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Sunshine
MeteoSwiss uses specific terminology in the weather report to quantify the expected sunshine hours and cloud cover.
MeteoSwiss uses specific terminology in the weather report to quantify the expected sunshine hours and cloud cover.
The following table summarises the various terms used to describe cloud cover and sunshine along with their corresponding explanations. The cloud cover at any given place and time is measured in terms of how many eighths of the sky are covered. The units of measurement are called oktas, whereby 0 oktas corresponds to a cloudless sky, and 8 oktas to full cloud cover.
| Cloud cover (in oktas) | Sun % | Sun terminology | Cloud terminology | Explanation |
| 8 | 0-5 | None, hardly any sunshine, unfriendly | Overcast (stratus clouds), very cloudy (convective clouds), fog, low stratus | Unbroken cloud cover |
| 7 | 5-20 | Short sunny spells, only a little sunshine | Cloudy (stratus clouds), cloudy to overcast (stratus clouds), partly cloudy (convective clouds), intermittent, often, predominately, mostly cloudy (convective clouds), variable (convective clouds, weather in the rear) | Few breaks in the clouds |
| 4-6 | 20-50 | Varying degrees of cloudiness, sunny at times, partly sunny, longer sunny spells, intervals, some, intermittent, prolonged bright intervals, friendly | Intermittent, frequent, often cloudy, extensive cloud cover | Breaks, previously covered, partially or temporarily covered |
| 3-4 | 50-80 | Rather, quite, often sunny, fine (only on the 1st day of a fine weather period) | Partly cloudy, at times widespread cloud cover, more, cumulus clouds increasing, passing cloud cover | Generally little cloud cover |
| 0-2 | 80-100 | Mostly, predominantly, generally sunny, mostly sunny, fine | Clear or only slightly cloudy | Little or no cloud cover |