Practical
Weather on the Opal Coast
A seaside climate: mild, windy, changeable within the same day
Today's forecast
For a specific day, one source is worth checking: Météo-France, which publishes a forecast for each town and a coastal bulletin for the eastern Channel, from the Bay of the Somme to Cap Gris-Nez. It's the bulletin read by sand-yachting clubs and fishermen.
What the weather here is like
The Opal Coast has a proper oceanic climate: mild winters with rare frost, temperate summers where the heat never really settles in, and rain spread across the whole year, more in showers than whole wet days. The sea smooths out the extremes: when it's thirty-five degrees in Lille, it's often seven or eight degrees cooler on the sea wall.
What really decides a day is the wind. It mostly blows from the west or south-west, cools everything down, and makes this coast a playground for sand yachting and kitesurfing. A sky of scudding clouds and sunny spells is the most common weather here: you can get a shower, sunshine and a gust all within the same hour.
Season by season
- Spring. Often the driest season of the year, with bright days from April onwards. The water is still cold, and the light on the headlands is at its best.
- Summer. Mild, rarely muggy. July and August are the months for swimming and full beaches; June and September keep the good weather without the crowds.
- Autumn. The first storms, the September spring tides, and fine calm days between depressions. Walkers' season.
- Winter. Grey and windy more than cold. It's the season of the equinox spring tides and waves crashing over the Wimereux sea wall.
What that changes for your day
Pack a layer more than the thermometer suggests, because of the wind, and a windbreaker even in summer. On the headlands it always blows harder than in town. Sun cream is worth it even under a hazy sky: the wind makes you forget the sun, not the other way round.
And check the tide time before the weather: on this coast, it changes your day more than the rain does.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to come to the Opal Coast?
May to September for the beach and wind sports, with June and September the quietest months: fewer crowds, and by September the sea has had time to warm up. Winter has its fans too, for the spring tides and the cliffs in a storm.
Is it colder than in Lille?
In summer, yes, by two or three degrees: the sea cools things down. In winter it's the opposite, frost is rare on the coast. What really makes the difference is the wind: eighteen degrees with a north-westerly feels like fourteen.
Can you swim?
Yes, mainly in July and August, and on supervised beaches during lifeguard opening hours. The Channel stays cool even in high summer: you go in, you swim, you get out. Wetsuits aren't just for surfers.
What to do if it rains?
Nausicaá in Boulogne, the Cité de la Dentelle in Calais, La Coupole near Saint-Omer, the Dunkirk 1940 museum, the estaminets. And watching the sea in the rain from the Wimereux sea wall isn't the worst idea: showers here pass quickly.
To go further
Our 3 restaurants
Where to eat in Wimereux?
Our favourite
For seafood, facing the sea
L'Aloze Atlantic
A seafront address, noted for its seafood platters.
Fish and seafood · Wimereux
For grilled dishes
Le Ranch
A menu of grilled dishes, with vegetarian options.
Grill restaurant · Wimereux
For a change from seafood
Le Thaï Curry
Thai cuisine, with vegan dishes.
Thai cuisine · Wimereux
Our 3 places to stay
Where to stay in Wimereux?
Our favourite
To sleep in the resort
Hôtel Saint-Jean
A hotel address in Wimereux, within walking distance of the sea wall.
Hotel · Wimereux
For a gîte with a spa
La Fenardière
A gîte with a spa and private pool.
Gîte · Wimereux
To camp near the sea
Camping l'Été Indien
The resort's campsite.
Campsite · Wimereux