Public broadcaster SVT's annual Sun League contest – which ranks Swedish weather stations according to hours of sunshine recorded – is almost as much of a tradition in the world of Swedish summer weather news as whether or not it will rain on Midsummer's Eve.

This year it was Svenska Högarna in the outskirts of the Stockholm archipelago that took home the prize, with 618 hours of sunshine recorded between Midsummer and August 15th.

Without a commercial ferry, the island – which is as far east as you can practically get in the Swedish capital's archipelago – is often said to be Sweden's most isolated populated area.

According to SVT, four people were registered as living there in 2015.

It nearly found itself beaten by Luleå as the summer's sunniest spot, but a late-season rainfall (which was not unwelcome after a dry summer) saw the northern Swedish city remain at 580 hours of sunshine.

READ ALSO: The weather vigilantes trying to win Sweden's Sun League

Hoburg on the southernmost tip of Gotland came in third with 572 hours of sunshine. The island of Gotland has won the Sun League 12 times since the competition started in 1990.

Vocabulary 

The Sun League – Solligan

sunshine – (ett) solsken

archipelago – (en) skärgård

east – ost or öster

ferry – (en) färja

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