Belfast Sunshine Hours by Month

When exploring climate, sunlight hours tell an important story. This page shows the total number of hours of direct sunlight per month and the average hours per day in Belfast, Antrim County, United Kingdom. The figures are based on a 30-year period (1990–2020) to provide a reliable average.

Monthly hours of sunshine

If you're visiting Belfast, timing is key. In May, you can enjoy up to 184 hours of sunshine, while the shorter days of December provide just 39 hours. The total annual amount of sun is 1297 hours.

Daily hours of sunshine

This means the city can be enjoyed more throughout the sunniest month of May under a blue sky, with approximately 6.1 hours of sunshine daily. In contrast, the city experiences much darker days in December, with only 1.3 hours of sunlight per day.

Average percent of sunshine

On average the sun shines 39% of the time during the day in May, the highest percentage of any month. December has the lowest percentage at 15%.

Belfast enjoys an average of 1297 hours of sunshine annually. Let’s compare this with some popular tourist destinations:

In Barcelona, Spain, there are 2530 hours of sunshine annually and is a city that can be visited year-round.

In contrast, Tromsø , Norway, receives only about 1270 hours of sunshine per year, known for the polar night with no sunlight for weeks during winter.

Osaka, Japan, experiences 2010 hours of sunshine annually, with bright, sunny weather in spring and autumn.

Melbourne, Australia, has 2380 hours of sunshine annually, with its famous “four seasons in a day” weather pattern.

October, Belfast’s wettest month, receives 93 mm (3.7 in) of rainfall and has a maximum daytime temperature of 14°C (57°F). During the driest month March you can expect a temperature of 10°C (50°F).

For more detailed insights into the city’s temperatures, check out our Temperature page. To explore more about precipitation patterns, visit our Belfast Precipitation page.