CLIMATE
The Falklands have a cool temperate oceanic climate, and surrounded by ocean the temperature has modest seasonal variations, ranging being between -5°C in July and 22C in January. Weather, however is very changeable with much cloud and rain, the number of rainy days being similar to Britain. The total rainfall is not large, usually around 650mm (26 inches) annually, the Stanley area receiving the most from the influences of the Wickham Heights close by. There is often sleet and snow in winter, and there may even be unseasonal localised snow flurries in other months, but it does not tend to lie long or deep with the wind and frequent changes. Livestock is not housed in winter.
Daily sunshine ranges from 2-3 hours in winter to 6-7 hours in summer. The longest day of the year is 16:26 hours long and the shortest day is 7:33 long.The Falklands are in the 'Roaring Forties' latitudes though, and are dominated by westerly winds. Gales are frequent. Mostly there is a persistent westerly wind averaging around 16 knots but the winter months often give longer calm spells. Very often a morning is calm then wind blows up through the day then will die away to give a beautiful evening with fantastic sunsets in pollution-free skies.
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Port Howard winter, photo Robert Maddocks
