Earth Sciences

Record high solar irradiance in Western Europe during first COVID-19 lockdown largely due to unusual weather

C. C. V. Heerwaarden, W. B. Mol, et al.

In Spring 2020, Western Europe experienced unprecedented sunshine, with the Netherlands breaking surface irradiance records dating back to 1928. This remarkable phenomenon, attributed to exceptionally dry and clear weather rather than reduced pollution, is explored by a team of researchers from Wageningen University & Research and other institutions.

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Abstract

Spring 2020 saw record-high sunshine duration across Western Europe. The Netherlands experienced its highest surface irradiance since 1928, exceeding the previous record by 13%. This coincided with reduced anthropogenic pollution due to COVID-19 lockdowns, leading to a hypothesis that cleaner air contributed. Analysis of ground-based and satellite data and radiative transfer model experiments revealed that exceptionally dry and cloud-free weather, not reduced aerosols, was the primary driver of the record irradiance.

Publisher

Communications Earth & Environment

Published On

Feb 15, 2021

Authors

Chiel C. van Heerwaarden, Wouter B. Mol, Menno A. Veerman, Imme Benedict, Bert G. Heusinkveld, Wouter H. Knap, Stelios Kazadzis, Natalia Kouremeti, Stephanie Fiedler

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