20 Cloudiest Cities in the World

In this article, we will take a look at the top 20 cloudiest cities in the world. If you would like to skip our discussion on the impact of climate change, you can go to the 5 Cloudiest Cities in the World.

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges of our time and is no longer a distant threat. The evidence supporting this claim is strong. 2023 was the hottest year on record, with the average global temperature being 2°C warmer than pre-industrial levels and 0.17°C higher than the previous highest value of 2016. This seemingly small increase translates to significant disruptions in weather patterns. A 2023 study revealed that heatwaves are becoming more frequent and intense, with their occurrence having doubled. Hence, collaborative efforts at international levels are needed for preventive measures and damage control.

The consequences of unchecked climate change are considerably dangerous. Rising sea levels threaten coastal communities worldwide, with recent data estimating that over 400 million people could be displaced by 2100 if we continue on a business-as-usual trajectory. Additionally, climate change has increased the likelihood of heatwaves, made droughts 100 times more likely, doubled the probability of extreme fire weather, and made heavy rainfall 50 times more likely. Moreover, climate change has the potential to put approximately 80% of the population of South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa at risk of facing food scarcity and can push millions of people into poverty. The crop failures and food and water shortages caused by climate change are also estimated to lead to a global loss of $5 trillion over a period of five years. In 2020, Europe experienced the highest number of sunshine hours since 1983, a phenomenon attributed to climate change. Despite this, the number of annual sunshine hours can be as low as 840 in the cloudiest cities of Europe. Research indicates that air temperature influences sunshine duration, suggesting potential impacts of climate change on both the least cloudy and cloudiest places on Earth.

You can also check out the 10 Countries That Will Disappear by 2050 here.

To limit the adverse impacts of climate change, the IPCC emphasizes the need for a rapid and substantial reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. This transition requires a multi-pronged approach, with a key focus on shifting towards cleaner renewable energy sources. This is because renewable energy sources produce electricity without releasing harmful greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, mitigating their contribution to climate change. Therefore, the clean energy market is expanding rapidly. Global investment in the clean energy sector increased by approximately 50% between 2019 and 2023. The total investment reached $1.8 trillion in 2023. In the same period, the usage of five key energy technologies, namely solar, wind power, nuclear power, electric cars, and heat pumps, led to the avoidance of 25EJ of fossil fuel demand. This was equivalent to 5% of the total fossil fuel demand of 2023. Moreover, annual additions to clean energy capacity rose by 85% and 60% during 2023 for solar and wind sources, respectively. Major players operating in the renewable energy market include NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE), First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR), and General Electric (NYSE:GE).

Here’s what Matrix Asset Advisors said about NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE) in its Q3 2023 investor letter:

“During the quarter, we started a new position in NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE), the owner of Florida Power & Light (FPL), a regulated utility, and NextEra Energy Resources, the largest unregulated alternative power producer (wind, solar, battery) in the United States. FPL has benefitted from Florida’s population and business growth. In addition, Florida’s regulators have been business friendly and allowed the utility to raise rates, earn a good profit, and build out its infrastructure. As a result, NextEra has historically shown earnings and dividend growth above the Utility group average. On September 30, the current dividend yield was 3.3%.

NEE disclosed some business setbacks after our initial partial purchase, causing the stock price to decline further. We are very comfortable that they have a best-in-class franchise, and we are slowly continuing to build our position into the stock price weakness. We are upbeat about NextEra and the utility group in general after its poor performance this year.”

Our Methodology

We compiled our list of the 20 cloudiest cities in the world by using the metric of sunshine duration and analyzing the average cloud cover. The sunshine duration calculates the total annual sunshine hours for each city and is a widely accepted measure that helps assess the level of sunniness or cloudiness in a given location. The cloudiest cities in the world were selected based on their low average annual sunshine hours. Furthermore, all the cities selected exhibit average cloud covers exceeding 50%. The data used for this compilation was sourced from data.world.

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20 Cloudiest Cities in the World

20. Hat Yai, Thailand

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1566

Hat Yei witnesses wet and overcast weather year-round. The summers are hot, while the winters are warm. The cloudier part of the year lasts from the end of March to the beginning of December, with March being the cloudiest month for the city. During March, the sky is mostly cloudy or overcast 93% of the time.

19. Zurich, Switzerland

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1566

Zurich, Switzerland, experiences cloudy conditions for a significant part of the year, spanning from September to June, due to which visitors and residents witness grey skies on most days. November is the cloudiest month in Zurich, with the sky being overcast or cloudy 61% of the time. The city has a temperate climate with mild summers and moderately cold winters.

18. Brussels, Belgium

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1546

Brussels has a sub-oceanic climate, which is humid and rainy. The climate of Brussels is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The city experiences mild, partly cloudy summers and windy and mostly cloudy winters. The weather is cloudy from November to February. Meanwhile, the cloudiest month is December, when the skies are reported to be overcast or mostly cloudy 57% of the time. Brussels maintains mild temperatures alongside regular precipitation throughout the year.

17. Juneau, USA

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1530.7

The climate of Juneau, which is the capital of the state of Alaska, is mild, with cool, wet summers and long, freezing winters. It is the cloudiest city in the United States, with cloudy weather being experienced by visitors and residents 280 days a year. The weather in Juneau is mostly rainy and humid, with the city experiencing rainfall throughout the year. Moreover, it is very cloudy in the city, with skies being overcast 70% of the time. Juneau’s cloudiest month is October when it is cloudy or overcast 80% of the time.

16. Iqaluit, Canada

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1476.8

Iqaluit has a Tundra climate. The weather in this city is cold throughout the year, with cold summers and frigid winters. The skies are cloudy during the summers and overcast during the winters. The cloudiest month in Iqaluit is January, when the sky is overcast or cloudy 75% of the time. However, signs of climate change can be seen in this city, with temperatures becoming warmer.

15. Iquitos, Peru

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1476.7

Iquitos has an equatorial climate and hot, humid, and cloudy weather throughout the year. Although it is cloudy throughout the year, the skies do become clearer from mid-May till the end of September. February is the cloudiest month in the city, with the skies being cloudy or overcast 83% of the time, making Iquitos one of the cloudiest cities in the world.

14. Dublin, Ireland

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1476.7

The capital city of the Republic of Ireland experiences an oceanic climate characterized by a cool and humid winter. Dublin doesn’t get a lot of sunny days. In fact, it is quite rare to witness entire days with clear skies in this city. However, spring is relatively sunny in Dublin. January is the cloudiest month in Dublin, with skies being overcast or cloudy 65% of the time.

13. Saint-Pierre, Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1427.3

Saint-Pierre has a continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. It is windy throughout the year. The cloudier part of the year within this city stretches from the end of November to the end of April, with January being the least sunny month. During the month of January, the skies are predominantly cloudy or overcast 72% of the time.

12. Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1427

Edinburgh has a temperate maritime climate. The winters here are cold and humid, while the summers are mild. This city, which is the capital of Scotland, has become famous as a windy city as it experiences windy weather throughout the year. This is due to its location between the sea and the hills. The longest duration of cloudy weather is witnessed during January. During the month, on average, the weather is cloudy 67% of the time.

11. Taipei, Taiwan

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1405.2

In Taipei, the weather is wet throughout the year. The city normally experiences cool and partly cloudy winters and hot, overcast summers. Taipei witnesses the cloudier part of the year for 4.5 months from the end of April to mid-September. For this city, June reigns supreme when it comes to cloud cover because it is cloudy 83% of the time during the month. Taipei is at the eleventh position on our list of the 20 cloudiest cities in the world.

10. Bogotá, Columbia

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1328

Bogotá has cool spring-like weather throughout the year due to its temperate and subtropical mountain climate. Sunny days, which are mostly witnessed from December to February, are few and far between. April is the least sunny month for Bogotá, with cloudy weather being experienced 90% of the time.

9. Reykjavik, Iceland

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1326

Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, despite its northerly location, boasts a surprisingly mild climate due to the moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current. However, frequent low-pressure systems lead to persistent cloud cover, with Reykjavík receiving an average of only 1,326 hours of sunshine per year. January is the cloudiest month here, with the weather being cloudy 77% of the time.

8. Ushuaia, Argentina

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1281.2

Ushuaia, which stands among the most southerly cities worldwide, has a gentle Tundra climate marked by mild winters and summers. The city experiences misty and foggy days quite often. Due to its climate type, Ushuaia observes moderate cloud cover throughout the year, with more frequent cloud cover during winter compared to summer. The skies of Ushuaia are mostly partly cloudy or overcast.

7. Lima, Peru

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1230

Lying between the world’s highest peaks and largest oceans, Lima has quite a peculiar climate. The city experiences a mild-desert climate with high humidity, leading to frequent foggy weather. Despite the high humidity, Lima receives minimal rainfall throughout the year. Lima ranks as one of the cloudiest cities outside of Oceanic or Polar climates.

6. Buenaventura, Columbia

Average Annual Sunshine Hours: 1178

Buenaventura is another city that experiences a significant amount of cloud cover throughout the year. It has a tropical rainforest climate with hot, humid, and rainy weather throughout the year. May is cloudier than other months, with weather reports showing mostly cloudy or overcast skies about 87% of the time. In a broader context, climate change is significantly influencing temperatures in cities worldwide. Companies operating in the renewable energy sector, such as NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NEE), First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ:FSLR), and General Electric (NYSE:GE), are actively engaged in developing solutions to address and mitigate the impact of climate change.