There is a popular misconception that it rains all the time in Wales. While it is certainly true that the west coast of Britain is damper than the east, Pembrokeshire shapes up very well in comparison with more popular western destinations such as Cornwall, the Lake District and Skye.
As might be expected, the climate is very comparable to the far more expensive holiday destination of Cornwall. The average annual temperature in both places is virtually the same (about 13.5C – considerably higher than the Lakes or Skye). Yes, there is just slightly more rain in South West Wales than the West Country (1075mm vs 999mm), but on the other hand this is spread over 148 rather than 150 days. Milford Haven also gets more hours of sunshine (1625 vs 1608) than Culdrose.
Meanwhile Keswick in the Lake District gets almost 50% more rain than Pembrokeshire and the West Coast of Scotland gets nearly twice as much precipitation spread over 50% more days.
Of course the weather on land can be variable, but the sea – or rather its temperature – is far more predictable. It might be chilly on shore one day, but the sea will be just as warm on a rainy Tuesday as it was on the sun-drenched roasting hot Monday. Yes, conditions fluctuate around the year, but by far less than you might imagine.
Although one associates perfect beach holidays with June and July, the water temperatures actually peak at the end of August (17C or 62F) before falling back very slowly to a February low. So it comes as a surprise to many to learn that the sea is actually warmer in October than it is in June. Indeed, on average it is as warm on New Year’s Day as it is on the May Day Bank Holiday (10C or 50F).
