The weather decides how smooth your crossing will be, and sometimes whether it leaves on time. On this page you see Dover and Calais live on the webcams, the wind and waves in the Strait right now, and the forecast for the days ahead.
Sailing delayed or cancelled? All official live updates are on our delays and cancellations page.
Dover webcam
The Dover webcam looks out over the beach and the harbour, with the white cliffs behind. You see at a glance how calm the sea is and whether the ferries are coming and going.
Calais webcam
The Calais webcam films the Channel from the beach. On the right of the picture you see the port of Calais, where the ferries leave for Dover.
What the weather means for your crossing
In a storm the waves between Dover and Calais can get quite high. The ferries on this route handle it well, but the crossing is less comfortable. In our own test the P&O Pioneer ↗ felt the most stable. Le Shuttle runs under the sea and is not affected by waves at all: see our Eurotunnel page.
The maps and forecast below show wind, waves and temperature, so you can judge how the trip will feel. The webcams above show the weather in Dover and Calais right now.
Wind and waves in the Strait of Dover
The maps show the wind and wave height in the Strait of Dover right now. Press play to see how they change over the coming hours.
Wind
10 knots is wind force 3, 20 knots force 5 and 40 knots force 8.
Waves
Wave height in metres. The lower the waves, the smoother the crossing.
Weather forecast for the crossing
Wind and waves for the coming days, from our partner site FerryWeather ↗.
Temperature in Dover and Calais
Any delays today?
Bad weather on Dover-Calais usually means delays on some sailings rather than cancellations. Today’s notices are on our delays and cancellations page, or straight from the operator:
Do the ferries sail in a storm?
Almost always. The crossing is short and both ports are well sheltered, so delays are far more common than cancellations. In a severe storm, though, sailings can stop for a few hours. What to expect then is on our delays and cancellations page, and our ferry tracker shows where your ship is.
Book your crossing
Good weather on the way? Compare the sailings of P&O Ferries, DFDS and Irish Ferries at a glance.