Editing Orkney (section)

===Climate===
[[File:Aerial image of Sands of Evie, a beach near Stenso, Mainland, Orkney.jpg|thumb|Aerial image of [[Sands of Evie]], a beach near Stenso, Mainland]]
Orkney has a cool temperate climate that is remarkably mild and steady for such a northerly [[latitude]], due to the influence of the warm waters of the [[Norwegian Current]], a north-easterly extension of the [[North Atlantic Drift]] which is itself an extension of the [[Gulf Stream]].<ref>Chalmers, Jim "Agriculture in Orkney Today" in Omand (2003) p. 129.</ref> The average temperature for the year is {{convert|8|°C|°F|abbr=on}}; for winter {{convert|4|°C|°F|abbr=on}} and for summer {{convert|12|°C|°F|abbr=on}}.<ref name=met>[http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/regmapavge.html "Regional mapped climate averages"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120804165705/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/regmapavge.html |date=4 August 2012 }} [[Met Office]]. Retrieved 19 September 2009.</ref>

The average annual rainfall varies from {{convert|850|mm|in}} to {{convert|940|mm|in}}.<ref name=met/> Winds are a key feature of the climate and even in summer there are almost constant breezes. In winter, there are frequent strong winds, with an average of 52 hours of gales being recorded annually.<ref>[http://www.orkneyjar.com/orkney/climate.htm "The Climate of Orkney"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090402052831/http://www.orkneyjar.com/orkney/climate.htm |date=2 April 2009 }} Orkneyjar. Retrieved 19 September 2009.</ref>

To tourists, one of the fascinations of the islands is their "nightless" summers. On the [[Midsummer|longest day]], the sun rises at 04:00 and sets at 22:29 [[British Summer Time|BST]] and complete darkness is unknown. This long twilight is known in the Northern Isles as the "simmer dim".<ref>[http://www.orkneyjar.com/orkney/solstice.htm "About the Orkney Islands"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090808020249/http://www.orkneyjar.com/orkney/solstice.htm |date=8 August 2009 }}. Orkneyjar. Retrieved 19 September 2009.</ref> Winter nights are long. On the [[shortest day]] the sun rises at 09:05 and sets at 15:16.<ref>[http://uk.weather.com/climate/sunRiseSunSet-Orkney-UKXX0871?month=12 "Climatology: Sunrise/Sunset for Orkney, United Kingdom "] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141021051848/http://uk.weather.com/climate/sunRiseSunSet-Orkney-UKXX0871?month=12 |date=21 October 2014 }} The Weather Channel. Retrieved 12 May 2012.</ref> At this time of year the [[aurora borealis]] can occasionally be seen on the northern horizon during moderate auroral activity.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.orcadian.co.uk/skynotes/aurora.htm| title=Sky Notes: Aurora Borealis Gallery| date=21 December 2006| author=John Vetterlein| access-date=9 September 2009| archive-date=5 December 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205051250/http://www.orcadian.co.uk/skynotes/aurora.htm| url-status=dead}}</ref>

The first averages table below is for the largest settlement Kirkwall's weather station, the second is for the [[Loch of Hundland]], a rural location to the northwest of Mainland.
{{Weather box
|location = Kirkwall, 26m asl, 1991–2020 normals, Extremes 1951–
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 12.2
|Feb record high C = 12.8
|Mar record high C = 18.9
|Apr record high C = 21.0
|May record high C = 22.0
|Jun record high C = 22.8
|Jul record high C = 25.6
|Aug record high C = 24.8
|Sep record high C = 22.8
|Oct record high C = 19.4
|Nov record high C = 14.5
|Dec record high C = 12.9
|year record high C = 25.6
|Jan avg record high C = 9.9
|Feb avg record high C = 10.4
|Mar avg record high C = 12.3
|Apr avg record high C = 14.5
|May avg record high C = 17.4
|Jun avg record high C = 19.1
|Jul avg record high C = 20.6
|Aug avg record high C = 20.1
|Sep avg record high C = 18.7
|Oct avg record high C = 15.1
|Nov avg record high C = 12.4
|Dec avg record high C = 11.0
|year avg record high C = 21.5
|Jan high C = 6.6
|Feb high C = 6.8
|Mar high C = 8.0
|Apr high C = 9.9
|May high C = 12.2
|Jun high C = 14.2
|Jul high C = 16.1
|Aug high C = 16.2
|Sep high C = 14.4
|Oct high C = 11.6
|Nov high C = 8.9
|Dec high C = 7.0
|year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 4.5
|Feb mean C = 4.5
|Mar mean C = 5.4
|Apr mean C = 7.0
|May mean C = 8.5
|Jun mean C = 11.3
|Jul mean C = 13.2
|Aug mean C = 13.4
|Sep mean C = 11.8
|Oct mean C = 9.3
|Nov mean C = 6.7
|Dec mean C = 4.8
|year mean C = 
|Jan low C = 2.3
|Feb low C = 2.1
|Mar low C = 2.7
|Apr low C = 4.1
|May low C = 5.8
|Jun low C = 8.4
|Jul low C = 10.3
|Aug low C = 10.5
|Sep low C = 9.2
|Oct low C = 7.0
|Nov low C = 4.5
|Dec low C = 2.6
|year low C = 
|Jan avg record low C = -1.6
|Feb avg record low C = -1.9
|Mar avg record low C = -1.7
|Apr avg record low C = -0.3
|May avg record low C = 1.1
|Jun avg record low C = 4.3
|Jul avg record low C = 6.3
|Aug avg record low C = 6.3
|Sep avg record low C = 4.4
|Oct avg record low C = 2.2
|Nov avg record low C = 0.3
|Dec avg record low C = -1.7
|year avg record low C = -3.2
|Jan record low C = −7.8
|Feb record low C = −7.0
|Mar record low C = −6.8
|Apr record low C = −4.9
|May record low C = −2.1
|Jun record low C = 1.0
|Jul record low C = 0.0
|Aug record low C = 3.7
|Sep record low C = 0.5
|Oct record low C = -1.6
|Nov record low C = −5.5
|Dec record low C = −7.6
|year record low C = −7.8
|precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation mm = 114.7
| Feb precipitation mm = 96.2
| Mar precipitation mm = 86.7
| Apr precipitation mm = 59.2
| May precipitation mm = 53.8
| Jun precipitation mm = 55.9
| Jul precipitation mm = 58.2
| Aug precipitation mm = 73.0
| Sep precipitation mm = 90.7
| Oct precipitation mm = 119.8
| Nov precipitation mm = 126.1
| Dec precipitation mm = 114.3
| year precipitation mm = 
|unit precipitation days= 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 20.4
|Feb precipitation days = 17.6
|Mar precipitation days = 16.9
|Apr precipitation days = 14.1
|May precipitation days = 11.9
|Jun precipitation days = 10.8
|Jul precipitation days = 12.1
|Aug precipitation days = 12.6
|Sep precipitation days = 15.2
|Oct precipitation days = 19.1
|Nov precipitation days = 20.5
|Dec precipitation days = 19.9
|year precipitation days = 
|Jan sun = 34
|Feb sun = 64
|Mar sun = 102
|Apr sun = 144
|May sun = 193
|Jun sun = 145
|Jul sun = 139
|Aug sun = 135
|Sep sun = 108
|Oct sun = 76
|Nov sun = 44
|Dec sun = 26
|year sun = 
|source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gfmzqh0rc| title = Kirkwall Airport (Orkney Islands) averages | publisher = [[Met Office]] | access-date = 29 September 2023 }}</ref>
|source 2 = Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute/KMNI<ref>{{cite web | url = http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/mapserver/anomaly.php?indexcat=**&indexid=TXx&year=2005&seasonid=18&create_image=true&minx=-617738.09523815&miny=-3936547.6190476&maxx=248928.57142858&maxy=-3286547.6190476&MapSize=560%2C420&imagewidth=560&imageheight=420&mainmap.x=285&mainmap.y=165&CMD=QUERY_POINT&CMD=QUERY_POINT#bottom | title = Kirkwall Extremes | publisher = KNMI | access-date = 3 November 2011 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130222190033/http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/mapserver/anomaly.php?indexcat=**&indexid=TXx&year=2005&seasonid=18&create_image=true&minx=-617738.09523815&miny=-3936547.6190476&maxx=248928.57142858&maxy=-3286547.6190476&MapSize=560,420&imagewidth=560&imageheight=420&mainmap.x=285&mainmap.y=165&CMD=QUERY_POINT&CMD=QUERY_POINT%23bottom | archive-date = 22 February 2013 | url-status = dead | df = dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?lang=en&ind=03017&ano=2018&mes=7&day=1&hora=22&min=0&ndays=30|title=Synop report summary|first=G. Ballester|last=Valor|website=www.ogimet.com|access-date=1 July 2018|archive-date=13 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191213171534/https://www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?lang=en&ind=03017&ano=2018&mes=7&day=1&hora=22&min=0&ndays=30|url-status=live}}</ref> Infoclimat <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/annee/1991/kirkwall-airport/valeurs/03017.html|title=Climatologie de l'année à Kirkwall Airport|publisher=Infoclimat|language=fr|access-date=29 September 2023}}</ref>
}}

{{Weather box
|location = Orkney: Loch of Hundland, 28m asl, 1981–2010
|collapsed = 
|metric first = y
|single line = y
|Jan high C = 6.4
|Feb high C = 6.4
|Mar high C = 7.6
|Apr high C = 9.9
|May high C = 12.5
|Jun high C = 14.3
|Jul high C = 16.5
|Aug high C = 16.2
|Sep high C = 14.1
|Oct high C = 11.4
|Nov high C = 8.6
|Dec high C = 6.9
|year high C = 10.9
|Jan low C = 1.4
|Feb low C = 1.0
|Mar low C = 2.0
|Apr low C = 3.4
|May low C = 5.5
|Jun low C = 7.7
|Jul low C = 10.1
|Aug low C = 9.8
|Sep low C = 8.3
|Oct low C = 6.1
|Nov low C = 3.4
|Dec low C = 1.8
|year low C = 5.1
| rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 118.5
|Feb rain mm = 90.5
|Mar rain mm = 92.8
|Apr rain mm = 59.0
|May rain mm = 43.4
|Jun rain mm = 49.5
|Jul rain mm = 56.3
|Aug rain mm = 64.6
|Sep rain mm = 100.2
|Oct rain mm = 124.4
|Nov rain mm = 119.0
|Dec rain mm = 106.1
|year rain mm = 1024.2
|unit rain days= 1.0 mm
|Jan rain days = 21.4
|Feb rain days = 16.9
|Mar rain days = 19.5
|Apr rain days = 13.1
|May rain days = 10.2
|Jun rain days = 11.3
|Jul rain days = 10.9
|Aug rain days = 12.0
|Sep rain days = 14.5
|Oct rain days = 19.1
|Nov rain days = 21.5
|Dec rain days = 21.2
|year rain days = 191.5
| Jan sun  = 25.9
| Feb sun  = 62.1
| Mar sun  = 95.4
| Apr sun  = 150.4
| May sun  = 205.6
| Jun sun  = 154.1
| Jul sun  = 135.7
| Aug sun  = 136.4
| Sep sun  = 99.2
| Oct sun  = 73.6
| Nov sun  = 37.0
| Dec sun  = 22.3
| year sun = 1197.7
|source 1 = metoffice.gov.uk<ref>{{cite web
  | url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gft8q91es
  | title=Climate Normals 1981–2010
  | publisher=Met Office
  | access-date=23 February 2021
  | archive-date=7 August 2021
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807232758/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gft8q91es
  | url-status=live
  }}</ref>
  | date=23 February 2021
}}