Ypres has a temperate maritime climate with all four seasons and no extremes of temperature. Summers are warm and winters are cool. Ypres sits in the southeast of Belgium in the region of West Flanders near the border with France.
Visitors to the area are usually interested in its history. Ypres has a position of strategic military importance and has been the site of numerous battles. Next to Ypres sits Passchendaele, the site of The Third Battle of Ypres which took place in 1917 during the First World War. It is famous for being one of the bloodiest fights; half a million soldiers were sacrificed for a few miles of land. The tasteless statistic of 35 men per metre is due not just to sloppy tactics, but to truly dismal weather. If it had not been for the worst rain in 75 years, losses might not have been as horrific. Trench warfare is notoriously uncomfortable; in heavy, relentless rain conditions deteriorated to the point of soldiers routinely drowning.
Summer, between June and July, is warm and sunny but often wet. The average high temperature gets to 20°C in June, peaks at 22°C in July and August and gets down to 19°C in September. It can get up into the mid 20s in the peak summer months but Ypres is not far from the coast so a cooling wind is usually present, preventing truly high temperatures. Night times are usually cool; July has the highest average low at 13°C, which is not very warm. Rainfall is frequent if not particularly heavy, falling on around half of the days in each month but showers tend to clear the sky of clouds leaving time for seven hours of sunshine per day. September is a little more overcast and only gets around five hours per day.
Autumn, in October and November, is mild and wet with an average high temperature of 15°C in October and 9°C in November. This means that the beginning of the season will still see some days when only a light jumper is needed while from the middle of the season youâll have to wear a coat. Rainfall increases slightly, falling just as lightly but ever more frequently. This further reduces sunshine levels. October isnât too bad but November is rather gloomy with only two hours of sun per day.
Winter, between December and February, is chilly with an average high of 5°C and an average low of 1°C in January: the coldest month. December and February are only marginally warmer. Precipitation slightly decreases as the season progresses but showers remain frequent, often falling as snow. In higher areas snow can settle for prolonged periods. Sunshine levels do not improve.
Spring, from March till May, is mild and relatively dry. The temperature climbs to an average high of 10°C in March, 13°C in April and 17°C in May. From mid May daytime temperatures can reach 20°C when the sun stays out for long enough. Night time temperatures remain low and a cold wind can always put a bite in the air. Rainfall stays quite low but increases to the usual, moderately high levels in May. Sunshine levels steadily increase, getting to six hours per day in May.
This area of Belgium is quite high and hilly, accounting for its cooler winters than in central and northern Belgium. Itâs position not far from the ocean means it is unlikely to experience extreme temperatures but the west winds blowing in from the Atlantic bring plenty of rain.