... that the weather is warmer than
most people imagine for a place as far north as the Faroes. It is also less wet
than people imagine. But because of the unpredictable
ocean climate the weather is constantly changing between overcast, sunny spells, showers
and then sunshine again. You can, for instance, experience heavy fog replaced by bright
sunshine within a few minutes.
... that many artists travel to the
islands because they find the special weather conditions
quite interesting and inspiring. The weather causes fascinating light in the Faroes both summer
and winter - view examples to the left - and on this page:
Jógvans View Each Morning at 9 AM.
... that some say: There is no such thing as "bad" weather -
only bad clothes. The Faroe Islands are blessed with weather of all kinds most
of the time - there's lots of it, indeed - and therefore some call the Faroes: "The Weather Gods' Playing Ground". You're never allowed to forget that nature
rules in the Faroes - thus, the name: "The Land of Maybe" - because you'll never
know if the weather allows you to do what you planned for or
not. Everyone is expected to adjust to these conditions - simply because you're just giving yourself a hard time if
you don't.
Even though the Faroes get their fair share of "bad" weather
the weather is often very beautiful, especially in the
summer. Here beneath are two examples of the contrast between calm and
stormy weather. Watch how beautiful the weather can be in the
summer when it is at it's best and in the winter when it is the stormiest. Each kind
is fascinating in it's own way and has it's own beauty.
If you would like to go on a beautiful boat trip like the one in the video here
above,
then go to: www.rib62.com
Heavy surf in Hattarvík, Fugloy the easternmost island:
... that most
rains falls in relatively light showers - and the amount of rainfall differs a
lot from place to place, from only 823 mm per year in Mykines, the westernmost
island, to 3261 mm per year in Hvalvík, a village
situtated in between mountains by the sound between the two biggest islands,
Streymoy and Eysturoy.
On an annual basis the rainfall in Tórshavn, the capital, is
approximately the same as in Sidney, Australia - and it
rains less than in Tokyo, Japan, for instance. To compare, here
are some data about average annual rainfall (in mm) different
places in the world:
Faroe Islands: Tórshavn 1284, Hvalvík 3261, Mykines 823
Denmark: Copenhagen 590
Sweden: Stockholm 503
Norway: Oslo 863, Bergen 2074
Germany: Berlin 581, Hamburg 754
UK: London 611, Glasgow 1105
France: Paris (Bourget) 607, Paris (Montsouris) 2089
Italy: Rome 793
Russia: Moskva 601
USA: San Fransisco 539
Canada: Vancouver 1107
Australia: Sidney 1223
Japan: Tokyo 1523
China: Beijing 635
Thailand: Bangkok 1467
... that there
are very few - if any - days with rain all day long.
... that it
happens from time to time - most likely in May and June - that there is no
rainfall for many weeks in a row. This can cause serious problems because there
is no groundwater in the Faroes, only surface water, which means that the water
reservoirs are emptying fast if rain doesn't fall for a while. When this occurs
the authorities sometimes are forced to limit water usage.
... that the
Faroe Islands receive an average of 1433 mm (56.4 in) of rainfall per year, or
119 mm (4.7 in) per month. On average
there are 257 days per year with more than 0.1 mm (0.004 in) of rainfall
(precipitation) or 21 days with a quantity of rain, sleet, snow etc. per month.
... that the
driest weather is in May when an average of 67 mm (2.6 in) of
rainfall (precipitation) occurs across 16 days. The wettest
weather is in December when an average of 167 mm (6.6 in) of
rainfall (precipitation) occurs across 26 days.
... that the average annual relative
humidity is 83.7% and average monthly relative humidity ranges from 82% in
January, February, March & April to 87% in August.
... that the relative high humidity
makes the temperatures in the summer months feel warmer than the thermometer
shows. Many claim that they get sweat on their forehead already at
temperatures around 14 °C (57 °F) because of the humidity.
... that the
surface sea water around the Faroes never drops below 8° C. The
water masses from a branch of the Gulf Stream, called North Atlantic Water
(NAW), run northeast between Iceland and the Shetlands, thus passing on both
sides of the Faroes. This water mass is relatively warm - 5-11° C – and is
carried into the northern North Sea and the Norwegian Sea. It reaches down to
about 500 meters depth.
... that under
the influence of the warm ocean current of the Gulf Stream
encircling the islands, the climate is very mild. Due to the Gulf Stream
the Faroes have relatively mild winters and cool summers. Average winter
temperatures in Denmark, for instance, are several degrees lower, even if the
Faroes lie much further north than Denmark. The
harbours never freeze in the Faroes, and the winter temperatures are very
moderate considering the high latitude.
... that
snowfall occurs in winter, but it is
short-lived. There are an average of only 41 days per year
with just light frost in the Faroe Islands and in January there are an average
of 9 days with frost.
... that the
average temperature in Faroe Islands is 7.1 °C (45 °F), and the
average temperature range is 8 °C. The average middle temperature (incl.
day and night) in the Faroe Islands ranges from 3 °C
in the coldest months January/February to 12 °C in the
warmest month, August. The highest monthly average
day temperature is 14 °C (57 °F) in August, but the
temperature can be much higher locally. Day temperatures can easily go above 20
°C in sheltered areas.
... that many say it's never too hot and never really
freezing cold in the Faroes. The air is
always fresh and clean no matter the season. Hikers love the climate because
it's perfectly comfortable for hiking and for other outdoors activities alike.
… that because
the islands are so close to the Arctic Circle, the amount of daylight varies a
lot by
season. For two months in the summer it never gets dark. The sun sets briefly
each night in June, so there are just a few hours of twilight, before the sun
comes back up again. During the winter there are no days of complete darkness,
but about five hours of daylight in December.
... that the average sunlight hours in Faroe Islands range
between 0.2 hours per day in December and 4.7 hours per day in June. There are
an average of 902 hours of sunlight per year with an average of 2.5 hours of
sunlight per day.
... that the weather can, at times, be rather extreme in
the North Atlantic in and around the Faroes, especially in the winter months,
sometimes with mean winds at
hurricane speed of 50 m/s and wind gusts up to 70 m/s (240 Km/H) - making even
trucks fly in the air! Thus the Faroese people make sure that their houses are
very well built so they can withstand the strong winds.
... that if the winds are strong for several days it creates
giant waves, sometimes several storeys high, that plunge into
the cliffs sending spray maybe hundreds of meters up in the air, and sometimes
even lifting giant heavy rocks and carrying them 40-60 m higher up on the
mountain sides! (See
photo of impressive surf here).
... that for many people the wild forces of nature are part
of the fascination with these islands. These forces have formed the stunning landscape of the
Faroes which is characterised by vertical cliffs several hundred meter high many
places - especially on the west and north side of the
islands which are most susceptible to wind and where the windspeed often is the
strongest.
