Sitting just off the coast of northern France, it’s hardly surprising that the Channel Islands has a climate quite distinct from the rest of the British Isles.

And that’s good news if you’re seeking warmer and sunnier weather. The skies are bluer for longer, and the temperatures are generally higher than elsewhere in the UK.

It’s a maritime climate, which means that the surrounding sea tends to moderate the extremes of hot and cold. Temperatures are generally mild in winter and warm in summer.
However, when winds blow from the near-Continent, genuinely hot air can waft across the islands and bring 30-degree heat, especially to Jersey. By the same token, in winter, bitter winds can arrive from the east. So despite their mild reputation, sub-zero temperatures, and even snow, are not as rare as you might think on the Channel Islands.

For much of the year, though, the prevailing southwesterly wind is mild, bight and breezy. It brings occasional showers and, on some winter and spring days, that moist maritime air can shroud the islands in mist.

But for most of the year, and especially in summer, sunscreen will be more useful than a waterproof on the Channel Islands.

Quick facts about

The Channel Islands

Capital:

Currency:

Saint Helier, Saint Peter Port