London Temperature by Month

The average annual maximum temperature in London, Greater London, United Kingdom is 15°C (59°F), with daytime highs ranging from 9°C (48°F) in January to 23°C (73°F) in July. This page covers monthly averages, day-night differences, and how London compares to cities worldwide.

The climate in London is dynamic, ranging widely from chilly in winter to comfortable in summer. Nights are significantly colder, with lows dropping from 14°C (57°F) in July to 3°C (37°F) in January.

The chart below illustrates the average maximum day and minimum night temperatures in London by month:

Daily lows are most common between 4 AM and 6 AM. By 3 PM temperatures reach their daily high, driven by peak solar heating. July, the warmest month of the year, receives 219 hours of sunshine.

The chart below shows the average temperature throughout the year:

London's average annual maximum temperature is 15°C (59°F). To put that in context, here's how it compares to a few well-known destinations:

Rome, Italy averages 20°C (68°F) annually, with reliably warm summers and comfortable winters.

On the cooler end, Oslo, Norway averages just 10°C (50°F) annually, with pleasant summers but long, cold winters.

Beijing, China averages 20°C (68°F) annually, but with big seasonal swings, very cold winters and hot summers.

Perth, Australia averages 25°C (77°F) annually, with a classic Mediterranean climate, hot dry summers and mild wet winters.

Temperature alone doesn't tell the whole story, humidity plays a big role in how warm or cold it actually feels. High humidity in summer makes the heat feel more intense, particularly once temperatures climb above 25°C. In winter, the same humidity can make cold air feel sharper than the thermometer suggests.

In the cooler months, when temperatures drop below 10°C, high humidity makes the cold feel more cutting than it would in dry conditions.

In London, January is the coolest month, with average highs of 9°C (48°F) and humidity around 80%, considered very high. For a full picture, see our humidity page.

Climate temperature data is typically calculated as a 30-year average. This smooths out year-to-year variability and gives a more reliable picture of what a place is actually like, rather than what happened in any single unusual year.

The readings come from a range of sources, land-based weather stations, ocean buoys, ships, and satellites. That data is collected by weather services around the world, then pooled, quality-checked, and averaged to produce the climate records you see here.

For cities and regions with significant elevation, altitude is one of the biggest factors shaping local temperatures. As a rule of thumb, temperatures fall by around 6°C for every 1,000 metres gained, so a city at 2,000 metres will typically be around 12°C cooler than a city at sea level in the same region. Higher ground also tends to see more dramatic day-to-night temperature swings, since thinner air loses heat faster after sunset.

For more on London's weather, including monthly rainfall, sunshine hours, and humidity, visit our London climate page.