Highest record wind speeds in St Helier

​​​​​Request 742915755

Please could you provide a table listing the highest record wind speeds in St Helier for each month as far back as records exist please? Ideally this would be for the last 50 years, or longer, if available. 

Please set the data out in the format:

Year, Month, Highest Recorded Wind Speed in St Helier

Thank you

Response

The information requested is exempt under Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 as the information is accessible to you by other means.

Specific weather information can be requested directly from the Metrological Section within Infrastructure, Housing and Environment by emailing them at the following email address:

Jerseymetadmin@gov.je​

It should be noted that the provision of this information will incur a charge and further information is contained on the webpage linked below.

Jersey Met premium services​

Article applied

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.​​​​

Internal Review Request

I wish to appeal against the response to FOI request 742915755.

The grounds of my appeal are that I am seeking the same information that government ministers rely upon in order to make policy decisions without having to pay a charge, as suggested in the response to my FOI request.

In a BBC Jersey television interview aired on 21st August 2025 relating to ferry services, Economic Development Minister Deputy Kirsten Morel said “As we see climate change increasing the ferocity of storms and also increasing wind speeds, which is exactly what is expected with climate change over the coming years, there is merit in saying actually, what we need is a reliable service first and conventional ferries are better able to provide that reliable service”.

The Minister is making public policy based on his understanding of wind speed data. My FOI request is a simple request to gain access to the same meteorological data that the Minister is using to formulate public policy.

I respectfully request that my FOI request be reconsidered and that I am provided with the information originally requested.

Internal Review Response

This internal review has been conducted by an official of appropriate seniority who has not been involved in the original decision. As part of their review, they will be expected to understand the reasons behind the original response, impartially determine whether the response should be revised, and how so, considering the request and the information held, any relevant exemptions, or other relevant matters under the Law.

The Internal Review Panel was asked to review the original response and confirm the following: Does the FOI request relate to a body to which the Law applies, or information held by a body covered by the Law?

If the answer is no, all the other questions are not applicable. Further questions if above is a yes:

i.

Was the right information searched for and reviewed?

ii.

Was the information supplied appropriately?

iii.

Was information appropriately withheld in accordance with the articles applied and were the public interest test/ prejudice test properly applied?

Following discussion, it was agreed by the Panel that the decision was upheld.