Friday
The Weather
The windiest day of the week, with Storm Ellen having one last mid-life crisis before retiring northwards. For the Channel Islands, this just means some very splashy high tides and a fresh force 5 to strong force 6 SW’ly wind. Weather-wise we are talking hazy sunshine for the vast majority of the day, but a few cloudy interludes and the risk of a fleeting shower in the afternoon and evening. It certainly isn’t going to be cold, with temperatures peaking at about 22°C in Town and 21°C in the more exposed areas.
Surf and the Water
An epic day for surfing and windsurfing, but certainly not a day for the inexperienced. With wave-heights of 8 feet or more, the west coast is best left to the experts. If beginners are really keen, then L’Ancresse might offer something manageable, but the strength of the wind will still make it very difficult. As for swimming, there will be a number of sheltered nooks if you know where to look, but Fermain will obviously be the most sheltered of all. See the Guernsey Met tide advice here…
Saturday
The Weather
There will only be a small decrease in the wind strength, along with a slight veer to a WSW’ly direction. This will mean that Town and Fermain will be the most sheltered and warm areas again, although everywhere will be about a degree cooler than on Friday. Weather-wise, it’s looking marginally cloudier than on Friday, but still with plenty of sunny spells. The greatest risk of a shower will be during the morning, but don’t be afraid to hang your laundry because there’s a significant chance they will miss us altogether.
Surf and the Water
The waves will still be 6-8 feet on the west coast and the wind strong enough for windsurfers and kite-surfers to join the action. Once again, anybody who is relatively inexperienced would probably find that L’Ancresse is the better choice for them. Here’s that link to the Guernsey Met tide advice again…
Sunday
The Weather
The wind continuing to veer and ease in strength, leaving us with just a moderate force 4 W’ly. The shower risk lower than on Saturday, the sunshine more plentiful but the temperatures much the same… max 21-22°C (warmest in Town).
Surf and the Water
The surf dropping off to about 4 feet on the west coast. Rather choppy but still good fun at times, Take care out there though, because big tides always mean strong currents. This time the high will be about 9.3m at 10:20am and the low will be about 1.3m at 4:40pm.
Next Week
The Weather
A couple more vigorous storms have their sights set on the UK, meaning that we shall probably have a similar week to the one we have just had. Temperatures around normal with mostly bright and breezy weather, coming on alternating S’ly and W’ly airflows. It won’t be entirely dry though, with showers scattered around the Channel on most days (possibly catching the islands) and possibly some longer spells of rain on Tuesday and Thursday.
Surf and the Water
The tidal range will steadily become small, which will be a relief because there is the potential for a couple of the days to have waves of 6-8 feet again. On the smaller days, we should always maintain at least 2-3 feet of rideable surf. The quality of the surf is very uncertain at the moment, because the details of how the wind and swell will combine are not yet known. Once again the most sheltered spots for swimming will generally be on the east coast.
The next forecast update will be with you on Sunday evening.
Previous Weather Fox ForecastsTide Tables
Swim Conditions
Ormering
Lihou Causeway