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The Faroe Islands are a group of islands that lie between Scotland, Iceland and Norway. The Faroe Islands are today an autonomous area within Denmark. They have self-government, but there are still some things that fall under Danish responsibility. An example of this is the judiciary. Although there are close ties with Denmark, the Faroe Islands are not part of the European Union. The capital of the Faroe Islands is Tórshavn, where almost half of the approximately fifty thousand inhabitants of the total archipelago live. The Faroe Islands have a cool maritime climate. This climate type is clearly related to the moderate maritime climate that we know in the Netherlands. The big difference is the temperature. To qualify for the ‘temperate maritime climate’ classification, there must be an average daily temperature of at least 10 degrees Celsius for at least five months of the year. This limit is only met in the Faroe Islands for two to three months.

Temperature

What is striking is that there are relatively small temperature differences between winter and summer. During the coldest months, the average maximum temperature is about 6 degrees Celsius and the average minimum temperature is 1 to 2 degrees above zero. This makes the Faroe Islands slightly warmer than the Netherlands in winter. In the summer period, the mercury rises to an average of 13 degrees Celsius in the hottest months of July and August. That is significantly cooler than in the Netherlands, where the average temperature is about 22 degrees.

Precipitation and humidity

On average there is 1200 to 1400 millimeters of precipitation per year on the Faroe Islands. The summer months are the driest. Precipitation falls on an average of 200 to 220 days per year. In the period November to April, precipitation regularly falls in the form of snow. It is striking that there is a high relative humidity. This is on average between 85 and 90 percent.

little sun

The Faroe Islands have relatively few sunny hours. On an annual basis, the sun shines an average of 800 to 900 hours. The winter months are completely bleak. In December you see the sun for an average of 6 hours a month! This makes the Faroe Islands one of the most gloomy destinations in the world. The sunniest months are May and June. Then there is an average of four sunny hours per day.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Best time to visit Faroe Islands

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to Faroe Islands? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. The Faroe Islands are a group of islands that are part of the Kingdom of Denmark. The eighteen islands are located in the Atlantic Ocean, roughly between Denmark and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are closer to Iceland than to Denmark. Due to their geographic location, the Faroe Islands have a cool maritime climate, which is indicated by the letter code Cfc within the Köppen-Geiger climate classification. The tundra climate occurs on the mountains. The weather on the Faroe Islands is characterized by moderate winters that sometimes result in a frosty day and fairly cool summers, where the mercury barely rises above twenty degrees. Within the entire calendar year, the difference between the hottest and coldest day is not that great. The Faroe Islands are a popular destination for bird watchers. More than two hundred different bird species live here, of which the puffins are especially of interest to the tourists visiting the Faroe Islands. The rugged landscape offers birds good protection against natural enemies. Besides birdwatching, hiking and fishing are popular pastimes among tourists.

Best months for the Faroe Islands

You can visit the Faroe Islands all year round, but the best time to travel to the Faroe Islands is from June to August. This is the climatic summer in which the temperatures are highest, there is less precipitation and the sun still shows itself regularly. Although it is summer, packing only shorts and a T-shirt is not a good idea when traveling to the Faroe Islands. During the day temperatures of 11 to 15 degrees are normal and at night the mercury drops to an average of 6 to 11 degrees Celsius. During the cooler days we would rather put on a winter coat than a cardigan in the summer, especially on days when there is a lot of wind.