The summer weather of 2024 has set records as the rainiest since 2011, with a total of 295.7 millimeters of rainfall recorded across June, July, and August. According to the Danish Meteorological Institute (Danmarks Meteorologiske Institut – DMI), the previous record was in 2011, which saw 321.7 millimeters of precipitation. Meteorologist Martin Lindberg explains that this summer’s heavy rainfall can be attributed to an extensive low-pressure system that has dominated the weather between Iceland, the British Isles, and Scandinavia.

July was the rainiest month of the year, recording 114.2 millimeters of rainfall, followed by June with 96.1 millimeters and August with 85.4 millimeters. These figures significantly exceed the climate norms for Danish summers. The average, calculated for the period from 1991 to 2020, stands at 212.2 millimeters, suggesting that the summer of 2024 has experienced over 80 millimeters more rain than usual.

Martin Lindberg explains that a warming climate increases the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, which can lead to more precipitation. However, he emphasizes that this does not necessarily indicate that future summers will be equally rainy. “It varies a lot,” he says, reminding us that high-pressure systems in Northern Europe can lead to drier summers.

It is also noted that DMI has been recording national precipitation measurements since 1874, with the year 2023 being registered as the wettest in Danish weather history.