Weather and seasons
May, June and September: thrift, gorse and marsh orchids at their best in May-June, or grey seal pupping at its peak in September; long or workable daylight; the full coastal bus network running (23 May-27 September) without the July-August accommodation crush.
This is one of the most exposed trails in the set: almost the entire route runs along open clifftop with little shelter, so wind and storms define the shoulder and winter months in a way that matters more here than the temperature figures alone suggest. The coastal bus network (Puffin Shuttle, Strumble Shuttle, Celtic Coaster, plus the summer timetable of the Coastal Cruiser) is a genuine seasonal planning tool — it runs 23 May to 27 September, and only a reduced, two-day-a-week Coastal Cruiser service continues outside that window — so relying on buses to shorten stages only works in season. May-June and September are the sweet spot: full services, the best of the flora or the grey seal pupping season, and lighter crowds than July-August. Two low-tide crossings, the Gann and Sandy Haven near Dale, require careful timing year-round (roughly 2.5 hours either side of low tide) and are worth planning around regardless of month.
Short days, the stormiest month of the year on an almost entirely exposed coast, and the coastal bus network not running.
7-8°C high · 3°C low · ~8.4 hrs (sunrise ~08:20, sunset ~16:40)Watch for: Storm-force gusts on the headlands; the mandatory low-tide crossings at the Gann and Sandy Haven (near Dale) need careful timing at any time of year, and short winter daylight leaves less margin if you misjudge one.An hour and a half more daylight than January, but the same exposed storm pattern and the same absence of the coastal bus network.
7-8°C high · 3°C low · ~9.9 hrs (sunrise ~07:35, sunset ~17:25)Watch for: Same headland wind exposure as January; a settled, clear day between systems can give excellent walking.Daylight lengthens fast and the first wildflowers appear, but the coast is still off-season: no coastal buses yet, and weather is changeable week to week.
9°C high · 4°C low · ~11.9 hrs (sunrise ~06:30, sunset ~18:20, clocks change late in the month)Watch for: Equinoctial gales on the headlands; still no coastal bus service if you're relying on one to shorten a stage.Wildflowers building fast and days long enough for full stages, but the coastal bus network is still not running (it starts 23 May), so onward transport options are limited to year-round local services.
11°C high · 5°C low · ~14.0 hrs (BST from late March; sunrise ~06:20, sunset ~20:10)Watch for: Nights still cold; sun exposure on the cliff tops is already worth taking seriously on a clear day.Thrift and gorse at their peak, long daylight, and from 23 May the full coastal bus network (Puffin Shuttle, Strumble Shuttle, Celtic Coaster, Coastal Cruiser summer timetable) comes into service — a genuine planning improvement for shortening or varying stages.
14°C high · 8°C low · ~15.6 hrs (sunrise ~05:30, sunset ~20:55)Watch for: Ticks becoming active in coastal scrub and bracken.The longest days of the year, the full coastal bus network running, marsh orchids at their peak, and the last reliably quiet weeks before the July-August school holiday crush.
16°C high · 10°C low · ~16.8 hrs (sunrise ~04:50, sunset ~21:30, longest days of the year)Watch for: Ticks; sun exposure on the largely shadeless clifftop path, even on a dull day.Warm, long-dayed and with the full coastal bus network running, but this is peak season: accommodation for single nights gets genuinely hard to find once school holidays start.
18°C high · 12°C low · ~16.5 hrs (sunrise ~05:05, sunset ~21:25)Watch for: Sun exposure on the shadeless cliff path; ticks.The most reliable weather of the year and the full coastal bus network still running, but also the hardest month to find accommodation, and grey seal pupping starts on the more remote beaches from this month.
18°C high · 12°C low · ~14.9 hrs (sunrise ~05:50, sunset ~20:40)Watch for: Grey seals begin pupping on undisturbed beaches (Ramsey Island, Skomer, Cemaes Head, Strumble Head, Marloes) from this month — keep well back and out of sight if you spot one; sun exposure on the cliff path.The coastal bus network still runs to 27 September, the trail empties out once schools return, and this is the peak month for grey seal pupping on the more remote beaches — a good trade for the fading thrift and gorse.
16-17°C high · 11°C low · ~12.6 hrs (sunrise ~06:35, sunset ~19:15, equinox late in the month)Watch for: Grey seal pupping is at its peak (Ramsey Island is the largest site in southern Britain, 500-700 pups a year) — watch from the path with binoculars rather than approaching a beach.Rainfall jumps sharply and the coastal bus network stops on 27 September (reverting to the reduced winter Coastal Cruiser only), but grey seal pupping continues on the quieter beaches and the trail is pleasantly empty.
13°C high · 8°C low · ~10.6 hrs (BST for most of the month; clocks change late in the month)Watch for: Grey seal pupping continues; the clock change midway through the month cuts a further hour of usable light.Daylight collapses and the exposed coast returns to its storm-season pattern, though this is the tail end of grey seal pupping season.
10°C high · 6°C low · ~9.0 hrs (sunrise ~07:15, sunset ~16:15)Watch for: Late grey seal pups may still be on remote beaches early in the month; short daylight and storm exposure are the binding constraints on any stage.The shortest days and wettest, stormiest conditions of the year on a coast with almost no shelter.
8°C high · 4°C low · ~8.1 hrs (sunrise ~08:20, sunset ~16:00, shortest days of the year)Watch for: Under 8.5 hours of daylight is the binding constraint on any stage; storm-force winds on the headlands are routine rather than exceptional.