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Why does it rain so much in Sweden?

Where the rain comes from, why the west gets more and when it falls.

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Short answer

Annual precipitation in Sweden is generally 500–800 mm, and SMHI says most low-pressure systems reach the country from the west or south-west. Air that is forced up over mountains cools, condenses and falls as rain or snow, so the western mountains normally get the most.

Seasons and weather in Sweden Illustration of a season wheel with snow, a birch leaf, sun and rain around a red Swedish cottage

Why

  1. According to SMHI, wind blowing towards high mountains is forced upwards, with cooling, condensation and precipitation as a result, so the western mountains normally get the largest amounts in Sweden.
  2. SMHI describes south-western Sweden as the wettest inhabited area, with 1,000–1,300 mm a year, and says the western side of the Southern Swedish Highlands gets almost twice as much as the east coast.
  3. SMHI says precipitation falls all year but most heavily in summer and autumn, and that summer precipitation is often more intense and shorter than in winter.

Details

SMHI also notes that precipitation occurs more often in the winter half of the year when measured as a share of time, even though the largest amounts fall in summer. In the east of Götaland and Svealand the annual mean is mostly 400–600 mm for 1991–2020.

Tip

Amounts differ a lot between the south-west and the east coast, so check SMHI's forecast and normal values for the place you are going to.

What may differ

How much rain you get depends on the place: roughly 400–600 mm in the east of Götaland and Svealand, 1,000–1,300 mm in the south-west and about 2,000 mm estimated in the western mountains, according to SMHI.

People also ask

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Sources

Information checked on 27 October 2026.

Seasons and weather in Sweden

  • What should I wear in Gothenburg?

    What to wear in Gothenburg depends on the month, because SMHI's normal mean temperature is about 1 °C in January and about 18 °C in July.

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  • What should I wear in Sweden in March?

    In March, wear a warm jacket and scarf, because SMHI's normal mean temperature is about 2 °C in Stockholm and about 3 °C in Gothenburg.

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  • What should I wear in Sweden in November?

    In November, wear a warm coat and scarf, because SMHI's normal mean temperature is about 4 °C in Stockholm and about 5 °C in Gothenburg.

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  • Is it always dark in Sweden in winter (polar night)?

    No, in Stockholm the sun is up from 8:47 am to 2:55 pm in January, and polar night, with no sunrise at all, only occurs in the far north.

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