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Weather in January in The United Kingdom

Considering a trip to the United Kingdom this January and wondering about the expected weather conditions? Find all the crucial information you need right here, addressing your question:

What is the weather like in the United Kingdom in January?

January in the United Kingdom generally has cold temperatures, with precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy. January is a winter month.

Temperatures

The average maximum temperatures are cold and range from 4°C in Inverey to 12°C in Hugh Town. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 9°C in Hugh Town and -1°C in Inverey. On average, January is the coldest month of the year in the United Kingdom. So be prepared and make sure to pack winter cloths.

To explore the conditions in the United Kingdom in more detail, check the map below.

Precipitation

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate rainfall in South Clifton with an average of 52 mm to heavy rainfall in Cullipool with 277 mm.

Average sunshine

The city London usually sees around 62 hours of sunlight, indicating fewer sunny days.

For a more detailed look at the United Kingdom's conditions throughout the year, check out our the United Kingdom climate page.

Where to go in the United Kingdom in January

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the the United Kingdom on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more details.

Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Select a Month of Interest

Check the conditions for any month of the year.

For a detailed overview over the year and the best time to visit the United Kingdom, check out our United Kingdom's climate page.

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in January for the 5 most popular destinations in the United Kingdom?

London

In January London generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 9°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

London
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
15°C 
7°C 
1,675 hours 
716 mm 
168 days 
poor 
9°C 
3°C 
62 hours 
60 mm 
18 days 
poor 
9°C 
3°C 
78 hours 
55 mm 
13 days 
poor 
Climate in London

Edinburgh

In January Edinburgh generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 8°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Edinburgh
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
13°C 
6°C 
1,428 hours 
933 mm 
194 days 
poor 
8°C 
2°C 
54 hours 
84 mm 
18 days 
poor 
8°C 
2°C 
81 hours 
78 mm 
15 days 
poor 
Climate in Edinburgh

Blackpool

In January Blackpool generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 9°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 5°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Blackpool
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
13°C 
9°C 
1,561 hours 
1406 mm 
194 days 
9°C 
5°C 
57 hours 
123 mm 
19 days 
poor 
8°C 
4°C 
79 hours 
110 mm 
14 days 
poor 
Climate in Blackpool

York

In January York generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 8°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 2°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

York
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
15°C 
7°C 
1,575 hours 
767 mm 
176 days 
poor 
8°C 
2°C 
42 hours 
59 mm 
18 days 
poor 
9°C 
2°C 
61 hours 
57 mm 
14 days 
poor 
Climate in York

Torquay

In January Torquay generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 10°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 5°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Torquay
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
15°C 
9°C 
1,552 hours 
896 mm 
175 days 
poor 
10°C 
5°C 
59 hours 
87 mm 
19 days 
poor 
10°C 
5°C 
81 hours 
75 mm 
15 days 
poor 
Climate in Torquay

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in the United Kingdom.

Is January the best time to visit the United Kingdom?

In our view, January might not be the best time to travel to the United Kingdom with often poor weather in London.

On average, the best time to visit the United Kingdom is in June, July, August and September with generally perfect weather in London. On the other hand, the months of January, February and December tend to have poor weather conditions.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in the United Kingdom.

Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to the United Kingdom? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in the United Kingdom.

Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.