Sunshine hours in Ghent: 1,879 hours a year, month by month

Ghent gets 1,879 hours of sunshine a year on average (5.1 a day). Sunniest month: May with 234 hours. Every month, measured 1991–2020.

• Ghent gets 1,879 hours of sunshine a year on average, 5.1 a day – 42% of the astronomically possible. The sunniest month is May with 234 hours (7.5 a day), the dullest December with 52 (1.7 a day).
• The sunniest of 10 large cities in Belgium.
• Nearest weather station: Vlissingen, 44 km away – 1991–2020 average, Deutscher Wetterdienst.

Sunshine hours month by month

• January: 76 h · 2.5 h a day · 29 %
• February: 99 h · 3.5 h a day · 35 %
• March: 156 h · 5.0 h a day · 42 %
• April: 208 h · 6.9 h a day · 50 %
• May: 234 h · 7.5 h a day · 49 %
• June: 230 h · 7.7 h a day · 47 %
• July: 232 h · 7.5 h a day · 47 %
• August: 217 h · 7.0 h a day · 48 %
• September: 171 h · 5.7 h a day · 45 %
• October: 127 h · 4.1 h a day · 38 %
• November: 77 h · 2.6 h a day · 29 %
• December: 52 h · 1.7 h a day · 21 %

Questions about sunshine hours

• How many hours of sunshine does Ghent get a year? On average over 1991–2020 the sun shines in Ghent for 1,879 hours a year – 5.1 hours a day and 42% of the time the sun is above the horizon.
• What is the sunniest month in Ghent? May, with 234 hours of sunshine, 7.5 a day on average. The least sun comes in December: 52 hours, 1.7 a day.
• Is Ghent a sunny city? Among the 10 large cities in Belgium with measurements, Ghent ranks number 1.
• Where do the figures come from? From the 1991–2020 climate normals of Deutscher Wetterdienst: Germany from its own station network, the rest of the world from the CLIMAT reports of the national weather services. Ghent uses the station Vlissingen.
• What counts as an hour of sunshine? By the World Meteorological Organization's definition the sun is shining once its direct radiation exceeds 120 watts per square metre. Just after sunrise and before sunset it is often too weak – which is why even deserts never reach 100%.

The sunniest large cities: United States

• 1. Phoenix: 3,873 h a year
• 2. Las Vegas: 3,826 h a year
• 3. Tucson: 3,806 h a year
• 4. Reno: 3,647 h a year
• 5. Sacramento: 3,609 h a year
• 6. Fresno: 3,565 h a year
• 7. Chico: 3,542 h a year
• 8. Colorado Springs: 3,463 h a year
• 9. Albuquerque: 3,414 h a year
• 10. Amarillo: 3,298 h a year

The cloudiest large cities: United States

• 1. Pittsburgh: 1,972 h a year
• 2. Anchorage: 2,063 h a year
• 3. Syracuse: 2,120 h a year
• 4. Seattle: 2,170 h a year
• 5. Columbus: 2,182 h a year
• 6. Grand Rapids: 2,188 h a year
• 7. Buffalo: 2,206 h a year
• 8. Meads: 2,259 h a year
• 9. Cleveland: 2,281 h a year
• 10. Rochester: 2,299 h a year

The sunniest large cities in the world

• 1. Mexicali: 4,017 h a year
• 2. Phoenix: 3,873 h a year
• 3. Las Vegas: 3,826 h a year
• 4. Tucson: 3,806 h a year
• 5. Ciudad Juárez: 3,763 h a year
• 6. Reno: 3,647 h a year
• 7. Dubai: 3,610 h a year
• 8. Sacramento: 3,609 h a year
• 9. Victoria de Durango: 3,573 h a year
• 10. Fresno: 3,565 h a year

The cloudiest large cities in the world

• 1. Chengdu: 962 h a year
• 2. Chongqing: 985 h a year
• 3. Sukabumi: 1,082 h a year
• 4. Glasgow: 1,153 h a year
• 5. Tanjung Pinang: 1,172 h a year
• 6. Medan: 1,201 h a year
• 7. Samarinda: 1,275 h a year
• 8. Sungai Penuh: 1,311 h a year
• 9. Limerick: 1,339 h a year
• 10. Huaihua: 1,352 h a year

• Data: Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), sunshine duration climate normals 1991–2020, CC BY 4.0. Possible hours: time between sunrise and sunset.