The following is a List of atmospheric pressure records in Europe and the extratropical Northern Atlantic. (It does not include localised events, such as those that occur in tornados.)
Extreme pressure values in Europe show both seasonal and geographical differentiation. The greatest pressure extremes occur in winter (January), with the deepest lows occurring to the northwest of the continent, and a diminishing influence of low pressure to the southeast towards Central Europe and Southeast Europe. This is related to the main cyclonic centre of the Icelandic Low, and the North Atlantic extratropical storm track, close to which have been observed some of the lowest atmospheric pressures of the Northern Hemisphere outside the tropics. Extreme high values are favoured over the north east of Europe where intense cold and long winter nights lead to radiative cooling of the air column, causing sinking air reinforcing the development of the highest pressures. Other influences include the semi-permanent Azores High and Siberian High.
Land-based observations in Europe.
Land-based records for Europe:
* Highest observed air pressure record:
Other high values have been reported:
Pressure is thought to have risen above 1060 hPa in Europe on only 12 occasions between 1871 and 2010, in the years 1893, 1899, 1907, 1915, 1920, 1938, 1944, 1946, 1956, 1972, 1995 and 2008. To this list might also be included high pressure anticyclones in 1954 and 2012 (see above), and 1869. The most notable high in Europe peaked in January 1907. This was an unusual development that brought high pressure to the west, and holds the officially-recognised record across multiple countries from Scandinavia to Central Europe (Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary).
* Lowest air pressure:
Another value reported:
Northern Europe.
Iceland.
Note: Iceland is a sparsely populated country with a very limited number of weather stations compared to its area. Therefore the vast majority of extreme pressure events will not have been recorded.
* Highest air pressure: 3 January 1841, Reykjavik 1058.0 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 2 December 1929 at Stórhöfði peninsula, Heimaey 920 hPa.
Iceland list of atmospheric pressure over 1050 hPa.
High pressure in Iceland has exceeded 1050 hPa on 5 recorded occasions in the 19th century, 4 recorded occasions in the 20th century and 2 in the 21st century.
Climatic Research Unit Emulate data 1874–2002, also gives values on 10 March 1887 at Stykkishólmur 1052.43 hPa and also 9 January 1977 at the same location 1050.47 hPa.
Iceland monthly minimum figures for atmospheric pressure.
In July the pressure in Iceland has only dropped below 975 hPa or lower three times over the entire record extending back to the 1820s. These cases were 974.1 hPa in Stykkishólmur on 18 July 1901, 974.3 hPa in Stykkishólmur on 19 July 1923 and 975.0 hPa in Reykjavík 11 July 1912.—to which can be added 22 July 2012, with 972.4 hPa reported on the Westman Isles, becoming the new national record for the month.
A recent low pressure on 30 December 2015 was recorded at Kirkjubaejarklaustur (associated with an area of low pressure known as Eckard/Frank) at 930.2 hPa, the lowest pressure recorded on land in Iceland since 1989.
Faroe Islands.
The Danish Meteorological Institute report record atmospheric pressure for the Faroe Islands (since 1961) as:
* Highest air pressure: 13 December 1995, Tórshavn and 28 March 2020 Vágar Airport, 1048.9 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 11 January 1993, Vágar Airport during the Braer Storm 930.3 hPa.
Climatic Research Unit Emulate data 1874–2002 give 3 dates when pressure exceeded 1050 hPa in Tórshavn.
Ireland.
Met Éireann list the following national records for atmospheric pressure:
* Highest air pressure: 28 January 1905, Valentia Island, Co.Kerry 1051.9 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 28 November 1838, Limerick 931.2 hPa.
Isle of Man.
1957–2005
An earlier value on 8 December 1886, Cronkbourne .
United Kingdom.
For the United Kingdom, the Met Office record the record figures for atmospheric pressure (which are nominally since 1870) as:
Though the lowest pressure may be second to the Night of the big wind low, which saw a value of at Sumburgh Head, Shetland on non-calibrated, non-standard equipment 6–7 January 1839, with the mainland at Cape Wrath reporting an observed pressure of .
On 26 January 1884, during the Ochtertyre storm the Ben Nevis summit weather station recorded a low pressure of 784.7 hPa (at high altitude (above 750 m) and not reduced to sea level) this is proposed as being almost certainly the lowest surface pressure ever recorded in the UK, though due to altitude and not being a value reduced to sea level is not considered comparable to the other records presented here.
A low pressure of 914.0mb affected the UK during the Braer Storm on 10 January 1993, however this figure is discounted as this reading was not recorded in the UK.
Ireland and United Kingdom list of atmospheric pressure over 1050 hPa.
In the period of instrumental measurement the atmospheric pressure has exceeded 1048 hPa somewhere over the United Kingdom and Ireland on 18 occasions. On 10 of these times, the pressure exceeded 1050 hPa. Intense high pressure is usually seen during midwinter with eight of the 10 occasions where 1050 hPa has been exceeded occurring in January.
Pressure values have been recorded to have exceeded 1050 hPa in all areas of the UK and Ireland except south east England, though values close to this are documented from January 1882 and January 1905. To which high pressure in January 2020 saw a value of 1049.6 at Heathrow Airport measured, which is thought to be likely the highest pressure seen in the region with records back to 1692.
United Kingdom and Ireland monthly minimum figures for atmospheric pressure.
Cyclone Oratia is estimated to have reached a low of 941 hPa in peer-reviewed literature, though the lowest pressure occurred between Aberdeen and Norway over the North Sea and is not a land-based observation. The lowest land-based reported UK pressure during this storm, of 951.2 hPa, was recorded at RAF Fylingdales.
On 7 September 1995, Scilly Isles, reported a low pressure of 966 hPa. The lowest minimum recorded values for the months May to August lie within 0.5 of 968 hPa.
The 20th century low pressure record in the UK occurred on 20 December 1982 at Sule Skerry: it may have dropped as low as 936 hPa.
Home nation records.
Based on Burt (2007) and Met Office.
Scotland.
Same as UK national records.
* Highest: 31 January 1902, Aberdeen Observatory 1053.6 hPa.
* Lowest: 26 January 1884, Ochtertyre Scotland 925.6 hPa.
* High: 29 March 2020, The Northern Irish north coast likely saw a value in the region of ~1051 hPa around Magilligan Point.
29 March 2020, Belfast Aldergrove 1049.8 hPa.
* Lowest: 8 December 1886, in Belfast 927.2 hPa. (A reading of 922.5 mbar (corrected to MSL) was reported from Omagh in Co. Tyrone (Harding 1887) the graduation and calibration of the barometer were not considered satisfactory enough “to quote the reading as trustworthy”, the storm minimum over the Northern Ireland was thought to be close to 924 mbar.)
* Highest: 19 January 2020, Mumbles Head, West Glamorgan 1050.5 hPa.
Previously: 28 January 1905, Pembroke, 1050.1 hPa.
* Lowest: 22 November 1865, Dolgellau, North Wales 944.8 hPa.
* Highest: 28 January 1905, Falmouth, Cornwall .
* Lowest: 8 December 1886, Stonyhurst in Lancashire, where the barometer fell to 940.4 hPa.
England.
Alt. 8 December 1886, Newton Reigny in Cumbria, .
Norway.
Yr.no the joint venture between the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation and the Norwegian Meteorological Institute give the national pressure records as:
* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907, Dalen, Telemark 1 061.3 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 20 February 1907, at Skudenes on the island of Karmøy, Rogaland 938.5 hPa.
A value of 702.0 mm Hg at Bergen Lungegård Hospital on January 27, 1884 (935.8 hPa) is also reported, which is likely to be from the same low as the UK record from Ochtertyre the previous day. Other sources give a pressure value of 939.8 hPa or 939.7 hPa in Bergen on 27 January 1884.
Both records in same winter as each other and those of Denmark.
Norway uses a different formula for correction of air pressure to sea level than Sweden. This affects the result for high altitude stations in cold weather.
Denmark.
The Danish Meteorological Institute report record barometric pressure for Denmark (since 1874) as:
* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907, Skagen and Copenhagen 1062.2 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 20 February 1907, Skagen 943.5 hPa.
Danish records both occurred within a month during the same winter, and same winter as Norwegian records.
Sweden.
The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute give the nation's barometric records as:
* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907 in Kalmar and Visby 1063.7 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 6 December 1895 Härnösand 938.4 hPa.
Finland.
According to the Finnish Meteorological Institute:
* Highest air pressure: 22 January 1907, Helsinki 1066 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 27 February 1990 Kuuskajaskari, Rauma 940 hPa.
Though a reported low value by Weather Underground weather historian Christopher Burt on 1 March 1990 at an unknown location is reported at 939.7 hPa. Helsingin Sanomat report a value at Turku Airport on 28 February 1990 of 939.8 hPa, with the previous record reported as being from 16 December 1982 on Moikpää, in the Kvarken at 942.1 hPa.
Baltics.
Maximum pressure in Europe 22–23 January 1907 recorded in Pärnu, Estonia and Riga, Latvia at 1067.1 mbar. The Free University of Berlin state the European air pressure record is 23 January 1907 in Riga at 1068.7 hPa.
Estonia.
As reported by the Estonian Weather Service
* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907, Tallinn 1060.3 hPa.‡
Alt: 21 November 1993, Narva 1057.2 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 16 December 1982, Naissaar 947.6 hPa.
16 December 1982 Väike-Maarja 936.0 hPa is a station level value.
‡The Estonian Weather Service report on their website the record maximum observed air pressure in the country as 1060.3 hPa recorded 23 January 1907 in Tallinn. This figure is not supported by NOAA reanalysis charts and the values reported from neighbouring Finland and Latvia probably make this figure an underestimation or error. A possible maximum pressure value for the whole of Europe is thought to have occurred during the 22–23 January 1907 high pressure event with a record set in Pärnu, Estonia and Riga, Latvia at 1067.1 mbar. Though this value is exceeded by the value on 23 January 1907 in Riga reported at 1068.7 hPa by the Free University of Berlin's student generated reports, at which time the pressure is estimated to have reached around 1070 hPa by Yr.no in the Gulf of Riga.
* Highest air pressure: 22–23 January 1907 Liepāja 1065.9 hPa
Latvia.
In the period 1960 to 2014, 16 December 1997 Daugavpils a value of 1055.8 hPa recorded.
* Low air pressure: 13 February 1962 Vidzeme Upland 932.9 hPa (probably a station level reading).
* Highest air pressure: December 1889 Vilnius 1058.5 hPa
* Lowest air pressure: January 1931 Ukmergė and Dotnuva 951.6 hPa.
Lithuania.
23 January 1907 1065.1 hPa. Deutsche Seewarte gives morning readings on 23 January 1907 in Klaipėda (Memel) of and in Vilnius (Wilna) of . There is a mention in the Hungarian meteorological journal "Időjarás" of reaching in Vilnius (Wilna) during the exceptional January 1907 anticyclone, but in the other place the Vilnius value of is reported. According to an article in the German-Austrian expert journal "Meteorologische Zeitschrift", on 23 January 1907 at 7 hrs Vilnius (Wilna) reached .
* Highest air pressure: 23 January 1907 1064.7 hPa
Western Europe.
Channel Islands.
Jersey.
1862–present
* Highest air pressure: 29 January 1905, Jersey 1051.7 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 25 February 1989, Jersey 953.8 hPa.
Guernsey.
Guernsey Airport 1960–present.
* Highest air pressure: 20 January 2020, 1049.1 hPa.
Formerly 3 March 1990, 1047.7 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 25 February 1989, 952.5 hPa.
*Highest air pressure 20 January 2020, 1049.8 hPa.
France.
Météo-France figures from 1951–present.
* Highest air pressure: 20 January 2020, Abbeville, Somme 1049.7 hPa
Previously: 3 March 1990, Pointe de Chémoulin, Saint-Nazaire Loire-Atlantique 1048.9 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 25 February 1989, Cap de La Hague, Cherbourg 951.8 hPa.
though other listed figures predate Météo-France's records.
On 28 January 1905 values of in Biarritz, and in Brest are listed in the Met Office Daily Weather Report. On the 29 January 1905, the atmospheric pressure reached a value of 1049.3 hPa in Paris.
Belgium.
The Belgian Royal Meteorological Institute gives the national record values as:
* Highest air pressure: 20 January 2020, Uccle 1048.3 hPa.
Previously: 27 January 1932, Uccle 1048 hPa.
* Lowest air pressure: 25 February 1989, Blankenberge 954 hPa.
* Highest pressure: 20 January 2020 Luxembourg Findel Airport 1048.0 hPa.
Previously:27–28 December 2016, MeteoLux recorded the highest atmospheric pressures observed at the Luxembourg Findel Airport weather station since measurement began in 1947, a value of 1047.2 hPa was recorded twice (under the high pressure "Yörn". The previous record to this was from February 15–16, 1959 at 1046.6 hPa.
* Lowest pressure: February