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The Land of the Wind

On the fine days, which can happen at any time of the year, the islands appear idyllic; in winter hurricanes they are awe-inspiring. This is the land of the oilskins and the parka, or 'Terre de Vent' (The Land of the Wind), as the French photographer Georges Dif recently described it in his beautiful portrait of the islands.

The climate is only slightly warmer than the Gulf of Alaska, which lies on the same 60th parallel of latitude. Although Shetland is as far north as Greenland's Cape Farewell, snow rarely lies long; gales of rain, squalls of sleet and occasional 'days between weathers' characterise the long winter, which lasts from October to April. 

In midwinter there are less than six hours of daylight; at midsummer almost 19 (plus five and a bit hours of surreal twilight - the 'simmer dim'). Shetland summers are breezy, cool and often bright. Settled spells of weather are unusual at any season, although the spring is often the driest time.

There is twice as much annual rainfall as at Dunbar, but only about half as much as Fort William. Lying in the track of the Atlantic depressions and bathed by the relatively warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift, Shetland has surprisingly mild temperatures. February is the coldest month, with a daily average maximum of 4.9°C, and August the warmest, with 14°C. The average daily temperature range over the year is only 4.2°C. Shetland is popularly supposed to have 'nine months of winter and three months of bad weather'.

The weather is certainly boisterous, but rarely the same for two days running. Not surprisingly, the study of meteorology is an abiding passion with many islanders. The old weather lore is kept in daily use by fishermen and crofters.

"But what's the weather really like, so far north?"

It's a question often asked by intending visitors who've looked at the map and found that the islands are on latitude 60 degrees north - the same as Anchorage in Alaska, St Petersburg or southern Greenland. The answer is surprising. Shetland has lots and lots of weather. Sometimes we get four seasons in a day. It's rarely the same two days running. That's because the islands lie 200 miles off the continent of Europe, in a corner of the North-east Atlantic where different air masses fight an endless war. Each day's weather is a battle in this atmospheric conflict.

From the north, polar winds blow down over a thousand miles of ocean from Spitzbergen. Not very often, fortunately, or Shetland would have winters like Labrador's. From the east, cold winter air from the continent spills out into the Atlantic, bringing clear, frosty weather which can settle for days at a time. In summer, this Scandinavian air is much warmer than the North Sea and gives days of sunshine on the sheltered western shores of the islands while the exposed east coast is swathed in sea fog.

Most of Shetland's weather comes from the open Atlantic, however, depressions, each about 500 miles across, sometimes swirl in one after the other, disrupting the stable air from the north and east. The depressions bring startling and rapid changes. When the barometer is falling, you can set out for a sail on a glorious sunny morning with a light, south easterly breeze. The air will be so clear that you can see islands 50 miles away. Idyllic! But by lunchtime it'll have clouded over and the wind will be veering southerly. Evening may find your boat seeking shelter in one of Shetland's many welcoming small harbours, as a gale from the south west sets in with heavy rain. Next morning the wind will be a north westerly breeze with heavy showers sweeping over the islands. You'll see them coming miles away. Touring by car, you can choose a route to dodge them.

These magically clear days of a Shetland summer are known in dialect as "days atween wadders" ("days between weathers") and more than make up for the occasional summer fogs and gales. Days atween wadders happen in winter too, although between October and March the gales are much more frequent and rain can be torrential and prolonged. Rain rarely falls vertically in Shetland. It moves sideways at varying speed before hitting something and dripping to earth. It rains often but the annual total of 1,198mm (47 ins) is only half that of the Isle of Skye. The driest months are May, June and July, with only about 63mm (2.5 ins) each.

At 60 degrees North, we ought to get a lot of snow. Valdez in Alaska, for example, gets over 30 feet of it a year, on the same latitude. We don't. Not that it doesn't snow; it does, frequently. And most of all in early spring. But it's usually in the form of showers and it rarely lies for more than a day or two. Big snowstorms are very unusual but when they do come they come with a vengeance. The high winds build up huge drifts, blocking roads and almost burying houses. Prolonged freezing is also rare. There's no sea ice but, after a calm and frosty spell, you may find a thin layer of ice on the tide line in sheltered voes, or inlets.

Shetland's mild but wild winters are one reason why the growing season is surprisingly long, even though it doesn't really start until mid May. Garden roses in bloom at Christmas are not uncommon. The cause of the mild winters and cool summers is simple; Shetland has 1,697 miles of coastline and nowhere is more than three miles from the ocean. The islands are bathed by the North Atlantic Drift, an offshoot of the Gulf Stream, which warms the air in winter and cools it in summer. The sea temperature only varies from about seven degrees C. in February and March to 13 degrees in July and August, although it can be warmer in the voes around the coast. The annual range of air temperatures is also quite small. The monthly average maximum peaks at around 14 degrees C. (57F) in August, dropping to six degrees C. (38F) in March.

The prevailing wind is south westerly. But rapid and frequent changes in direction are the norm, particularly when those Atlantic depressions are passing through. They bring the worst gales between October and March, when the average wind speed is a stiff Force Five breeze. Gales of Force Eight (39 mph) and more blow on average for about 36 days in autumn and winter. Shetland gales are spectacular. Winds of Force 10 can be expected several times each winter, sometimes reaching Hurricane Force 12 or 13. Gusts of over 200 mph have been recorded. Huge seas build up, particularly on the west coast, and salt spray carries far inland. The big winds are awe inspiring but also useful. They bring driftwood for the fires and seaweed for fields and gardens - compensation for the coastal erosion and occasional structural damage they cause.

Summer gales are less frequent seven "gale days" on average between April and September but it's still breezy, with the average wind speed around Force Three to Four. Constant changes in wind speed and direction make pleasure sailing on the Shetland coast a fascinating challenge. Whatever the wind, the convoluted coastline means that there's always a sheltered beach to be found for the bucket and spade brigade.

Artists and photographers rejoice in the quality of light in the islands. For half of the year, Shetland has more of it than anywhere else in Britain. June sunshine averages 154 hours. On Midsummer Day, the sun's above the horizon for almost 19 hours. The remaining five hours and eight minutes are officially termed "civil twilight". Shetlanders call it the "Simmer Dim". From mid May until mid July the Simmer Dim gives the midnight hours a magical quality. On clear nights it's light enough to read by. Sunsets and sunrises are often sensational and prolonged. All this extra light means more time for visitors to enjoy outdoor activities. Don't worry if it's too windy and wet for that outing in the morning. By teatime the weather will probably be better, and you still have plenty of daylight and "Simmer Dim" ahead of you. The mysterious twilight is enhanced by veils of mist swirling up the valleys from the sea, vanishing as the morning sun warms the air. Thick fog is rare only 19 "fog days" on average each year - and mainly confined to the summer months. Northern Isles Weather

Long hours when the sun is low in the sky produce a glowing, golden light which brings out the artist in locals and visitors alike. More inspiration comes from the magnificent cloudscapes. Somehow the sky seems bigger when you're on an island in the ocean.

Superb skies are common in winter, too. And a clear night brings a good chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. Shetlanders have a name for them the "Merrie Dancers". They're around on at least a hundred nights a year, although it's often too cloudy to see them. Usually the lights appear as shimmering veils of pale green and white over the northern horizon. In good conditions, when the Sun's "solar wind" is battering the Earth's magnetic field, the display of charged particles can cover the whole sky. Then amazing, fiery, pinkish red aurora may appear, often radiating from directly overhead. In summer the nights are too light for the "Merrie Dancers" but from mid August onwards there's the "Mareel". That's the Shetland name for phosphorescence. Returning late from a sea fishing trip, the wake of a boat will glow with millions of tiny silver lights, given off by agitated plankton.

Whenever you come to Shetland, we guarantee that the weather won't be boring!

(Thanks to Jonathan Wills for the above article)