Weather and wind
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On the Helgeland coast, the weather is always part of the story — especially out here, among open seas and scattered islands. The ocean sets the rhythm, and the weather can change in minutes: sunshine, rain, calm and storm, all in the same day. We’re now in Alstahaug Municipality, which has a typical coastal climate with cool summers, mild winters, and sudden shifts. The average annual temperature is around 6.2 degrees Celsius. The warmest day on record was an exceptional 33.1°C at Tjøtta in 2019. The coldest? Minus 21°C in Sandnessjøen back in 1966. Annual precipitation exceeds 1300 millimeters, most of it falling as heavy rain. When low-pressure systems roll in from the Atlantic, wind speeds can reach hurricane force. During a storm in 1971, gusts hit 40 meters per second — that’s around 140 km/h. Newspapers later reported boat sheds blown into the sea, boats tossed ashore, and flagpoles snapping like matchsticks. But between the storms, calm, radiant moments break through. The light shifts, the landscape breathes, and it becomes clear why people live here — and why so many return. On the Helgeland coast, the weather isn’t just something to endure. It’s something to experience.