Climate - Faroe Islands

On the Faroe Islands, an autonomous Danish territory, the climate is cold, wet, and rainy throughout the year. The influence of the ocean narrows the temperature range both between night and day and between winter and summer. The wind frequently blows, and it's moderate or strong throughout the year, however, storms are most likely from October to March.

In the capital, Torshavn, the average temperature ranges from 3.5 °C (38 °F) in February to 11 °C (52 °F) in August, which is the mildest month. Therefore, the climate is almost subpolar because of the cold summer, even though the average in winter remains above freezing (0 °C or 32 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation is abundant, since it amounts to 1,300 millimeters (52 inches) per year, with a maximum in autumn and winter, from September to March, when more than 100 mm (4 in) of rain (or snow) fall per month, and a relative minimum in spring and summer. The least rainy months are May and June, when, however, precipitation is around 55/65 millimeters (2.1/2.5 inches) per month; in the least rainy period, from May to August, it still rains for 12/13 days per month on average. Here is the average precipitation in Torshavn.

On the Faroe Islands, there is not much sun. Cloudy skies are the norm, however, the sun is relatively more frequent from April to July. With less than 900 hours of sunshine per year, the Faroe Islands are the least sunny place in the world.
On the other hand, given the high latitude, the days are very long from May to July. From about May 5 to August 8, there are the white nights, when it doesn't get completely dark even at midnight. In contrast, the days are very short in winter, especially from November to January, when the weather is also usually bad, so darkness reigns supreme. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Winter is not freezing, but wind and humidity increase the feeling of cold. Rainfall is more frequent than snow even in winter; on the other hand, snowfalls and frosts, usually not intense, are possible for a long period, ie from October to April.
On the coldest days of the year, the temperature typically drops to -5 °C (23 °F), and even in these cases, the maximum rises above freezing. More rarely, once every few years, there may be a colder period, which however lasts a few days, in which the temperature can drop down to -8/-9 °C (16/18 °F), and this can also happen in March.
During the cold waves that hit Europe, the Faroe Islands are generally affected by a high pressure of subtropical origin, which brings mild and sunny weather. For example, in late January 1999, the temperature reached 10 °C (50 °F), while a descent of cold air from the north pole brought temperatures of -40 °C (-40 °F) in Lapland, and snow as far as the southern Italy.

Spring is cold, and the temperature rises very slowly; in fact, highs are around 9 °C (48 °F) on average still in May, but at least, the days in this season become very long.

Summer is very cool if not cold, with highs around 11/13 °C (52/55 °F). However, there may also be mild days. On the warmest days of the year, the temperature generally reaches up to 17/18 °C (62/64 °F). The highest recorded temperatures are around 20/22 °C (68/72 °F).

In inland areas, there are hills where the altitude makes snowfall more likely, so much so that you can see the snow even in summer. It is said that from the top of Slættaratindur, at 880 meters (2,887 feet) above sea level, you can see the Icelandic glacier Vatnajökull.



The ocean is cold all year round: the sea temperature ranges from 6 °C (43 °F) in February and March to 11 °C (52 °F) in August. In winter, because of the Gulf Stream, the water temperature is relatively high, compared to the latitude.

Best Time

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The best time to visit the Faroes is summer, from June to August, since it is the least cold and the least rainy period of the year. In September, the temperature is as cool as in June, but it rains more often and the days are shorter. In May, the temperature it's colder, but the days are long and the frequency of rainfall is similar to that of summer.

What to pack

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In winter: bring warm clothes, a fleece, a down jacket, a hat, gloves, and a waterproof wind jacket.
In summer: bring a shirt, a sweater, a jacket, boots, and a raincoat or umbrella.