Attu, Greenland
Settlement in Greenland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Attu is a settlement in the Qeqertalik municipality in western Greenland, located on a small island on the shores of Davis Strait. Its population was 203 in 2020.[1] It is the southernmost settlement in the municipality.
Attu | |
|---|---|
  Attu Location within Greenland | |
| Coordinates: 67°56′26″N 53°37′22″W | |
| State |  Kingdom of Denmark |
| Constituent country |  Greenland |
| Municipality | Qeqertalik |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 203 |
| Time zone | UTC−02:00 (Western Greenland Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−01:00 (Western Greenland Summer Time) |
| Postal code | 3955 Kangaatsiaq |
Transport
Air Greenland serves the village as part of government contract, with winter-only helicopter flights from Attu Heliport to Aasiaat Airport and Kangaatsiaq Heliport.[2] Settlement flights in the Disko Bay are unique in that they are operated only during winter and spring.
During summer and autumn, when the waters of Disko Bay are navigable, communication between settlements is by sea only, serviced by Diskoline.[3] The ferry links Attu with Kangaatsiaq, and further with Iginniarfik, Ikerasaarsuk, Niaqornaarsuk, and Aasiaat.
Climate
Attu experiences a tundra climate (Köppen: ET); with short, cool summers and long, frigid winters.[4] The settlement is frequently subject to rough weather accompanying lows passing through the Davis Strait; characterised by strong northerly or southerly winds that often reach gale force strength. Moreover, due to its insular position on Kitsissut Island, Attu experiences high relative humidity, vast seasonal lag and low diurnal temperature variation year-round.[5]
| Climate data for Attu (67.78°N 53.97°W) (10 m (33 ft) AMSL) (1991-2020 data) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) |
7.2 (45.0) |
6.1 (43.0) |
9.2 (48.6) |
8.9 (48.0) |
15.2 (59.4) |
14.9 (58.8) |
14.0 (57.2) |
11.7 (53.1) |
11.5 (52.7) |
8.5 (47.3) |
7.8 (46.0) |
15.2 (59.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −9.1 (15.6) |
−11.3 (11.7) |
−11.0 (12.2) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
3.0 (37.4) |
5.6 (42.1) |
6.2 (43.2) |
4.3 (39.7) |
1.0 (33.8) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
−5.5 (22.1) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −11.1 (12.0) |
−13.5 (7.7) |
−12.9 (8.8) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
1.8 (35.2) |
4.3 (39.7) |
5.0 (41.0) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−3.6 (25.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −13.0 (8.6) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−14.9 (5.2) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
0.6 (33.1) |
3.0 (37.4) |
3.9 (39.0) |
2.3 (36.1) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−8.7 (16.3) |
−5.0 (23.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −27.8 (−18.0) |
−33.1 (−27.6) |
−36.5 (−33.7) |
−22.3 (−8.1) |
−15.6 (3.9) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−4.0 (24.8) |
−8.9 (16.0) |
−17.9 (−0.2) |
−22.6 (−8.7) |
−36.5 (−33.7) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 80.3 | 81.9 | 81.4 | 81.8 | 85.3 | 92.3 | 92.7 | 91.5 | 83.0 | 77.9 | 76.8 | 78.4 | 83.6 |
| Source: Danish Meteorological Institute (1991-2020 data)[6] | |||||||||||||
