Guernsey Weather Fox

Saturday

Weather

Another toasty day, like Thursday was. Very light (barely noticeable) S’ly breezes will waft warm air over the islands. We will have to burn off some early morning cloud and mist first, so it might not be until late morning or lunchtime when the sun really starts to blaze. Max temp 22°C in most areas but probably 23°C in Town.

Surf and the Water

The surf won’t be as exciting as on Friday (what a treat that was) but it will still be 2-3 feet and exquisitely clean. As for swimming and paddle-boarding, the water will be glassy all around the island so best to just hit your favourite beach/cove at your favourite stage of the tide. High water will be roughly 8.8m at 11:10am. Low water will be roughly 2.2m at 5:30pm.

Sunday

Weather

The cooler feeling day of the weekend, mainly due to an increasing WSW’ly wind (force 3 early morning, picking up to force 5 by late evening). The skies will also be a bit cloudier throughout the day, but it should stay fog-free and rain-free until late in the night, when a cold front is expected to sweep in from the north.

Surf and the Water

The surf will be similar to Saturday at dawn, but then it will steadily become bigger and choppier, finishing the day with some lumpy 5-footers rolling in. Furthermore, the evening session won’t be too bad for windsurfing and kite-surfing either. As for smooth-water swimming, either get up very early or stick to somewhere sheltered like Fermain or Havelet. High water will be roughly 7.9m at midday.

Monday to Thursday

Weather

The common thread that links these for days is the rather cool NW’ly airflow. This is due to the clockwise flow of air around a high-pressure system in the nearby Atlantic. Monday and Tuesday will certainly feel the coolest, because the wind will be force 4 to 5 on these days (max temps 18-19°C) then Wednesday’s and Thursday’s breeze will only be light force 2-3, so it should feel decidedly more pleasant with the temperature nudging up to 20°C (or possibly even 21°C on Thursday). Skies should be a mixed bag of cloud and sunshine throughout the period, with one or two weak weather-fronts bringing the odd light shower here and there. Timings are uncertain, but they currently look more likely to fall during the night-time than the daytime.

Surf and the Water

The west-coast surf will be very choppy and quite chunky on Monday, gradually tending towards a small and cleanish situation on Thursday and total flatness on Thursday. If you’re seeking shelter for a smooth-water swim or suchlike, then the most perfect locations will probably be Petit Bot, Saints, Moulin Huet, and Fermain (or Belvoir if you’re over on Herm). The tidal range will be medium-sized, with lows in the mornings and highs in the afternoons.

Friday and the Weekend

The warmer end of the week, due to the high-pressure system shifting eastwards and putting the Channel Islands in a gentle NE’ly airflow. This won’t be drawing in air from Southern European heatwave, but it will be pulling in air from eastern Europe which is at least warmer than the Atlantic, so we could see temperatures climb as high as 23-25°C with bountiful sunshine.

Surf and the Water

The surf will either be flat or very small and clean. There should be good swimming conditions all around the island, but the south coast will probably be nicest of all. The tidal range will become quite large again, with lows around lunchtime and highs around breakfast time and dinner time.