The verdict comes after Storm Austen caused significant disruption in the island.
Asked whether gales and storms were becoming more frequent, senior meteorological officer Adam Heaume said there was no statistical basis for thinking so.
One measure the Met Office records is a ‘day of gale’, when sustained mean wind speeds of at least 34 knots (about 39mph) are recorded in a 24-hour period from midnight.
‘Since 2000 this number ranges from one day a year (last year) to 18 days of gales in 2007,’ said Mr Heaume.
‘However, the trend this century has actually seen a very small fall in the number of days with a gale.’
To count as a storm rather than a gale, winds need to reach Force 10 on the Beaufort scale. Mr Heaume said that was rare in Guernsey, and there was no sign it was becoming less so.
‘Since 2000, we have had years where we haven’t recorded any gusts up to this strength (2001, 2006, 2025), while we’ve also had as many as 11 recorded gusts exceeding this in both 2007 and 2004,’ he said.
‘Again, the records show a small downward trend in the number of occasions when gusts of 60mph or higher have been recorded.’
The UK Met Office began naming storms in 2015 to encourage the public to take them more seriously and to improve safety.
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