Falkland Islands Weather: When to Go, Month by Month
The weather here decides more than what you wear. It decides whether your ship can land, how many hours of light you have at a colony, and which penguins are ashore. Here is what each month does to a visit, and which of the penguin tours in the Falkland Islands suit which season.
What the weather does to a visit here
Wind is the fact that matters most. Every weather source calls Stanley extremely windy, and a ship that anchors off Stanley lands you by tender. When the wind stops the tenders, there is no landing and no tour. Several operators also keep the right to cancel a tour for weather themselves.
Rain matters less than you might expect. Stanley gets between 37 and 72 mm a month, spread over nine to twelve days. Temperature matters more on a beach than in town, because the wind takes the warmth out of a 13 °C summer day.
Book a tour you can cancel. Almost every tour refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead, and Volunteer Point needs four days. Compare the terms of each Falkland Islands tour, and read what happens when a ship cannot land.
Falkland Islands month by month
These are Stanley’s rounded averages. Treat them as a guide to the season you are choosing, not a forecast for your day.
January
Stanley averages a high of 13 °C and a low of 6 °C, with rain on about 12 days. You get around six hours of sunshine a day and 16 hours of daylight. All five penguin species are ashore for the breeding summer. The tourist board’s blog names January to March for Volunteer Point, so book that day first.
February
February matches January’s 13 °C high, with a 5 °C low and about 51 mm of rain, the least of the summer months. Sunshine still averages six hours a day, and daylight drops to 14 hours. Magellanic penguins are still in their burrows. If you want a bright, drier day at a colony, February is your best bet.
March
Highs slip to 12 °C and lows hold at 5 °C, with rain on about ten days. Daylight falls to 12 hours and sunshine to five a day. March is the last month the tourist board’s blog names for Volunteer Point. On 31 March the landowner’s published 2026–27 season ends, so check your call day before you book.
April
April brings a 9 °C high, a 3 °C low and rain on about 11 days. Daylight shrinks to ten hours, and sunshine to four a day. The museum switches to its winter timetable and closes on Mondays. Kings and gentoos stay all year, so you still have penguins, but pack a warm layer for every beach.
May
Highs reach only 7 °C and lows fall to 1 °C, with rain on about 11 days. You get nine hours of daylight and three hours of sunshine a day. Magellanic penguins are summer residents only, so do not plan a May trip around them. Gentoos and kings remain, and you will want gloves to watch them.
June
June has about two hours of sunshine a day and only eight hours of daylight. Highs average 5 °C and lows 1 °C, with rain on about ten days. Kings and gentoos are resident all year, so the colonies are not empty. Plan short outings, and carry a hat and gloves wherever you go.
July
July is the coldest month, with a 5 °C high and a 0 °C low. Rain totals about 46 mm over ten days, and daylight stays at eight hours. Gypsy Cove is open at all times, and Yorke Bay’s gentoos stay the winter. Dress for the cold and a short walk from Stanley still works.
August
Highs stay at 5 °C and lows at 0 °C, but daylight climbs back to ten hours. Rain falls on about nine days, totalling around 43 mm. Sunshine averages four hours a day. It is a quiet month in Stanley, so bring your own warm kit and plan around the short afternoons.
September
September is the driest month, with about 37 mm of rain over nine days. Highs rise to 7 °C and daylight to 12 hours. On 1 September Volunteer Point’s published 2026–27 visiting season opens, closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Check which days it lists before you pick your date.
October
Highs reach 9 °C and lows 2 °C, with rain on about nine days. Sunshine returns to six hours a day, and daylight to 14 hours. On 1 October the museum moves to its summer timetable, with longer hours on cruise-ship days. You get long, bright days, so plan a full one ashore.
November
November brings an 11 °C high, a 3 °C low and rain on about 11 days. You get 16 hours of daylight and six of sunshine a day. The museum is on its summer hours, open Mondays when a ship is in. Pack for four seasons in a day, because the wind still sets the temperature.
December
December has the longest days, with 17 hours of daylight and six hours of sunshine. Highs average 12 °C and lows 5 °C, with about 64 mm of rain over 11 days. About a million penguins nest in the islands each summer. Bring waterproofs, because December is one of the wetter months.
The seasons, and which one you want
The islands’ seasons run opposite to the northern hemisphere’s. Summer is December to February, and that is when you see the most penguins.
| Season | Months | Average high | Daylight | Penguins ashore | Museum timetable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | December – February | 12–13 °C | 14–17 hours | All five species breeding | Summer; longer on cruise days |
| Autumn | March – May | 7–12 °C | 9–12 hours | Kings and gentoos all year | Summer in March, winter from April |
| Winter | June – August | 5 °C | 8–10 hours | Kings and gentoos | Winter; closed Mondays |
| Spring | September – November | 7–11 °C | 12–16 hours | Kings and gentoos all year | Winter in September, summer from October |
If you can choose freely, choose January or February. You get the warmest days, the longest light and all five breeding species. The tourist board’s blog names January to March as the best time for Volunteer Point.
Best time of day at a colony
For Magellanic penguins, go late. The tourist board says they are best seen in the early evening. Gypsy Cove is open at all times, so you can walk out after your tour if your ship stays late.
For the kings, the clock is set for you. The landowner at Volunteer Point lists visiting hours of 10:00 to 15:00, and the Volunteer Point tour leaves an hour after your ship arrives. On a port day you rarely choose the hour; you choose the tour that fits the hours you have.
In winter, finish early. June and July give you only eight hours of daylight, so a morning start makes the most of the light.
Pick the tour that fits your hours
Short calls suit Gypsy Cove and Yorke Bay; a full day buys you the kings. Compare them side by side.
What to wear
Dress for wind first, then rain, then cold. You want a windproof and waterproof outer layer, a warm hat and gloves, and shoes you can walk in over sand. Even in summer the wind can make 13 °C feel like a winter day.
Bring a cover for your camera and binoculars, because spray and showers arrive fast. If you visit more than one wildlife site, clean your boots between them. It keeps seeds and soil from travelling between colonies.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time for Falkland Islands tours?
What should you wear on a Falklands penguin tour?
What happens if your cruise ship cannot land in Stanley?
Is it cold in the Falkland Islands in summer?
How much daylight is there in the Falklands?
Monthly figures: Stanley averages published by weather2travel, drawing on CRU/UEA, the Met Office and KNMI.
How you reach the islands is on getting there, which penguins breed when on the penguin guide, and every tour you can book, in any season, on Falkland Islands Tours.