Climate
The climate of Heligoland is typical of an offshore climate, being almost free of pollen and thus ideal for people with pollen allergies. Since there is no land mass in the vicinity, temperatures rarely drop below −5 °C (23 °F) even in the winter. At times, winter temperatures can be higher than in Hamburg by up to 10 °C (18.0 °F) because cold winds from Russia are weakened. While spring tends to be comparatively cool, autumn on Heligoland is often longer and warmer than on the mainland and statistically, the climate is generally sunnier.
Due to the mild climate, figs have reportedly been grown on the island as early as 1911 and a 2005 article mentioned Japanese bananas, figs, agaves, palm trees and other exotic plants that had been planted on Heligoland and were thriving. There still is an old mulberry tree in the Upper Town.
| Climate data for Heligoland, 1961-1990 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Daily mean °F | 36.5 | 35.8 | 38.1 | 42.8 | 50.4 | 56.8 | 60.4 | 61.9 | 58.8 | 53.1 | 45.7 | 39.9 | 48.4 |
| Precipitation inches | 2.205 | 1.335 | 1.815 | 1.508 | 1.705 | 2.157 | 2.311 | 2.571 | 2.992 | 3.209 | 3.76 | 2.724 | 28.291 |
| Daily mean °C | 2.5 | 2.1 | 3.4 | 6.0 | 10.2 | 13.8 | 15.8 | 16.6 | 14.9 | 11.7 | 7.6 | 4.4 | 9.1 |
| Precipitation mm | 56.0 | 33.9 | 46.1 | 38.3 | 43.3 | 54.8 | 58.7 | 65.3 | 76.0 | 81.5 | 95.5 | 69.2 | 718.6 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 46.5 | 79.1 | 120.9 | 177.0 | 241.8 | 237.0 | 223.2 | 220.1 | 147.0 | 99.2 | 54.0 | 40.3 | 1,686 |
| Source: German Weather Service | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Heligoland, 1990 - 2010 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F (°C) | 40.3 (4.6) |
39.9 (4.4) |
42.8 (6.0) |
49.3 (9.6) |
55.9 (13.3) |
61.5 (16.4) |
66.6 (19.2) |
67.6 (19.8) |
62.6 (17.0) |
55.4 (13.0) |
48.0 (8.9) |
42.3 (5.7) |
52.69 (11.49) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 36.7 (2.6) |
36.1 (2.3) |
38.1 (3.4) |
43.0 (6.1) |
49.1 (9.5) |
54.9 (12.7) |
60.1 (15.6) |
61.5 (16.4) |
57.6 (14.2) |
51.1 (10.6) |
44.1 (6.7) |
38.3 (3.5) |
47.54 (8.63) |
| Source: WeatherOnline.co.uk | |||||||||||||
Read more about this topic: Heligoland
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