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 For comparison, the standard atmospheric pressure at sea level is 1013.25 hPa. This is the average pressure at sea level under calm, stable conditions.
Land-based records for Europe: Highest observed air pressure record: 22–23 January 1907 in Pärnu, Estonia and Riga, Latvia at 1067.1 hPa reported in peer-reviewed literature.
Other high values have been reported: 23 January 1907 in Riga at 1068.7 hPa, this value is from a student generated report from the Free University of Berlin Adopt a Vortex scheme. (supported with a 1068 hPa pressure reported in a Danish Meteorological Society publication.) 17 February 1954 in northern Russia >1060 hPa, This high is claimed to have a pressure over 1070 hPa by a Free University of Berlin student generated report. 16 February 1956, northern Urals 1070 hPa mentioned in student generated reports from FUB. 1067 hPa in another student report from FUB. Others give a figure for this high of 1065 mslp. An isobar of 1072 over Russia features on the Met Office Daily Weather Report 16 February 1956 centred about the town of Vorkuta, Komi Republic. 31 January 2012 station Khoseda-Khard directly west of Urals a value of 1068.3 hPa, also reported by SMHI, from a high pressure area named "Cooper/Dieter" by the Free University of Berlin in January 2012 which brought the Early 2012 European cold wave.
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: 2 December 1929 at Stórhöfði peninsula, Heimaey southwest Iceland 920 hPa.
Another value reported: 6–7 January 1839, recorded at Sumburgh Head, Shetland during the Night of the big wind storm this value is from non-standardised equipment, and is not fully supported by values at neighbouring stations (unknown if corrected for MSLP). The conversion to hPa above assumes an Inch of mercury at 0 °F = 3376.85 Pa, if value assumes inHg at 60 °F = 3376.38 Pa the value could be as low as 920.2 hPa.
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 monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure + Monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure in Iceland (Based on Jónsson) Month DateLocation Pressure(hPa) refNotes January 3 January 1841 Reykjavik 1058.0 Calibrated to 1058.5 in some publications. February 14 February 1892 Akureyri and Stykkishólmur 1051.8 March 6 March 1883 Vestmannaey settlement 1051.7 April 16 April 1991 Egilsstaðir 1050.8 May 18 May 1894 Akureyri 1045.0 June 11 June 2019 Reykjavík Airport 1040.6 Previously 21 June 1939 Stykkishólmur, 1040.4 hPa. July 3 July 1917 Stykkishólmur 1034.3 August 31 August 2021 Önundarhorn 1036.3 An unofficial value, 28 August 1869 Stykkishólmur, 1036.7 hPa September 28 September 1983 Akureyri 1038.3 October 26 October 2018 Gjögur Airport 1045.9 Previously 20 October 1885 at Akureyri and 26 October 1919 at Ísafjörður (1919): 1044.5 hPa November 24 November 2005 Bolungarvík 1048.0 December 16 December 1917 Stykkishólmur 1054.2
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. + Atmospheric pressure exceeding 1050 hPa recorded in Iceland. DateLocation Pressure(hPa)Notes 23 December 1836 Reykjavík 1050.9 3 January 1841 1058.0 11 December 1846 1051.7 10 December Stykkishólmur 1052.6 hPa. 6 March 1883 Stykkishólmur 1050.7 12 January 1890 Akureyri 1051.6 26 February 1890 Stykkishólmur 1050.0 14 January 1891 Westman Isles 1051.114 February 1892 Akureyri and Stykkishólmur 1051.8 16 December 1917 Stykkishólmur 1054.2 26 February 1962 Akureyri 1051.7 17 January 1977 Galtarviti, Keflavík 1051.1 14–15 April 1991 Several stations 1050 25–26 February 2006 1050 28 March 2020 Hjarðarland 1050.5 named "Keywan" by FUB.
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 + Monthly minimum figures for atmospheric pressure in Iceland Month DateLocation Pressure (hPa) refNotes January 3 January 1933 Westman Isles 923.9 February 4 February 1824 Reykjavik 923.8 March 4 March 1913 934.6 April 11 April 1990 Bergstöðum in Skagafjörður 951.0 May 13 May 1956 Stórhöfði 967.3 June 11 June 1983 959.6 958.0 offshore low. July 22 July 2012 Westman Isles 972.4 August 27 August 1927 Hólar in Hornafjörður 960.9 September 13 September 1906 SW Iceland ~942 *Possible record October 19 October 1963 Stórhöfði 938.4 December 2 December 1929 920
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. + Table of atmospheric pressure in Tórshavn exceeding 1050 hPa. Date Pressure (hPa) 8 January 1896 1052.64 1 February 1902 1052.43 21 February 1944 1050.33
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.
Ireland monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure + Monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure in Ireland Met Éireann. Month DateLocation Pressure (hPa)Notes January 28 January 1905 Valentia, Co. Kerry 1051.9 February 7 February 1964 Kilkenny and Mullingar 1049.1 March 29 March 2020 Malin Head 1051.2*Previously: 13 March 1900, Valentia 1047.1. April 26 April 1948 Shannon Airport 1043.4 May 12 May 2012 Cork Airport 1042.4 An alternate value on 12 May 2012 at Valentia observatory of 1043.0 hPa has also been reported. June 14 June 1959 Clones, Co Monaghan 1043.1 July 1 July 1933 Malin Head 1037.9 August 17 August 1940 Valentia 1036.0 September 10 and 11 September 2009 Malin Head 1041.324 September 2018Sherkin Island and Cork Airport October 22 October 2018 Sherkin Island 1043.8 *Previously 31 October 1959 Malin Head 1043.0 November 10 November 1999 Ireland West Airport 1046.0 December 24 December 1926 Malin Head 1049.5
Ireland monthly minimum figures for atmospheric pressure + Monthly minimum figures for atmospheric pressure in Ireland Met Éireann. Month DateLocation Pressure (hPa)Notes January 26 January 1884 Markree Castle, Sligo 936.6 February 4 February 1951 Midleton, Co. Cork 942.3 March 10 March 2008 Mace Head, Galway 950.0 (named Johanna by FUB) April 1 April 1948 Malin Head, Co. Donegal 952.9 May 10 May 1983 Belmullet, Co. Mayo 970.3 June 8 June 1843 Phoenix Park, Dublin 975.3 July 25 July 1988 Belmullet, Co. Mayo 978.0 August 20 August 2020 Athenry, Galway 966.4 (Storm Ellen) *Previously 14 August 1959 Belmullet, Co. Mayo 967.8 September 21 September 1953 Claremorris, Co. Mayo 957.1 October 28 October 2004 Valentia 957.5 (named Carolin by FUB) November 28 November 1838 Limerick 931.2 December 17 December 1989 Cork Airport 942.8
Isle of Man 1957–2005 Highest air pressure: 26 January 1992, Ronaldsway 1047.8 hPa. Lowest air pressure: 1 December 1966, Ronaldsway 946.5 hPa.
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: Highest air pressure: 31 January 1902, Aberdeen Scotland 1053.6 hPa. Lowest air pressure: 26 January 1884, Ochtertyre Scotland 925.6 hPa.
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 914.0 hPa 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 monthly maximum figures for atmospheric pressure