Falkland Islands
Weather locations in Falkland Islands
Choose a location in Falkland Islands to view its available forecast products.
Falkland Islands illustrated weather map
0 mapped locations
Only locations with a verified coordinate are marked. The complete location list is below.
Map Disclaimer: Maps and geographic illustrations on this website are simplified, stylized representations for weather visualization only. They are not drawn to scale and should not be interpreted as authoritative representations of national boundaries, territorial status, or geographic relationships.
Climate of Falkland Islands
Country climate guideThe Falkland Islands lie in the South Atlantic at about 52° south, well into the roaring forties, and the ocean dominates everything about their weather. There are no mountains, no large lakes and no continent to buffer the wind, so the climate is a cool, wet, endlessly changeable maritime one. Life here is shaped more by wind and weather than by sun.
Main climate types
Köppen classifies the islands as a subpolar oceanic climate — a cold temperate variety, not a polar one. Grass covers most of the land, because nothing warm enough ever arrives to allow trees; only low scrub and tussock grow. Cloud and fog are constant companions, and the archipelago's many sheltered coves have famously poor anchorages in a westerly. The eastern island is a little drier and sunnier than the western one.
Temperatures
Stanley, on the east, records about 9 °C in January and about 4 °C in July, with an annual mean near 6 °C. Higher ground and the northern coast run slightly cooler, and frosts are common on the moorland in most winters, although snow rarely settles for long. Wind chill makes the islands feel considerably colder than the thermometer suggests, and hard frosts in July and August are not unusual in the interior.
Rainfall
Rainfall totals around 600 to 700 mm at Stanley, but the pattern matters more than the sum: showers arrive on perhaps 250 days a year and fall in almost every month. The west coast catches appreciably more, possibly 900 mm or more, as the moist westerlies are pushed up over the hilly interior. Snow falls on perhaps 30 to 40 days, most of it as brief flurries rather than a lasting fall. Overcast skies are the norm, and the islands get sunlight only intermittently.
When to go
Because there is no real dry season, timing matters less than preparation. Summer, from late December to February, is the driest, mildest and sunniest stretch, and it coincides with the wildlife: penguins ashore, seals breeding and the seabirds nesting. Autumn and early winter bring more wind and rain. Visitors should expect all four seasons in a single day and bring proper waterproof clothing regardless of when they come.