mid-latitudes between 49° and 61°N on the western seaboard of Europe. Since the UK is always in or close to the path of the polar front jet stream, frequent changes in pressure and unsettled weather are ...
* United Kingdom weather records * List of weather records


Notes


References


External links


Analysis of the evolution of the 1907 high pressure event. Slovakian Hydrometeorological Institute (In Slovakian).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Atmospheric pressure records in Europe Climate of Europe Europe-related lists Lists of weather records