Shetland Sunshine Hours by Month

When exploring climate, sunlight hours tell an important story. This page shows the total number of hours of direct sunlight per month and the average hours per day in Shetland, Scotland. These values are calculated using 30 years of data (1990–2020) to ensure accuracy.

Monthly hours of sunshine

Sunshine in Shetland varies greatly throughout the year. The sunniest month, May, reaches an impressive 182 hours, while December, the darkest month, offers only 18 hours. The total annual amount of sun is 1111 hours.

Daily hours of sunshine

In Shetland, summer days are longer and more sunny, with daily sunshine hours peaking at 6.1 hours in May. As the darker season arrives, the brightness of the sun becomes less. December sees a soft sun for only 0.6 hours per day.

Shetland enjoys an average of 1111 hours of sunshine annually. Let’s compare this with some popular tourist destinations:

The city of Rome, Italy, experiences 2470 hours of sunshine annually, adding to its charm as a year-round tourist destination.

Manchester, UK, experiences just around 1420 hours of sunshine annually.

Oslo, Norway, receives approximately 1690 hours of sunshine annually.

In Brisbane, Australia, the annual sunshine averages 2999 hours, making it one of Australia’s sunniest cities.

January, Shetland’s wettest month, receives 81 mm (3.2 in) of rainfall and has a maximum daytime temperature of 9°C (48°F). During the driest month May you can expect a temperature of 10°C (50°F).

For more detailed insights into the city’s temperatures, check out our Temperature page. To explore more about precipitation patterns, visit our Shetland Precipitation page.