Danish towns hit annual rain total by end of July

Neighbouring municipalities Vejle and Vejen in southeastern Jutland have exceeded the expected rainfall for a year within the first seven months.

Between January and the end of July, both town saw more rain than what Denmark’s meteorological institute DMI calls the “climate normal” for annual rainfall, or the expected amount based on average totals from the period 1991-2020.

Nationally, this year has already included a record amount of rainfall in April, while both June and July have seen more rain than usual – as, for example, guests at the Roskilde Festival can attest.

In February, central parts of Vejle were left flooded after two days of heavy rain rendered the fjord town’s drainage system unable to cope.

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“It’s very unusual for this to happen now with us being just over halfway through the year. To already have reached what is normal for a whole year,” DR’s meteorologist Anders Brandt said in a report by the broadcaster.

“In all the time I’ve had a weather-related job, I’ve never known the climate normal to be exceeded by a single place by this point,” he said.

Although June 2023 was dry compared to this year, 2023 ended as the wettest year on record in Denmark – suggesting that record could be broken for a second successive year.

“This year we’re kind of ahead of schedule. So if this continues, we might be on the way to a new annual record,” Brandt said.

Vejle Municipality’s official in charge of high water management, Paul Landsfeldt, told DR that persistent rain this year had been felt by the town.

“Especially in February when we had these large quantities of rain and we also had flooding in the town centre, that’s when we felt it very clearly,” he said.

“In general, the large quantities of water have meant there have been a lot of people contacting Vejle Municipality about water-related problems,” he said.

Calculations used by the city in its rain management strategy have been exceeded by the amount of rain that has actually fallen, he explained.

“The frequency of us hitting a point where we can’t cope with it is getting higher and higher. This means that if this continues, more will need to be done to save the city from water,” he said.