Sunny July in Petersburg: 19.2°C and Record Sunshine

Over the first 20 days of July, the average air temperature in St. Petersburg reached +19.2°C (66.6°F), slightly above the climatic norm. Chief city meteorologist Alexander Kolesov presented these figures on July 21.

«This year we just can»t reach +30 degrees,« the specialist noted, recalling that last year the same period already saw 30-degree heat.

Nevertheless, according to the meteorologist, Petersburgers can expect sunny days through the end of July, and the total sunshine duration for the month will exceed the norm. «It»s already +14 degrees in Petersburg, so it«s gradually warming up,» Kolesov added. For comparison, he cited data: in 2025 the sun shone 121.6 hours, in 2021 — 132.9 hours, in 2014 — 124.6 hours.

Analyzing daytime sunshine duration, the meteorologist noted that mid-July brought many sunny days to the Northern capital, especially from the 16th to the 18th, when the sun shone for more than 15 hours. On July 17, this figure reached 15.9 hours, setting a record for July in the 21st century. Last year, on July 15, 16, and 18, duration was 15.8 hours each, and on July 18, 2017, also 15.8 hours. Kolesov clarified that in the 1960s, days with 16-hour sunshine were frequently recorded, with the last such occurrence on July 9, 1970.

The meteorologist attributes the decline in sunshine duration to the relocation of the weather station on the Petrograd Side in 1970 due to the construction of the Leningrad Palace of Youth (LDM). The move of just 250 meters disrupted the usual path of the sun«s rays, resulting in a loss of 12 minutes of sunlight. Currently, the total sunshine duration in July has reached 70% of the monthly norm, and precipitation (excluding the past day) — 95% of the norm.