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

Spring 2020 broke sunshine duration records across Western Europe. The Netherlands recorded the highest surface irradiance since 1928, exceeding the previous extreme of 2011 by 13%, and the diffuse fraction of the irradiance measured a record low percentage (38%). The coinciding irradiance extreme and a reduction in anthropogenic pollution due to COVID-19 measures triggered the hypothesis that cleaner-than-usual air contributed to the record. Based on analyses of ground-based and satellite observations and experiments with a radiative transfer model, we estimate a 1.3% (2.3Wm(-2)) increase in surface irradiance with respect to the 2010-2019 mean due to a low median aerosol optical depth, and a 17.6% (30.7Wm(-2)) increase due to several exceptionally dry days and a very low cloud fraction overall. Our analyses show that the reduced aerosols and contrails due to the COVID-19 measures are far less important in the irradiance record than the dry and particularly cloud-free weather. COVID-19 lockdown-induced low aerosol levels in Western Europe in spring 2020 exerted a far smaller influence on surface irradiation than the dry and cloud-free weather, according to analyses of ground-based and satellite observations and experiments with a radiative transfer model.

Automated summary

In spring 2020, Western Europe experienced record-breaking sunshine duration, with the Netherlands recording the highest surface irradiance since 1928. The study found that while cleaner air due to COVID-19 measures did contribute to the record, the impact of dry and cloud-free weather was more significant in increasing surface irradiation.