London, United Kingdom - Weather and Climate
London experiences a temperate maritime climate. This climate type is characterized by a tempered temperature because of the nearby sea water. In summer, the cooler seawater ensures that it is not extremely hot. In winter months, the relatively warm seawater ensures that the risk of extreme cold is much lower.
London has the image always to be wet and gray. But if you look at the whole of the United Kingdom, London is actually one of the most sunny and dry cities in the country. With a quantity of rain that comes out below six hundred millimetres per year, London is drier than for example Rome. With a number of hours of sunshine that averages around fifteen hundred a year, London is not to be called extremely sunny but it is not to bad as well.
Summers have pleasant temperatures with average high temperatures around 23°C and night temperatures of 13°C.
Winters in London are cold, but the temperature is hardly below freezing. Snow occurs sometimes in winter but rarely settles more than a few millimetres deep.
Springs is a great period to visit London. During the day it is nice and warm, however in the evenings it is still very cool. In autumn months it can occasionally storm. The rainfall is evenly spread throughout the year.
Average maximum day and minimum night temperature
The climate in London is known for significant temperature differences throughout the year, making the weather dynamic. Average daytime temperatures reach a comfortable 23°C in July. In January, the coolest month of the year, temperatures drop to a chilly 9°C.
At night, you can expect cooler temperatures, with averages dropping to around 3°C during this month.Check out our detailed temperature page for more information.
Temperature ranges by month
Precipitation and rainy days
Generally, London receives mid-range precipitation levels, with 716 mm annually. Despite minor fluctuations, London enjoys fairly consistent precipitation throughout the year. In November, you can expect around 68 mm of precipitation, while in March, London receives about 48 mm.
The mean monthly precipitation over the year, including rain, hail and snow
The average number of days each month with precipitation
Sunshine over the year
London can be enjoyed more throughout the sunniest month of July under a blue sky, with approximately 7.3 hours of sunshine daily. In contrast, the city experiences much darker days in December, with only 1.8 hours of sunlight per day.
Visit our detailed sunshine hours page for more information.
Monthly hours of sunshine
Daily hours of sunshine
Daily percentage of sunshine
Average humidity
The relative humidity is high throughout the year in London.
The city experiences its highest humidity in November, reaching 81%. In April, the humidity drops to its lowest level at 64%. What does this mean? Read our detailed page on humidity levels for further details.
Relative humidity over the year
Average wind speed
The mean wind speed varies between 3 m/s and 4 m/s throughout the year. It is lowest in May, June, July, August, September, October and November and highest during January, February, March, April and December.
The mean monthly wind speed over the year (meters per second)
Forecast for London
Select a Month of Interest
Check the conditions for any month of the year.
The best time of year to visit London in the United Kingdom
During the months of June, July and August you are most likely to experience good weather with pleasant average temperatures that fall between 20°C and 26°C.Other facts from our historical weather data:
July has an average maximum temperature of 23°C and is the warmest month of the year.
The coldest month is January with an average maximum temperature of 9°C.
November tops the wettest month list with 68 mm of rainfall.
March is the driest month with 48 mm of precipitation.
July is the sunniest month with an average of 219 hours of sunshine.
No idea where to travel to this year? We have a tool that recommends destinations based on your ideal conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.
