Port-aux-Français weather in March

In March, Port-aux-Français sees average daytime highs of 9°C and overnight lows near 4°C, with 71 mm of precipitation across 13.1 wet days and about 12.5 hours of daylight. It is the 3rd-warmest and 9th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 9°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 24 min at the start of March to 11 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Port-aux-Français's 9th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Port-aux-Français's year-round climate.

Daytime high
3rd warmest
Overnight low
10th coldest
Precipitation
71 mm
13.1 wet days
Daylight
12 h 30 min
6:15 AM – 6:42 PM
Cloud cover
78%
9th clearest
Wind
25 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
3.18 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.6
out of 10

Port-aux-Français is research station in Kerguelen, French Southern and Antarctic Territories.

Founded
1951

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 9°C through the month.

A typical March day in Port-aux-Français reaches about 9°C in the afternoon and slips back to 4°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 6°C and 12°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°C cooler than February and about 2°C warmer than April.

10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
194
294
394
494
594
694
794
894
994
1094
1194
1294
1394
1494
1594
1694
1794
1894
1994
2094
2194
2294
2394
2494
2594
2694
2784
2884
2984
3083
3183

How March really feels in Port-aux-Français

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
wind chill below the day's low

The story in March is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Port-aux-Français weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 3rd-warmest and 9th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 6813.50.615.61.8
Feb10° / 5811.60.214.21.9
Mar / 7113.10.512.51.6
Apr / 7613.31.510.61.0
May / 7914.63.68.90.2
Jun / 7714.45.580.0
Jul / -1°8815.97.58.40.0
Aug / -1°7814.16.49.80.0
Sep / -1°7814.57.211.60.0
Oct / 6914.34.513.50.1
Nov / 7215.52.815.10.6
Dec / 7715.60.8161.2

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 5% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 80%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12080
22080
32080
42080
52080
62080
72080
82080
92179
102179
112179
122179
132278
142278
152278
162179
172179
182179
192179
202080
212080
222080
232080
242080
252080
262080
272080
282080
292080
302080
312080

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Port-aux-Français gets around 71 mm of rain and snow over 13.1 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 42% and peaks near 45% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1451
2451
3451
4441
5441
6431
7431
8431
9421
10421
11422
12412
13412
14412
15412
16412
17412
18422
19422
20422
21422
22422
23422
24422
25422
26422
27422
28422
29422
30422
31422

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of March feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, March lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in March

Winds average 25 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 25 km/h on the calmest days to 26 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
125breezy
225breezy
325breezy
425breezy
525breezy
626breezy
726breezy
826breezy
926breezy
1026breezy
1126breezy
1226breezy
1326breezy
1426breezy
1526breezy
1626breezy
1726breezy
1826breezy
1926breezy
2026breezy
2126breezy
2225breezy
2325breezy
2425breezy
2525breezy
2625breezy
2725breezy
2825breezy
2925breezy
3025breezy
3125breezy

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min at the start of March to 11 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 114 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 5:51 AM to 6:39 AM, and sunset from 7:14 PM to 6:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:517:14
213.35:537:12
313.35:547:10
413.25:567:08
513.15:587:06
613.15:597:04
713.06:017:02
813.06:026:59
912.96:046:57
1012.86:066:55
1112.86:076:53
1212.76:096:51
1312.66:106:49
1412.66:126:47
1512.56:146:45
1612.56:156:42
1712.46:176:40
1812.36:186:38
1912.36:206:36
2012.26:216:34
2112.16:236:32
2212.16:256:29
2312.06:266:27
2412.06:286:25
2511.96:296:23
2611.86:316:21
2711.86:326:18
2811.76:346:16
2911.66:366:14
3011.66:376:12
3111.56:396:10

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 3.18 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.85 kWh/m² to a high of 5.89 kWh/m² in December across the year — March's 3.18 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.9Moderate
23.9Moderate
33.8Moderate
43.8Moderate
53.7Moderate
63.7Moderate
73.6Moderate
83.6Moderate
93.5Moderate
103.5Moderate
113.5Moderate
123.4Moderate
133.4Moderate
143.3Moderate
153.3Moderate
163.2Moderate
173.1Moderate
183.1Moderate
193.0Moderate
203.0Moderate
213.0Moderate
222.9Moderate
232.9Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.8Moderate
262.7Moderate
272.7Moderate
282.6Moderate
292.6Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Port-aux-Français?

Our two travel scores rate March for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

1.6
Sightseeing
3rd-best month of the year
Beach & pool
never really warm enough

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Port-aux-Français.

What to pack for Port-aux-Français in March

From March's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In March, Port-aux-Français sees daytime highs around 9°C and nights near 4°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear and a windbreaker. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Port-aux-Français in March

The nearest coast averages about 7°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in March at about 7°C and coldest in September near 3°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

2°4°6°8°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan6Bracing
Feb6Bracing
Mar7Bracing
Apr6Bracing
May5Bracing
Jun4Bracing
Jul3Bracing
Aug3Bracing
Sep3Bracing
Oct3Bracing
Nov4Bracing
Dec5Bracing

UV index in Port-aux-Français in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Port-aux-Français peaks around January 19 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highModerateLowModerateVery highJan 19UV 9Jun 23UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan9Very high
Feb8Very high
Mar5Moderate
Apr2Moderate
May1Low
Jun1Low
Jul1Low
Aug2Low
Sep3Moderate
Oct5Moderate
Nov7Very high
Dec8Very high
Location & terrain

Where is Port-aux-Français?

Port-aux-Français sits at 49.3°S, 70.2°E, 11 m above sea level, in French Southern Territories. The nearest listed city is Saint-Joseph, 3,367 km away.

Topography around Port-aux-Français

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Port-aux-Français.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Port-aux-Français has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 68 m around an average of 20 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 854 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,652 m.

The land around Port-aux-Français is covered by grassland (42%), water (36%) and bare terrain (20%) within 3 km, water (41%) and grassland (37%) within 16 km, and water (69%) within 80 km.

3 km
68 m
16 km
854 m
80 km
1,652 m
grasslandbare terrainsnow and icewaterwetland
March weather nearby: Saint-Joseph 3,367 km · Tôlanaro 3,369 km · Saint-Pierre 3,376 km · Le Tampon 3,381 km · Saint-Louis 3,383 km · Piton Saint-Leu 3,394 km · Souillac 3,398 km · Saint-Benoît 3,399 km

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Port-aux-Français (-49.3492°, 70.2194°, elevation 11 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).