UK climate and seasonal weather
The UK has a mild, wet, changeable climate: cool summers, mild winters and rain in every month. Across 1991 to 2020, Glasgow averaged 1164 mm of rain a year in our data and London 648 mm, while Liverpool was the sunniest at about 2880 hours.
The four seasons
Winter (December to February)
Mild for the latitude, because the prevailing winds come off the Atlantic, which is warmed by the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Drift. Most winter weather is wet and windy rather than cold. Cold spells come when the wind turns easterly or northerly, bringing air from the continent or the Arctic; snow is most frequent on high ground and in the north and east.
Spring (March to May)
Often the driest time of year relative to normal, with sunshine increasing quickly. Frosts linger into May in sheltered inland spots. Easterly winds off a still-cold North Sea can keep the east coast grey and cool while the west is bright.
Summer (June to August)
Warmest in the south-east, which is furthest from the Atlantic. Long dry spells come when high pressure settles over or near the UK; thunderstorms can follow when the heat breaks. The north-west stays cooler and wetter as Atlantic systems continue to pass close by.
Autumn (September to November)
Seas are at their warmest, which keeps coasts mild and feeds heavier showers. Atlantic storms become more frequent from October, and autumn is typically the wettest season in the west. First frosts arrive inland, usually in October.
A year in 19 places
| Place | Mean temp | Rain | Wet days | Sunshine | Frost nights | Wettest month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh | 8.7°C | 817 mm | 156 | 2585 h | 37 | October |
| Glasgow | 8.5°C | 1164 mm | 182 | 2436 h | 53 | January |
| Newcastle | 9.1°C | 680 mm | 141 | 2819 h | 33 | August |
| Belfast | 9.8°C | 914 mm | 165 | 2645 h | 7 | October |
| Leeds | 9.5°C | 761 mm | 145 | 2691 h | 40 | August |
| Manchester | 9.4°C | 1002 mm | 172 | 2564 h | 44 | December |
| Liverpool | 10°C | 1073 mm | 181 | 2880 h | 21 | December |
| Birmingham | 9.7°C | 722 mm | 138 | 2656 h | 42 | June |
| London | 10.6°C | 648 mm | 127 | 2736 h | 38 | November |
| Cardiff | 10.5°C | 1024 mm | 152 | 2825 h | 23 | December |
| Bristol | 10.4°C | 791 mm | 138 | 2718 h | 31 | October |
Average annual rainfall, mm
Map labels in hundreds of mm (12 = 1,200 mm).
As a list
- London648 mm
- Manchester1002 mm
- Birmingham722 mm
- Liverpool1073 mm
- Leeds761 mm
- Newcastle680 mm
- Bristol791 mm
- Cardiff1024 mm
- Edinburgh817 mm
- Glasgow1164 mm
- Belfast914 mm
Source: Copernicus ERA5 and Open-Meteo. ERA5 reanalysis grid values, 1991 to 2020; not Met Office station averages
By month
UK climate: questions
Why is the UK so mild for its latitude?
Edinburgh is about as far north as Moscow, yet its winters are far milder. The reason is the prevailing south-westerly wind off the Atlantic, whose surface water is kept relatively warm by the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Drift.
Where are these averages from?
From the ERA5 reanalysis produced by the Copernicus Climate Change Service: a consistent reconstruction of past weather on a grid of roughly 9 to 25 km. They are averages for the grid point at each place, which smooths hills and coasts, so they will differ a little from station records.
Which is the wettest part of the UK?
The mountains of the west: the western Highlands, the Lake District fells and Eryri (Snowdonia) can receive several times the rainfall of East Anglia. Of the places in our table, the wettest is shown at the top of the rainfall column.