Editing Climate of the United Kingdom

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2020}}
{{Original research|date=January 2022}}
{{Cleanup rewrite|date=April 2024|the article contains large amount of original research and is written in an overly-detailed, prolix, hobbyist manner.}}
The [[United Kingdom]] straddles the higher mid-latitudes between 49° and 61°N on the western seaboard of [[Europe]]. Since the UK is always in or close to the path of the polar front [[jet stream]], frequent changes in pressure and unsettled weather are typical. Many types of weather can be experienced in a single day. The basic climate of the UK annually is wet and cool in winter, spring, and autumn with frequent cloudy skies, and drier and cool to mild in summer. 

The [[climate]] in the United Kingdom is defined as a [[oceanic climate|humid temperate oceanic climate]], or ''Cfb'' on the [[Köppen climate classification]] system, a classification it shares with most of north-west Europe.<ref>{{cite journal | author1=Peel, M. C. | author2=Finlayson B. L. | author3=McMahon, T. A. | year=2007 | title=Updated world map of the Köppen– Geiger climate classification | journal=Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. | volume=11 | issue=5 | pages=1633–1644 | url=http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html | issn=1027-5606 | doi=10.5194/hess-11-1633-2007 | bibcode=2007HESS...11.1633P | doi-access=free | access-date=20 December 2015 | archive-date=5 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230305221548/http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.html | url-status=live }} ''(direct: [http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf Final Revised Paper] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203170339/http://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/11/1633/2007/hess-11-1633-2007.pdf |date=3 February 2012 }})''</ref> Regional climates are influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and latitude. [[Northern Ireland]], [[Wales]] and western parts of [[England]] and [[Scotland]], being closest to the [[Atlantic Ocean]], are generally the mildest, wettest, and windiest regions of the UK, and [[Atmospheric temperature|temperature ranges]] there are seldom extreme. Eastern areas are drier, cooler, and less windy, and also experience the greatest daily and seasonal temperature variations. Northern areas are generally cooler and wetter and have slightly larger temperature ranges than southern areas, which are generally warmer and drier.[[File:Koppen-Geiger_Map_v2_GBR_1991–2020.svg|450px|thumb|[[Köppen climate classification|Köppen climate types]] of the UK]]The UK is mostly under the influence of the maritime polar [[air mass]] from the north-west. Northern Ireland and the west of Scotland are the most exposed to the maritime polar air mass which brings cool moist air; the east of Scotland and north-east England are more exposed to the continental polar air mass which brings cold dry air. The south and south-east of England are the least exposed to polar air masses from the north-west, and on occasion see continental tropical air masses from the south, which bring warm dry air in the summer. On average, the temperature ranges from {{convert|18| to |25|C}}.

If the air masses are strong enough in their respective areas during the summer, there can sometimes be a large difference in temperature between the far north of Scotland (including its islands) and the south-east of England – often a difference of 10–15&nbsp;°C (18–27&nbsp;°F) but sometimes as much as 20&nbsp;°C (36&nbsp;°F) or more. In the height of summer the [[Northern Isles]] can have temperatures around {{convert|15|C}}.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{Cite web |title=UK climate extremes |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-extremes |website=Met Office |access-date=21 May 2020 |archive-date=9 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309184134/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-extremes |url-status=live }}</ref>

==England==
=== Averages ===
England generally has low maximum temperatures year round. England is also sunnier throughout the year than Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, the sunniest month is July, with an average of 193.5 hours. It rains on fewer days every month throughout the year than the rest of the UK, and rainfall totals are less in every month, with the driest month, May, averaging {{convert|58.4|mm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref name="England">{{cite web|year=2012|title=England averages|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19812010/areal/england.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130410093339/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19812010/areal/england.html|archive-date=10 April 2013|access-date=6 December 2012|publisher=Met Office|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The [[climate of south-west England]] displays a seasonal temperature variation, although it is less extreme than most of the United Kingdom with milder winters. Gales are less common in England compared to Scotland; however, on some occasions, there can be strong winds, and rarely, the non-tropical remains of Atlantic hurricanes and tropical storms. Some events such as the [[Great Storm of 1987]] occurred near the UK and caused damage in England.
Rare summer heatwaves of 28&nbsp;°C+ occur on occasion, but sustained is uncommon, due to the high latitude and cool maritime climate.  London is vulnerable to [[Climate change in the United Kingdom|climate change]], and there is increasing concern among [[hydrology|hydrological]] experts that London households may run out of water before 2050.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/london-water-drought-climate-change-b2079811.html?amp|title=London could run out of water in 25 years as cities worldwide face rising risk of drought, report warns|author=Saphora Smith|newspaper=The Independent|date=16 May 2022|accessdate=5 June 2022|quote=London already receives about half the amount of rain that falls in New York City, and climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of droughts in the region|archive-date=19 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519182117/https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/london-water-drought-climate-change-b2079811.html?amp|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{Weather Box
| width = auto
| May precipitation days = 9.61
| Apr precipitation days = 10.01
| Mar precipitation days = 10.34
| Feb precipitation days = 11.11
| Jan precipitation days = 13.14
| unit precipitation days = 1 mm
| Jul precipitation days = 10.28
| Sep precipitation mm = 68.51
| Mar precipitation mm = 58.33
| Apr precipitation mm = 56.10
| May precipitation mm = 57.18
| Jun precipitation mm = 64.96
| Jul precipitation mm = 66.48
| Aug precipitation mm = 74.56
| Oct precipitation mm = 90.23
| Nov precipitation mm = 92.11
| Dec precipitation mm = 92.04
| year precipitation mm = 869.59
| Jun precipitation days = 9.95
| Aug precipitation days = 10.91
| Jan precipitation mm = 83.05
| source 1 = The [[Met Office]]: averages, sunshine, precipitation;<ref>{{Cite web|title=Winterbourne (Telford and Wrekin) UK climate averages|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcqdkh0rm|access-date=2022-01-15|website=Met Office|language=en|archive-date=15 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115153042/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcqdkh0rm|url-status=live}}</ref> extremes<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
| year sun = 1538.06
| Dec sun = 51.17
| Nov sun = 64.89
| Oct sun = 102.73
| Sep sun = 141.19
| Aug sun = 180.77
| Jul sun = 196.33
| Jun sun = 187.63
| May sun = 199.19
| Apr sun = 163.86
| Mar sun = 117.01
| Feb sun = 77.91
| Jan sun = 55.38
| Sep precipitation days = 10.06
| Oct precipitation days = 12.61
| Nov precipitation days = 13.68
| Dec precipitation days = 13.50
| year precipitation days = 135.21
| Feb precipitation mm = 66.05
| precipitation colour = green
| location = England (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1865-present)
| Feb high C = 7.78
| year high C = 13.82
| Dec high C = 7.60
| Nov high C = 10.18
| Oct high C = 14.14
| Sep high C = 18.14
| Aug high C = 21.05
| Jul high C = 21.67
| Jun high C = 19.09
| May high C = 16.20
| Apr high C = 13.05
| Mar high C = 10.12
| Jan high C = 7.21
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
| Nov low C = 3.98
| year low C = 6.12
| Dec low C = 1.87
| Oct low C = 7.02
| Jan low C = 1.49
| Feb low C = 1.23
| Sep low C = 9.71
| Mar low C = 2.70
| Apr low C = 4.25
| May low C = 6.95
| Jun low C = 9.78
| Jul low C = 11.86
| Aug low C = 11.77
| Jan record high C = 17.6
| Feb record high C = 21.2
| Mar record high C = 25.6
| Apr record high C = 29.4
| May record high C = 32.8
| Jun record high C = 35.6
| Jul record high C = 40.3
| Aug record high C = 38.5
| Sep record high C = 35.6
| Oct record high C = 29.9
| Nov record high C = 21.1
| Dec record high C = 17.7
| year record high C = 40.3
| Jan record low C = -26.1
| Feb record low C = -22.2
| Mar record low C = -21.1
| Apr record low C = -15.0
| May record low C = -9.4
| Jun record low C = -5.6
| Jul record low C = -1.7
| Aug record low C = -2.0
| Sep record low C = -5.6
| Oct record low C = -10.6
| Nov record low C = -16.1
| Dec record low C = -25.2
| year record low C = -26.1
| source =
}}

{{hidden|Climate data from selected English weather stations|

{{Weather box
|location = [[Sheffield]]
|metric first =Yes
|single line =Yes
|Jan high C = 6.4
|Feb high C = 6.7
|Mar high C = 9.3
|Apr high C = 11.8
|May high C = 15.7
|Jun high C = 18.3
|Jul high C = 20.8
|Aug high C = 20.6
|Sep high C = 17.3
|Oct high C = 13.3
|Nov high C = 9.2
|Dec high C = 7.2
|year high C = 13.1
|Jan low C = 1.6
|Feb low C = 1.6
|Mar low C = 3.1
|Apr low C = 4.4
|May low C = 7.0
|Jun low C = 10.0
|Jul low C = 12.4
|Aug low C = 12.1
|Sep low C = 10.0
|Oct low C = 7.2
|Nov low C = 4.2
|Dec low C = 2.6
|year low C = 6.4
|Jan precipitation mm = 86.5
|Feb precipitation mm = 63.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 67.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 62.5
|May precipitation mm = 55.5
|Jun precipitation mm = 66.7
|Jul precipitation mm = 51.0
|Aug precipitation mm = 63.5
|Sep precipitation mm = 64.3
|Oct precipitation mm = 73.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 77.7
|Dec precipitation mm = 91.9
|year precipitation mm = 824.7
|source 1 = The [[Met Office]]<ref name="Met Averages" />
|date=August 2010
}}
{{Weather box|location = Birmingham Elmdon, 99m asl, 1971–2000, extremes 1901– (sunshine 1961–1990)
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan record high C = 15.0
|Feb record high C = 18.1
|Mar record high C = 23.7
|Apr record high C = 26.0
|May record high C = 30.0
|Jun record high C = 31.6
|Jul record high C = 32.9
|Aug record high C = 34.9
|Sep record high C = 29.8
|Oct record high C = 26.8
|Nov record high C = 18.7
|Dec record high C = 15.7
|year record high C = 34.9
|Jan high C = 6.7
|Feb high C = 7.1
|Mar high C = 9.8
|Apr high C = 12.7
|May high C = 16.0
|Jun high C = 19.0
|Jul high C = 21.3
|Aug high C = 20.8
|Sep high C = 17.8
|Oct high C = 13.6
|Nov high C = 9.5
|Dec high C = 6.9
|year high C = 13.4
|Jan low C = 1.4
|Feb low C = 1.1
|Mar low C = 2.9
|Apr low C = 4.2
|May low C = 7.1
|Jun low C = 10.0
|Jul low C = 12.1
|Aug low C = 11.8
|Sep low C = 9.7
|Oct low C = 6.8
|Nov low C = 3.8
|Dec low C = 1.6
|year low C = 6.0
|Jan record low C = -20.8
|Feb record low C = −13.7
|Mar record low C = −11.6
|Apr record low C = −6.6
|May record low C = -3.8
|Jun record low C = -0.8
|Jul record low C = 1.2
|Aug record low C = 2.2
|Sep record low C = -1.8
|Oct record low C = -6.8
|Nov record low C = −8.9
|Dec record low C = −18.5
|year record low C = −20.8
|Jan precipitation mm = 73.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 51.4
|Mar precipitation mm = 55.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 61.9
|May precipitation mm = 61.3
|Jun precipitation mm = 65.6
|Jul precipitation mm = 63.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 66.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 68.1
|Oct precipitation mm = 82.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 74.8
|Dec precipitation mm = 79.7
|year precipitation mm = 805
|Jan sun = 49.7
|Feb sun = 60.0
|Mar sun = 101.5
|Apr sun = 129.2
|May sun = 178.0
|Jun sun = 186.2
|Jul sun = 181.0
|Aug sun = 166.8
|Sep sun = 134.3
|Oct sun = 97.2
|Nov sun = 64.2
|Dec sun = 46.9
|year sun =
|source 1 = Royal Dutch Meteorological Institute<ref>{{cite web| url = http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/mapserver/climatology.php?indexcat=**&indexid=TX&periodidselect=1971-2000&seasonid=7&scalelogidselect=no&minx=-586785.714286&miny=-4894523.809525&maxx=279880.952382&maxy=-4244523.809524&MapSize=560%2C420&imagewidth=560&imageheight=420&mainmap.x=295&mainmap.y=61&CMD=QUERY_POINT&CMD=QUERY_POINT#bottom| title = Birmingham 1971–2000 & Extremes| access-date = 1 November 2011| publisher = [[KNMI (institute)|KNMI]]| archive-date = 8 June 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120608171555/http://eca.knmi.nl/utils/mapserver/climatology.php?indexcat=**&indexid=TX&periodidselect=1971-2000&seasonid=7&scalelogidselect=no&minx=-586785.714286&miny=-4894523.809525&maxx=279880.952382&maxy=-4244523.809524&MapSize=560,420&imagewidth=560&imageheight=420&mainmap.x=295&mainmap.y=61&CMD=QUERY_POINT&CMD=QUERY_POINT#bottom| url-status = dead}}</ref>
|source 2 = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration<ref>{{cite web| url = http://worldweather.wmo.int/010/c00028.htm| title = Birmingham 1961–1990 & Extremes| access-date = 1 November 2011| publisher = NOAA| archive-date = 16 November 2011| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111116060434/http://worldweather.wmo.int/010/c00028.htm| url-status = live}}</ref>
}}
{{Manchester weatherbox}}
{{Weather box
|location = [[Shanklin]], Isle of Wight 1981–2010
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan high C = 8.1
|Feb high C = 7.9
|Mar high C = 10.0
|Apr high C = 12.3
|May high C = 15.6
|Jun high C = 18.2
|Jul high C = 20.4
|Aug high C = 20.5
|Sep high C = 18.3
|Oct high C = 15.0
|Nov high C = 11.3
|Dec high C = 8.8
|Jan low C = 3.5
|Feb low C = 2.9
|Mar low C = 4.3
|Apr low C = 5.4
|May low C = 8.4
|Jun low C = 11.1
|Jul low C = 13.4
|Aug low C = 13.8
|Sep low C = 11.8
|Oct low C = 9.5
|Nov low C = 6.2
|Dec low C = 4.0
|Jan precipitation mm = 90.8
|Feb precipitation mm = 65.5
|Mar precipitation mm = 66.0
|Apr precipitation mm = 53.4
|May precipitation mm = 52.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 46.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 47.1
|Aug precipitation mm = 54.6
|Sep precipitation mm = 70.5
|Oct precipitation mm = 115.0
|Nov precipitation mm = 108.6
|Dec precipitation mm = 101.0
|Jan precipitation days = 13.1
|Feb precipitation days = 9.8
|Mar precipitation days = 10.4
|Apr precipitation days = 9.1
|May precipitation days = 8.2
|Jun precipitation days = 7.6
|Jul precipitation days = 6.9
|Aug precipitation days = 7.4
|Sep precipitation days = 8.9
|Oct precipitation days = 12.7
|Nov precipitation days = 12.7
|Dec precipitation days = 12.9
|Jan sun = 68.2
|Feb sun = 89.8
|Mar sun = 132.9
|Apr sun = 201.4
|May sun = 241.1
|Jun sun = 247.7
|Jul sun = 262.3
|Aug sun = 240.9
|Sep sun = 173.1
|Oct sun = 122.3
|Nov sun = 82.6
|Dec sun = 60.7
|source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref>{{cite web
  | url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/shanklin#?tab=climateTables
  | title=Shanklin Climatic Averages 1981-2010
  | publisher=Met Office
  | access-date=25 December 2012
  | archive-date=28 July 2013
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130728115055/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/shanklin#?tab=climateTables
  | url-status=live
  }}</ref>
|date=December 2012}}

{{Weather box
|location = [[Bognor Regis]] 7m asl, 1981-2010, extremes 1960-
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|Jan high C = 7.8
|Feb high C = 7.9
|Mar high C = 10.2
|Apr high C = 12.8
|May high C = 16.0
|Jun high C = 18.6
|Jul high C = 20.9
|Aug high C = 21.0
|Sep high C = 18.8
|Oct high C = 15.3
|Nov high C = 11.3
|Dec high C = 8.6
|Jan low C = 3.1
|Feb low C = 2.7
|Mar low C = 4.3
|Apr low C = 5.8
|May low C = 9.0
|Jun low C = 11.7
|Jul low C = 14.0
|Aug low C = 13.9
|Sep low C = 11.9
|Oct low C = 9.3
|Nov low C = 5.8
|Dec low C = 3.6
|Jan precipitation mm = 76.2
|Feb precipitation mm = 49.6
|Mar precipitation mm = 56.1
|Apr precipitation mm = 46.8
|May precipitation mm = 44.4
|Jun precipitation mm = 44.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 44.9
|Aug precipitation mm = 51.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 58.9
|Oct precipitation mm = 91.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 83.4
|Dec precipitation mm = 81.8
|Jan rain days = 12.5
|Feb rain days = 9.0
|Mar rain days = 9.7
|Apr rain days = 8.8
|May rain days = 7.6
|Jun rain days = 7.3
|Jul rain days = 6.5
|Aug rain days = 7.3
|Sep rain days = 8.3
|Oct rain days = 11.2
|Nov rain days = 11.6
|Dec rain days = 11.7
|Jan sun = 75.4
|Feb sun = 94.6
|Mar sun = 130.9
|Apr sun = 198.6
|May sun = 233.0
|Jun sun = 237.9
|Jul sun = 252.5
|Aug sun = 236.7
|Sep sun = 174.1
|Oct sun = 131.9
|Nov sun = 88.5
|Dec sun = 66.7
|source 1 = Met Office [http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/chichester-west-sussex#?tab=climateTables]
|date=Nov 2011
}}

{{Weather box|location = [[Bournemouth]] Hurn 10m asl, 1981–2010,{{#tag:ref|In accordance with World Meteorological Organization (WMO) recommendations, the Met Office maintains long-term averages of the UK climate, based on standard 30-year periods. The latest 30-year period is for1981-2010.|group=Note}} Extremes 1960–
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|Jan high C = 8.4
|Feb high C = 8.5
|Mar high C = 11.0
|Apr high C = 13.5
|May high C = 17.0
|Jun high C = 19.8
|Jul high C = 22.1
|Aug high C = 22.0
|Sep high C = 19.3
|Oct high C = 15.3
|Nov high C = 11.5
|Dec high C = 8.7
|year high C =
|Jan low C = 1.5
|Feb low C = 1.2
|Mar low C = 2.7
|Apr low C = 3.8
|May low C = 7.2
|Jun low C = 9.8
|Jul low C = 11.9
|Aug low C = 11.6
|Sep low C = 9.4
|Oct low C = 7.1
|Nov low C = 3.7
|Dec low C = 1.6
|year low C =
|Jan sun = 66.5
|Feb sun = 84.5
|Mar sun = 121.4
|Apr sun = 185.1
|May sun = 218.5
|Jun sun = 229.5
|Jul sun = 232.0
|Aug sun = 214.6
|Sep sun = 159.1
|Oct sun = 115.2
|Nov sun = 80.1
|Dec sun = 60.3
|year sun =
|Jan rain mm = 86.9
|Feb rain mm = 62.5
|Mar rain mm = 64.7
|Apr rain mm = 53.9
|May rain mm = 49.5
|Jun rain mm = 51.6
|Jul rain mm = 47.8
|Aug rain mm = 51.8
|Sep rain mm = 65.3
|Oct rain mm = 100.7
|Nov rain mm = 100.5
|Dec rain mm = 100.0
|Jan rain days = 12.8
|Feb rain days = 9.6
|Mar rain days = 10.8
|Apr rain days = 9.1
|May rain days = 8.8
|Jun rain days = 7.7
|Jul rain days = 7.9
|Aug rain days = 7.3
|Sep rain days = 9.0
|Oct rain days = 12.6
|Nov rain days = 12.5
|Dec rain days = 12.3
|year rain days=
|source 1 = [[Met Office]]<ref name=HCA>{{cite web
  | url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/hurn#?tab=climateTables
  | title=Hurn Climatic Averages 1981–2010
  | publisher=Met Office
  | access-date=23 December 2012
  | archive-date=2 October 2013
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131002123720/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/hurn#?tab=climateTables
  | url-status=live
  }}</ref>
|date=December 2012}}
|headerstyle=background:#ccccff
|style=text-align:center;
}}

=== Extremes ===
The highest temperature recorded in England (and in the United Kingdom) occurred on [[2022 United Kingdom heat wave|19 July 2022]] at Coningsby, Lincolnshire.<ref name="Sky news">{{cite web |title=UK heatwave: New UK record as temperature hits 39.1C - with 41C expected this afternoon |url=https://news.sky.com/story/uk-heatwave-temperature-hits-39-1c-in-surrey-a-new-record-12654770 |website=Sky News |access-date=19 July 2022 |archive-date=19 July 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220719105501/https://news.sky.com/story/uk-heatwave-temperature-hits-39-1c-in-surrey-a-new-record-12654770 |url-status=live }}</ref> The lowest temperature ever recorded in England occurred on [[1981–82 United Kingdom cold wave|10 January 1982]] in Newport, Shropshire.
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|-
! colspan="7" |<big>Absolute temperature ranges for England</big>
|-
! rowspan="2" |Month
! colspan="3" |Maximum temperatures
! colspan="3" |Minimum temperatures
|-
!Temperature
!Location
!Date (day/year)
!Temperature
!Location
!Date (day/year)
|-
!January
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|17.6|C|F|abbr=on}}||[[Eynsford]], [[Kent]]
|27/2003
| style="text-align:right;" |'''{{Convert|-26.1|C|F|abbr=on}}'''
|'''[[Newport, Shropshire|Newport]], [[Shropshire]]'''
|'''10/1982'''
|-
! rowspan="2" |February
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|21.2|C|F|abbr=on}}|| rowspan="2" |[[Kew Gardens]], [[London]]<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|date=24 February 2021|title=UK beats winter temperature record again|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/u126rmfgc#?nearestTo=Santon%20Downham%20(Suffolk)&date=2021-02-24|via=www.metoffice.gov.uk|access-date=24 February 2021|archive-date=24 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224213707/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/u126rmfgc#?nearestTo=Santon%20Downham%20(Suffolk)&date=2021-02-24|url-status=live}}</ref>
| rowspan="2" |26/2019
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-22.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Scaleby]], [[Cumbria]]
|19/1892
|-
|[[Ketton]], [[Leicestershire]]
|8/1895
|-
!March
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|25.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Mepal]], [[Cambridgeshire]]
|29/1968
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-21.1|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Houghall]], [[County Durham]]
|4/1947
|-
!April
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|29.4|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Camden Square]]
|16/1949
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-15.0|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Newton Rigg College|Newton Rigg]], Cumbria
|2/1917
|-
! rowspan="2" |May
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|32.8|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Camden Square
|22/1922
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-9.4|C|F|abbr=on}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Lynford]], [[Norfolk]] (4 May 1941)
| rowspan="2" |4/1941 and 11/1941
|-
|[[Horsham]], [[West Sussex]]; [[Tunbridge Wells]], Kent; and [[Regent's Park]], London
|29/1944
|-
! rowspan="2" |June
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|35.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Camden Square
|29/1957
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-5.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Santon Downham]], Norfolk (1 Jun 1962)
| rowspan="2" |1/1962 and 3/1962
|-
|[[Southampton]]
|28/1976
|-
!July
| style="text-align:right;" |'''{{Convert|40.3|C|F|abbr=on}}'''
|'''[[Coningsby]], [[Lincolnshire]]'''
|'''19/2022'''
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-1.7|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Kielder Castle]], [[Northumberland]]
|17/1965
|-
!August
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|38.5|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Brogdale]], [[Faversham]], Kent
|10/2003
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-2.0|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Kielder Castle
|14/1994
|-
!September
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|35.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Bawtry]] and Hesley Hall, [[South Yorkshire]]
|2/1906
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-5.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Santon Downham and [[Grendon Underwood]], [[Buckinghamshire]]
|30/1969
|-
!October
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|29.9|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Gravesend]], Kent
|1/2011
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-10.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Wark on Tweed|Wark]], Northumberland
|17/1993
|-
!November
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|21.1|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Chelmsford]], [[Clacton-on-Sea]], [[Galleywood]], [[Halstead]] and [[Writtle]], [[Essex]]; Cambridge; [[Mildenhall, Suffolk|Mildenhall]], [[Suffolk]]; and [[Tottenham]], London
|5/1938
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-16.1|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Scaleby, Cumbria
|30/1912
|-
! rowspan="2" |December
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|17.7|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[RM Chivenor]], [[Devon]]
|2/1985
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-25.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Shawbury]], Shropshire
| rowspan="2" |13/1981
|-
|[[Penkridge]], [[Staffordshire]]
|11/1994
|}

==Northern Ireland==
Northern Ireland is warmer than Scotland throughout the year. Maximum temperatures are milder than in Wales from December to April, and milder than in England from December to February, but Northern Ireland is cooler during the rest of the year. Sunshine totals in every month are more than those of Scotland, but less than those of the rest of [[Great Britain]]. Northern Ireland is drier and has fewer rainy days than Scotland throughout the year, except in May, when it rains on more days. Northern Ireland is also drier than Wales in every month, yet it rains on more days. The rainiest month is January, when 17.8 days have more than {{convert|1|mm|in|2|abbr=on}} of rain on average.<ref name="northernireland">{{cite web|year=2001|title=N Ireland 1971–2000 averages|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/n_ireland.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927031233/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/n_ireland.html|archive-date=27 September 2007|access-date=14 August 2007|publisher=Met Office|df=dmy-all}}</ref>{{Weather box
| width = auto
| May precipitation days = 13.30
| Apr precipitation days = 13.20
| Mar precipitation days = 14.84
| Feb precipitation days = 14.80
| Jan precipitation days = 17.19
| unit precipitation days = 1 mm
| Jun precipitation days = 13.12
| Jul precipitation days = 15.10
| Aug precipitation days = 15.45
| Sep precipitation days = 14.04
| Oct precipitation days = 15.76
| Nov precipitation days = 17.54
| Dec precipitation days = 17.23
| year precipitation days = 181.57
| Jan precipitation mm = 114.83
| Feb precipitation mm = 91.55
| Mar precipitation mm = 86.85
| Apr precipitation mm = 74.17
| May precipitation mm = 73.96
| Jun precipitation mm = 81.42
| Jul precipitation mm = 89.53
| Aug precipitation mm = 99.30
| Sep precipitation mm = 87.55
| Oct precipitation mm = 114.44
| Nov precipitation mm = 122.46
| Dec precipitation mm = 121.01
| year precipitation mm = 1157.09
| source 1 = The [[Met Office]]: averages, sunshine, precipitation;<ref>{{Cite web|title=Belfast Newforge (County Antrim) UK climate averages|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcey2u2yw|access-date=2022-01-15|website=Met Office|language=en|archive-date=15 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115154822/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcey2u2yw|url-status=live}}</ref> extremes<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
| year sun = 1255.56
| Dec sun = 38.12
| Nov sun = 54.42
| Oct sun = 85.41
| Sep sun = 112.90
| Aug sun = 136.15
| Jul sun = 136.14
| Jun sun = 150.12
| May sun = 183.30
| Apr sun = 148.19
| Mar sun = 101.15
| Feb sun = 66.93
| Jan sun = 42.70
| precipitation colour = green
| location = Northern Ireland (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1865-present)
| year high C = 12.67
| Dec high C = 7.53
| Nov high C = 9.65
| Oct high C = 12.90
| Sep high C = 16.29
| Aug high C = 18.31
| Jul high C = 18.58
| Jun high C = 17.17
| May high C = 14.82
| Apr high C = 11.97
| Mar high C = 9.52
| Feb high C = 7.81
| Jan high C = 7.22
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
| Jan low C = 1.71
| Feb low C = 1.56
| Mar low C = 2.44
| Apr low C = 3.94
| May low C = 6.21
| Jun low C = 8.93
| Jul low C = 10.77
| Aug low C = 10.67
| Sep low C = 8.89
| Oct low C = 6.33
| Nov low C = 3.77
| Dec low C = 1.91
| year low C = 5.62
| Jan record high C = 16.4
| Feb record high C = 17.8
| Mar record high C = 21.8
| Apr record high C = 24.5
| May record high C = 28.3
| Jun record high C = 30.8
| Jul record high C = 31.3
| Aug record high C = 30.6
| Sep record high C = 28.0
| Oct record high C = 24.1
| Nov record high C = 18.5
| Dec record high C = 16.7
| year record high C = 31.3
| Jan record low C = -17.5
| Feb record low C = -15.6
| Mar record low C = -14.8
| Apr record low C = -8.5
| May record low C = -6.5
| Jun record low C = -2.4
| Jul record low C = -1.1
| Aug record low C = -1.9
| Sep record low C = -3.7
| Oct record low C = -7.2
| Nov record low C = -12.2
| Dec record low C = -18.7
| year record low C = -18.7
| source =
}}

{{clear}}

Below is a list of record temperatures for Northern Ireland, according to the UK [[Met Office]]. Both the highest and the lowest temperatures were set in [[Castlederg]] in [[County Tyrone]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|-
! colspan="9" |<big>Absolute temperature ranges for Northern Ireland</big>
|-
! rowspan="2" |Month
! colspan="4" |Maximum temperatures
! colspan="4" |Minimum temperatures
|-
!Temperature
!Location
![[Counties of Northern Ireland|County]]
!Date (day/year)
!Temperature
!Location
!County
!Date (day/year)
|-
!January
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|16.4|C|F|abbr=on}}||[[Knockarevan]]
|[[County Fermanagh|Fermanagh]]
|26/2003
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-17.5|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Magherally]]
|Down
|1/1979
|-
!February
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|17.8|C|F|abbr=on}}||[[Bryansford]]
|[[County Down|Down]]
|13/1998
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-15.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Garvagh]] and Moneydig
|Londonderry
|20/1955
|-
!March
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|21.8|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Armagh]]
|[[County Armagh|Armagh]]
|29/1965
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-14.8|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Katesbridge]]
|Down
|2/2001
|-
!April
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|24.5|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Boom Hall]]
|[[County Londonderry|Londonderry]]
|26/1984
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-8.5|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Killylane
|Antrim
|10/1998
|-
!May
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|28.3|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Lisburn]]
|[[County Antrim|Antrim]]
|31/1922
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-6.5|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Moydamlaght
|Londonderry
|7/1982
|-
!June
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|30.8|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Knockarevan
|Fermanagh
|30/1976
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-2.4|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Lough Navar Forest
|Fermanagh
|4/1991
|-
!July
| style="text-align:right;" |'''{{Convert|31.3|C|F|abbr=on}}'''
|'''Castlederg'''
|'''Tyrone'''
|'''21/2021'''
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-1.1|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Lislap Forest
|Tyrone
|17/1971
|-
!August
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|30.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Tandragee]]
|Armagh
|2/1995
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-1.9|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Katesbridge
|Down
|24/2014
|-
!September
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|28.0|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Castlederg
|Tyrone
|8/2023
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-3.7|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Katesbridge
|Down
|27/2020
|-
!October
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|24.1|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Strabane]]
|Tyrone
|10/1969
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-7.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Lough Navar Forest
|Fermanagh
|18/1993
|-
!November
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|18.5|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Murlough Nature Reserve|Murlough]]
|Down
|3/1979, 1/2007 and 10/2015
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-12.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Lisburn]]
|Antrim
|15/1919
|-
!December
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|16.7|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Ballykelly, County Londonderry|Ballykelly]]
|Londonderry
|2/1948
| style="text-align:right;" |'''{{Convert|-18.7|C|F|abbr=on}}'''
|'''Castlederg'''
|'''Tyrone'''
|'''24/2010'''
|}

==Scotland==
{{main|Climate of Scotland}}

[[Scotland]] is generally cool compared to the rest of the UK. In the lowlands, an oceanic climate ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Cfb'') prevails, while in the mountains and in parts of the [[Shetland]], the summers get cool enough for the climate to be classified as subpolar oceanic (''Cfc''). As a whole, Scotland has average minimum temperatures just above zero in winter months and rather cool average highs of {{Convert|17|C|F|abbr=on}} in summer. The Central Lowlands have higher temperatures during the summer than any other part of Scotland, and have also broken some records for the whole of the UK. [[Aviemore]] is considered one of the coldest inhabited places, with its inland location and an altitude of about {{convert|210|m|abbr=on}}. The wettest month in Scotland is January; most months are wetter than other parts of the UK, except for the late spring to early autumn months.{{Weather box
| width = auto
| unit precipitation days = 1 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 18.48
| Feb precipitation days = 16.10
| Mar precipitation days = 15.92
| Apr precipitation days = 13.70
| May precipitation days = 13.38
| Jun precipitation days = 13.75
| Jul precipitation days = 14.93
| Aug precipitation days = 15.51
| Sep precipitation days = 14.85
| Oct precipitation days = 17.96
| Nov precipitation days = 18.48
| Dec precipitation days = 18.24
| year precipitation days = 191.30
| Jan precipitation mm = 178.02
| Feb precipitation mm = 140.74
| Mar precipitation mm = 124.59
| Apr precipitation mm = 93.08
| May precipitation mm = 89.23
| Jun precipitation mm = 92.95
| Jul precipitation mm = 103.73
| Aug precipitation mm = 119.98
| Sep precipitation mm = 123.34
| Oct precipitation mm = 168.33
| Nov precipitation mm = 165.37
| Dec precipitation mm = 174.30
| year precipitation mm = 1573.64
| source 1 = The [[Met Office]]: averages, sunshine, precipitation;<ref name="Inverness">{{Cite web|title=Inverness (Highland) UK climate averages|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gfhyzzs9j|access-date=2022-01-15|website=Met Office|language=en|archive-date=2 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220102085217/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gfhyzzs9j|url-status=live}}</ref> extremes<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
| year sun = 1200.05
| Dec sun = 29.74
| Nov sun = 47.58
| Oct sun = 74.72
| Sep sun = 106.56
| Aug sun = 134.54
| Jul sun = 140.50
| Jun sun = 146.25
| May sun = 182.22
| Apr sun = 141.73
| Mar sun = 97.46
| Feb sun = 63.49
| Jan sun = 35.26
| precipitation colour = green
| location = Scotland (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1865-present)
| year high C = 11.07
| Dec high C = 5.82
| Nov high C = 7.97
| Oct high C = 11.27
| Sep high C = 14.78
| Aug high C = 16.96
| Jul high C = 17.29
| Jun high C = 15.59
| May high C = 13.37
| Apr high C = 10.32
| Mar high C = 7.63
| Feb high C = 5.95
| Jan high C = 5.55
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
| Jan low C = 0.34
| Feb low C = 0.26
| Mar low C = 1.19
| Apr low C = 2.78
| May low C = 4.98
| Jun low C = 7.86
| Jul low C = 9.70
| Aug low C = 9.61
| Sep low C = 7.88
| Oct low C = 5.14
| Nov low C = 2.48
| Dec low C = 0.37
| year low C = 4.40
| Jan record high C = 19.9
| Feb record high C = 18.3
| Mar record high C = 23.6
| Apr record high C = 27.2
| May record high C = 30.9
| Jun record high C = 32.2
| Jul record high C = 34.8
| Aug record high C = 32.9
| Sep record high C = 32.2
| Oct record high C = 27.4
| Nov record high C = 20.6
| Dec record high C = 18.7
| year record high C = 35.1
| Jan record low C = -27.2
| Feb record low C = -27.2
| Mar record low C = -22.8
| Apr record low C = -15.4
| May record low C = -8.8
| Jun record low C = -5.6
| Jul record low C = -2.5
| Aug record low C = -4.5
| Sep record low C = -6.7
| Oct record low C = -11.7
| Nov record low C = -23.3
| Dec record low C = -27.2
| year record low C = -27.2
| source =
}}

{{climate chart|Scotland 1991-2020<ref name="Inverness"/>
|0.34|5.55|178.02
|0.26|5.95|140.74
|1.19|7.63|124.59
|2.78|10.32|93.08
|4.98|13.37|89.23
|7.86|15.59|92.95
|9.70|17.29|103.73
|9.61|16.96|119.98
|7.88|14.78|123.34
|5.14|11.27|168.33
|2.48|7.97|165.37
|0.37|5.82|174.30
|float=left
|clear=none
}}

{{clear}}

Below is a list of record temperatures for Scotland, according to the UK [[Met Office]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|-
! colspan="9" |<big>Absolute temperature ranges for Scotland</big>
|-
! rowspan="2" |Month
! colspan="4" |Maximum temperatures
! colspan="4" |Minimum temperatures
|-
!Temperature
!Location
![[Subdivisions of Scotland|Council area]]
!Date (day/year)
!Temperature
!Location
!Council area
!Date (day/year)
|-
!January
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|19.9|C|F|abbr=on}}||[[Achfary]]
|[[Highland]]
|28/2024
| style="text-align:right;" |'''{{Convert|-27.2|C|F|abbr=on}}'''
| '''[[Braemar]]'''
| '''Aberdeenshire'''
| '''10/1982'''
|-
!February
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|18.3|C|F|abbr=on}}||Aboyne
|Aberdeenshire
|21/2019
| style="text-align:right;" |'''{{Convert|-27.2|C|F|abbr=on}}'''
|'''Braemar'''
|'''Aberdeenshire'''
|'''11/1895'''
|-
!March
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|23.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Aboyne
|Aberdeenshire
|27/2012
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-22.8|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Logie Coldstone]]
|Aberdeenshire
|14/1958
|-
!April
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|27.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Inverailort]]
|Highland
|17/2003
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-15.4|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Eskdalemuir]]
|Dumfries and Galloway
|2/1917
|-
!May
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|30.9|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Inverailort
|Highland
|25/2012
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-8.8|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Braemar
|Aberdeenshire
|1/1927
|-
!June
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|32.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Ochtertyre]]
|[[Perth and Kinross]]
|18/1893
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-5.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Dalwhinnie]]
|Highland
|9/1955
|-
!July
| style="text-align:right;" |'''{{Convert|34.8|C|F|abbr=on}}'''
|'''[[Charterhall]]'''
|'''[[Scottish Borders]]'''
|'''19/2022'''
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-2.5|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Kincraig|Lagganlia]]
|Highland
|15/1977
|-
!August
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|32.9|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Greycrook]]
|Scottish Borders
|9/2003
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-4.5|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Lagganlia
|Highland
|21/1973
|-
!September
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|32.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Gordon Castle]]
|[[Moray]]
|1/1906
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-6.7|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Dalwhinnie
|Highland
|26/1942
|-
!October
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|27.4|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Tillypronie
|Aberdeenshire
|3/1908
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-11.7|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Dalwhinnie
|Highland
|28/1948
|-
!November
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|20.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Liberton, Edinburgh|Liberton]]; [[Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh|Royal Botanic Garden]]
|[[Edinburgh]]
|4/1946
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-23.3|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Braemar
|Aberdeenshire
|14/1919
|-
!December
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|18.7|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Achfary]]
|Highland
|28/2019
| style="text-align:right;" |'''{{Convert|-27.2|C|F|abbr=on}}'''
|'''[[Altnaharra]]'''
|'''Highland'''
|'''30/1995'''
|}

{{clear}}

{{climate chart
| [[Aberdeen]]
|0 |6 |75
|0 |6 |54
|1 |8 |61
|3 |10 |59
|5 |13 |55
|8 |16 |56
|10 |18 |59
|10 |18 |62
|8 |15 |73
|5 |12 |84
|2 |8 |84
|1 |6 |79
| float=
| clear=none
| source= Met Office<ref>{{cite web|url=http://monde.meteofrance.com/monde/climat?68991.path=climatstation%252F03091|title=METEO %%% par Météo-France- Prévisions météo du monde gratuites à 10 jours|author=Meteo France}}{{Dead link|date=July 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> }}

{{climate chart
| [[Edinburgh]]
|1 |7 |67
|1 |7 |47
|2 |9 |51
|4 |11 |40
|6 |14 |48
|9 |17 |61
|11 |19 |65
|11 |19 |60
|9 |16 |63
|6 |13 |75
|3 |9 |62
|1 |7 |60
| float=
| clear=none
| source= Met Office<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages|title=UK climate averages|website=Met Office|access-date=31 December 2020|archive-date=17 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160317215617/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate/gfhyzzs9j|url-status=live}}</ref> }}

{{climate chart
| [[Glasgow]]
|1 |7 |148
|1 |7 |104
|3 |9 |112
|4 |11 |63
|7 |14 |67
|10 |16 |66
|12 |19 |73
|11 |19 |92
|9 |16 |112
|6 |12 |143
|4 |9 |126
|1 |7 |135
| float=
| clear=none
| source= Met Office<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19812010/sites/paisley.html |title=UK climate |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325091325/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19812010/sites/paisley.html |archive-date=25 March 2013 }}</ref> }}{{climate chart
| [[Lerwick]]
|1 |5 |142
|1 |5 |120
|2 |6 |124
|3 |8 |70
|5 |10 |53
|7 |12 |58
|10 |14 |66
|10 |14 |83
|8 |12 |106
|6 |10 |141
|4 |7 |146
|2 |6 |142
| float=
| clear=none
| source= Met Office<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19812010/sites/lerwick.html|title=UK climate|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007100931/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19812010/sites/lerwick.html|archive-date=7 October 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> }}

{{clear}}

==Wales==
[[Wales]] has warmer temperatures throughout the year than Northern Ireland and Scotland and has milder winter minima than England, but cooler winter maxima than Northern Ireland. Wales is wetter throughout the year than Northern Ireland and England, but has fewer rainy days than Northern Ireland; meaning that rainfall tends to be more intense. Wales is also drier than Scotland in every month apart from May, June and December, and there are fewer days with rain than in Scotland. Sunshine totals throughout the year are more than that of Scotland and Northern Ireland, but less than that of neighbouring England. May is the sunniest month, averaging 186.8 hours.<ref name="wales">{{cite web|year=2001|title=Wales 1971–2000 averages|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/wales.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929102646/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/wales.html|archive-date=29 September 2007|access-date=14 August 2007|publisher=Met Office}}</ref> The south-western coast is the sunniest part of Wales, averaging over 1700 hours of sunshine annually, with [[Tenby]], Pembrokeshire, its sunniest town. The dullest time of year is between November and January and the sunniest between May and August. The least sunny areas are the mountains, some parts of which average less than 1200 hours of sunshine annually.<ref name="met off climate series"/><ref name="Davies148-150">Davies (2008) pp. 148–150</ref> The prevailing wind is south-westerly. Coastal areas are the windiest, [[Beaufort scale|gales]] occur most often during winter, on average between 15 and 30 days each year, depending on location. Inland, gales average fewer than six days annually.<ref name="met off climate series"/> Wales experiences long summer days and short winter days result of northerly [[latitude]]s (between 53° 43′ N and 51° 38′ N). [[Aberystwyth]], at the midpoint of the country's west coast, has nearly 17&nbsp;hours of daylight at the summer solstice. Daylight at midwinter there falls to just over seven&nbsp;and&nbsp;a&nbsp;half hours.<ref name="Navy">{{cite web |title=Sun or Moon Rise/Set Table for One Year: Locations Worldwide – Navy Oceanography Portal |url=http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/rs-one-year-world |access-date=29 September 2010 |quote=Aberystwyth: 52° 41′ N 4° 09′ W 21&nbsp;June sunrise: 03:52, sunset: 20:44; 24&nbsp;December sunrise: 08:27, sunset: 16:05 |publisher=[[US Navy]] |date=29 September 2010 |website=[[US Navy]] website |archive-date=16 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116114002/http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO/astronomical-applications/data-services/rs-one-year-world |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The country's wide geographic variations cause localised differences in sunshine, rainfall and temperature. Average annual coastal temperatures reach {{convert|10.5|°C|0|abbr=on}} and in low lying inland areas, {{convert|1|C-change|1}} lower. It becomes cooler at higher altitudes; annual temperatures decrease on average approximately {{convert|0.5|C-change|1}} each {{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=off}} of altitude. Consequently, the higher parts of [[Snowdonia]] experience average annual temperatures of {{convert|5|°C|0|abbr=on}}.<ref name="met off climate series"/> Temperatures in Wales remain higher than would otherwise be expected at its latitude because of the [[North Atlantic Current|North Atlantic Drift]], a branch of the [[Gulf Stream]]. The ocean current, bringing warmer water to northerly latitudes, has a similar effect on most of north-west Europe. As well as its influence on Wales' coastal areas, air warmed by the Gulf Stream blows further inland with the prevailing winds.<ref name="Met Off 2">
{{cite web |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-change/guide/glossary |publisher=[[Met Office]] |year=2010 |title=Met Office: Climate: change glossary |access-date=10 February 2012 |website=[[Met Office]] website |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125094635/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-change/guide/glossary |archive-date=25 January 2012 }}</ref> At low elevations, summers tend to be warm and sunny. Average maximum temperatures range between {{convert|19|and|22|°C|0|abbr=on}}. Winters tend to be fairly wet, rainfall is excessive and the temperature usually stays above freezing. Spring and autumn feel quite similar and the temperatures tend to stay above {{convert|14|°C|0|abbr=on}} – also the average annual daytime temperature.<ref name="Airport guide">{{cite web|url=http://www.cardiff-cwl.airports-guides.com/cwl_climate.html|publisher=TravelSmart Ltd|year=2010|title=Weather at Cardiff Airport (CWL):Weather and Climate in Cardiff Area, Wales, U|access-date=26 September 2010|website=Airports guides website|archive-date=14 September 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090914043201/http://www.cardiff-cwl.airports-guides.com/cwl_climate.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Rainfall patterns show significant variation. The further west, the higher the expected rainfall; up to 40 per cent more.<ref name="Davies148-150"/> At low elevations, rain is unpredictable at any time of year, although the showers tend to be shorter in summer.<ref name="Airport guide"/> The uplands of Wales have most rain, normally more than 50 days of rain during the winter months (December to February), falling to around 35 rainy days during the summer months (June to August). Annual rainfall in Snowdonia averages between {{convert|3000|mm}} ([[Blaenau Ffestiniog]]) and {{convert|5000|mm}} ([[Snowdon]]'s summit).<ref name="Davies148-150"/> The likelihood is that it will fall as sleet or snow when the temperature falls below {{convert|5|°C|0|abbr=on}} and snow tends to be lying on the ground there for an average of 30 days a year. Snow falls several times each winter in inland areas but is relatively uncommon around the coast. Average annual rainfall in those areas can be less than {{convert|1000|mm}}.<ref name="met off climate series"/><ref name="Davies148-150"/>{{Weather box
| width = auto
| unit precipitation days = 1 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 17.13
| Feb precipitation days = 14.12
| Mar precipitation days = 13.73
| Apr precipitation days = 12.50
| May precipitation days = 12.04
| Jun precipitation days = 11.82
| Jul precipitation days = 12.78
| Aug precipitation days = 13.83
| Sep precipitation days = 13.03
| Oct precipitation days = 16.33
| Nov precipitation days = 17.94
| Dec precipitation days = 17.87
| year precipitation days = 173.12
| Jan precipitation mm = 155.22
| Feb precipitation mm = 120.42
| Mar precipitation mm = 103.48
| Apr precipitation mm = 88.00
| May precipitation mm = 87.11
| Jun precipitation mm = 92.08
| Jul precipitation mm = 98.56
| Aug precipitation mm = 111.77
| Sep precipitation mm = 111.48
| Oct precipitation mm = 158.49
| Nov precipitation mm = 162.25
| Dec precipitation mm = 175.80
| year precipitation mm = 1464.65
| source 1 = The [[Met Office]]: averages, sunshine, precipitation;<ref name="Cardiff">{{Cite web|title=St-Athan (Vale of Glamorgan) UK climate averages|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcjs3tzpf|access-date=2022-01-15|website=Met Office|language=en|archive-date=15 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220115175004/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-climate-averages/gcjs3tzpf|url-status=live}}</ref> extremes<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
| year sun = 1407.11
| Dec sun = 41.25
| Nov sun = 55.34
| Oct sun = 91.46
| Sep sun = 129.44
| Aug sun = 159.70
| Jul sun = 176.97
| Jun sun = 178.14
| May sun = 190.94
| Apr sun = 157.75
| Mar sun = 109.77
| Feb sun = 69.15
| Jan sun = 47.21
| precipitation colour = green
| location = Wales (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1865-present)
| year high C = 12.93
| Dec high C = 7.58
| Nov high C = 9.89
| Oct high C = 13.30
| Sep high C = 16.87
| Aug high C = 18.99
| Jul high C = 19.34
| Jun high C = 17.69
| May high C = 15.21
| Apr high C = 12.17
| Mar high C = 9.34
| Feb high C = 7.36
| Jan high C = 7.04
| metric first = Y
| single line = Y
| Jan low C = 1.73
| Feb low C = 1.59
| Mar low C = 2.57
| Apr low C = 4.12
| May low C = 6.64
| Jun low C = 9.34
| Jul low C = 11.26
| Aug low C = 11.22
| Sep low C = 9.30
| Oct low C = 6.91
| Nov low C = 4.18
| Dec low C = 2.16
| year low C = 5.94
| Jan record high C = 18.3
| Feb record high C = 20.8
| Mar record high C = 23.9
| Apr record high C = 26.2
| May record high C = 30.6
| Jun record high C = 33.7
| Jul record high C = 37.1
| Aug record high C = 35.2
| Sep record high C = 32.3
| Oct record high C = 28.2
| Nov record high C = 22.4
| Dec record high C = 18.0
| year record high C = 37.1
| Jan record low C = -23.3
| Feb record low C = -20.0
| Mar record low C = -21.7
| Apr record low C = -11.2
| May record low C = -6.2
| Jun record low C = -4.0
| Jul record low C = -1.5
| Aug record low C = -2.8
| Sep record low C = -5.5
| Oct record low C = -9.4
| Nov record low C = -18.0
| Dec record low C = -22.7
| year record low C = -23.3
| source =
}}

{{climate chart|Wales 1991-2020<ref name="Cardiff" />
|1.73|7.04|155.22
|1.59|7.36|120.42
|2.57|9.34|103.48
|4.12|12.17|88.00
|6.64|15.21|87.11
|9.34|17.69|92.08
|11.26|19.34|98.56
|11.22|18.99|111.77
|9.30|16.87|111.48
|6.91|13.30|158.49
|4.18|9.89|162.25
|2.16|7.58|175.80
|float=left
|clear=none
}}

Below is a list of record temperatures for Wales, according to the UK [[Met Office]].<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|-
! colspan="9" |<big>Absolute temperature ranges for Wales</big>
|-
! rowspan="2" |Month
! colspan="4" |Maximum temperatures
! colspan="4" |Minimum temperatures
|-
!Temperature
!Location
![[Historic counties of Wales|County]]
!Date (day/year)
!Temperature
!Location
!County
!Date (day/year)
|-
!January
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|18.3|C|F|abbr=on}}||[[Abergwyngregyn]]
|[[Gwynedd]]
|10/1971 and 27/1958
| style="text-align:right;" |'''{{Convert|-23.3|C|F|abbr=on}}'''
|'''[[Rhayader]]'''
|'''Powys'''
|'''21/1940'''
|-
!February
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|20.8|C|F|abbr=on}}||[[Porthmadog]]
|Gwynedd
|21/2019
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-20.0|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Welshpool]]
|Powys
|2/1954
|-
! rowspan="2" |March
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|23.9|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Prestatyn]]
|[[Denbighshire]]
| rowspan="2" |29/1965
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-21.7|C|F|abbr=on}}
| rowspan="2" |[[Corwen]]
| rowspan="2" |Denbighshire
| rowspan="2" |14/1958
|-
|[[Ceinws]]
|[[Powys]]
|-
!April
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|26.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Gogerddan]]
|[[Ceredigion]]
|16/2003
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-11.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Corwen
|Denbighshire
|11/1978
|-
!May
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|30.6|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Newport, Wales|Newport]]
|[[Monmouthshire]]
|29/1944
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-6.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[St Harmon]]
|Powys
|14/2020
|-
!June
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|33.7|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Machynlleth|Machynlleth]]
|Powys
|18/1893
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-4.0|C|F|abbr=on}}
|St Harmon
|Powys
|8/1985
|-
!July
| style="text-align:right;" |'''{{Convert|37.1|C|F|abbr=on}}'''
|'''Hawarden'''
|'''Flintshire'''
|'''18/2022'''
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-1.5|C|F|abbr=on}}
|St Harmon
|Powys
|3/1984
|-
!August
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|35.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Hawarden Bridge]]
|[[Flintshire]]
|2/1990
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-2.8|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Alwen Reservoir|Alwen]]
|[[Conwy County Borough|Conwy]]
|29/1959
|-
!September
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|32.3|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Hawarden Bridge
|Flintshire
|1/1906
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-5.5|C|F|abbr=on}}
|St Harmon
|Powys
|19/1986
|-
!October
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|28.2|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Hawarden Airport]]
|Flintshire
|1/2011
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-9.4|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Rhayader and Penvalley
|Powys
|26/1931
|-
!November
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|22.4|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Trawsgoed]]
|Ceredigion
|1/2015
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-18.0|C|F|abbr=on}}
|[[Llysdinam]]
|Powys
|28/2010
|-
!December
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|18.0|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Abergwyngregyn
|Gwynedd
|18/1972
| style="text-align:right;" |{{Convert|-22.7|C|F|abbr=on}}
|Corwen
|Denbighshire
|13/1981
|}

==Seasons==
{{Overly detailed|section|date=September 2018}}

===Spring===
Spring is the period from March to May. Spring is generally a calm, cool season, particularly because the Atlantic has lost much of its heat throughout the autumn and winter. As the sun rises higher in the sky and the days get longer, temperatures slowly rise, but the solar effect is mitigated somewhat by the effect of the cool ocean waters and westerly winds that blow across them. There is a chance of snow earlier in the season when temperatures are colder; often in March.

Mean temperatures in Spring are markedly influenced by latitude. Most of Scotland and the mountains of Wales and northern England are the coolest areas of the UK, with average temperatures ranging from {{convert|-0.6|to|5.8|C|F|1}}.<ref name="spring">{{cite web | url = http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/13.gif | title = Mean Temperature Spring Average | access-date = 14 August 2007 | publisher = Met Office | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030548/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/13.gif | archive-date = 27 September 2007 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> The southern half of England experiences the warmest spring temperatures of between {{convert|8.8|and|10.3|C|F|1}}.<ref name="spring" />

Spring mean temperatures have become higher during the 2000s and the 2010s. The warmest spring on record was 2017 with a mean temperature for the UK of 9.12C. The coldest spring on record was in 1891 with a mean temperature of 5.42C.<ref name="ReferenceB">{{Cite web |date= |title=Areal values from HadUK-Grid 1km gridded climate data from land surface network Source: Met Office National Climate Information Centre Monthly, seasonal and annual mean air temperature for UK |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/datasets/Tmean/ranked/UK.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212155441/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/datasets/Tmean/ranked/UK.txt |archive-date=2021-12-12 |access-date= |website=metoffice.gov.uk}}</ref>

The sunniest spring on record for the UK was in 2020 with 626.0 hours recorded on average across the UK. Conversely, the dullest spring on record for the UK was in 1983 with an average of 322.3 hours of sunshine across the UK.<ref name="ReferenceD">{{Cite web |title=Areal values from HadUK-Grid 1km gridded climate data from land surface network Source: Met Office National Climate Information Centre Monthly, seasonal and annual total duration of bright sunshine for UK |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/datasets/Sunshine/ranked/UK.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212155440/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/datasets/Sunshine/ranked/UK.txt |archive-date=2021-12-12 |website=metoffice.gov.uk}}</ref>

The wettest spring on record for the UK was in 1947 with 332.4mm of precipitation falling on average across the UK. The driest spring on record for the UK was in 1893 with just 107.4mm of precipitation falling on average across the UK.<ref name="ReferenceE">{{Cite web |title=Areal values from HadUK-Grid 1km gridded climate data from land surface network Source: Met Office National Climate Information Centre Monthly, seasonal and annual total precipitation amount for UK |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/datasets/Rainfall/ranked/UK.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216211413/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/datasets/Rainfall/ranked/UK.txt |archive-date=2021-12-16 |website=metoffice.gov.uk}}</ref>

===Summer===
Summer lasts from June to August and is the warmest and usually the sunniest season. There can be wide local variations in [[rainfall]] totals due to localised thundershowers. These thundershowers mainly occur in southern, eastern, and central England and are less frequent and severe in the north and west. Greater London, Kent, Sussex, Surrey, Essex, Hertfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk see the most thunderstorms during the summer. The South West, the Midlands and Northern England get thunderstorms too, but they are less frequent and severe. Wales and Scotland also gets the occasional thunderstorm. On rare occasions, a type of supercell thunderstorm called the [[Spanish plume|Spanish Plume]] forms over the country after very hot weather. These storms are severe in the South West and South East and get weaker as they go north.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/media/pdf/i/r/Fact_sheet_No._2.pdf | title=National Meteorological Library and Archive Fact sheet 2 — Thunderstorms | access-date=9 January 2015 | publisher=Met Office UK | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140813225303/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/media/pdf/i/r/Fact_sheet_No._2.pdf | archive-date=13 August 2014 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Drought has been noted as a recurring feature.
The warmest summer on record for the UK was in 2018 with a mean temperature of 15.76 °C across the UK. Conversely, the coldest summer on record for the UK was in 1922 with a mean temperature of 12.24 °C. Other notable cool summers include 1920, 1954, 1956, 1962, 1965 and 1972.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>

The sunniest summer on record for the UK was in 1976 with 672.1 hours of sunshine recorded across the UK. Conversely, the dullest summer on record for the UK was in 1954 with just 372.7 hours of sunshine recorded on average across the UK.<ref name="ReferenceD" />

The wettest summer on record for the UK was in 1879 with an average of 399.9mm precipitation across the UK.  Conversely, the driest summer on record for the UK was in 1995 with just 105.9mm of precipitation recorded on average across the UK.

===Autumn===
Autumn in the United Kingdom lasts from September to November.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-change/guide/impacts/horticulture |title=Impacts on horticulture - Met Office |access-date=2012-06-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407092533/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate-change/guide/impacts/horticulture |archive-date=7 April 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The season may be a little more unsettled; as cool polar air moves southwards, it can meet warm air from the [[tropics]] and produce an area of disturbance along which the country lies. This can combine with the warm ocean due to heating throughout the spring and summer, to produce some unsettled weather. In addition, the land may become colder than the ocean, resulting in significant amounts of [[condensation]] and rain-bearing clouds.

Atlantic depressions at this time can become intense, and winds of [[hurricane]] force (greater than {{convert|119|km/h|mi/h|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}) can be recorded. Western areas, closest to the Atlantic, experience these severe conditions more often than eastern areas. Autumn, particularly the latter part, is often the stormiest time of the year. One particularly intense depression was the [[Great Storm of 1987]]. A very severe storm also affected the UK on 27 October 2002. At Mumbles Head near Swansea, a maximum sustained wind speed of over 123&nbsp;km/h was recorded: equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://en.tutiempo.net/climate/10-2002/ws-36090.html|title=Climate MUMBLES (October 2002) - Climate data (36090)|first=Tutiempo Network|last=S.L|website=www.tutiempo.net|access-date=16 October 2017|archive-date=17 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171017042719/https://en.tutiempo.net/climate/10-2002/ws-36090.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The autumn of 2013 was also littered with severe storms, including the St. Jude's Storm on 28 October 2013.{{fact|date=February 2025}}

Autumn can sometimes be a cold season—in recent years, very low temperatures and heavy snowfall have been recorded during November 1985, November 1993 and November 2010. There was a new record low of {{convert|-18.0|C}} in Wales on 28 November 2010. At Northolt, in Greater London, the coldest temperature of the year 2016 was set on 30 November. Snow also fell rather widely across the UK on 28–29 October 2008, causing traffic problems where it settled on the M4. Even further south, low temperatures can be recorded, with temperatures well below freezing as far south as Heathrow Airport on 29–31 October 1997, with a lower temperature than any recorded at this station in March,

However, the United Kingdom sometimes experiences an "Indian summer", when temperatures, particularly by night, can be very mild and rarely fall below {{convert|10|C|F|0}}. Such events are aided by the surrounding Atlantic Ocean and seas being at their warmest, keeping the country in warm air, despite the relatively weak sun. Examples of this were in 1985, 1999, 2005, 2006, 2011<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/oct/03/uk-weather-normal-record-heatwave?newsfeed=true | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Sam | last=Jones | title=UK weather returns to normal after record-breaking heatwave | date=3 October 2011 | access-date=11 December 2016 | archive-date=22 December 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222230630/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/oct/03/uk-weather-normal-record-heatwave?newsfeed=true | url-status=live }}</ref> and 2016 when September saw above average temperatures which felt more like a continuation of summer than autumn. Autumns since 2000 have generally been very mild, with notable extremes of precipitation; the UK has seen some of its wettest and driest autumns since the millennium. 2011 and 2016 were notable as many areas of the country recorded their highest temperatures of the year in September and October (for example, {{convert|28.2|C}} at Hawarden on 1 October, {{convert|26.3|C}} at St. Athan on 2 October 2011 and the UK's highest temperature of 2016 on 13 September with {{convert|34.4|C}} at Gravesend).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/13/uks-hottest-september-day-since-1949-32c-heathrow|title=UK's hottest September day in 105 years sets 2016 record|first=Damien|last=Gayle|date=13 September 2016|website=The Guardian|access-date=21 February 2017|archive-date=22 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170222114549/https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/13/uks-hottest-september-day-since-1949-32c-heathrow|url-status=live}}</ref> On 13 October 2018, temperatures reached {{convert|26.5|C}} at Donna Nook in Lincolnshire, the latest in the year such a high temperature had been recorded.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/16-degree-swing-saw-go-2109033|title=From UK's hottest place to a taste of winter in just 24 hours|date=15 October 2018|publisher=Grimsby Telegraph|access-date=16 October 2018|archive-date=17 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181017001842/https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/16-degree-swing-saw-go-2109033|url-status=live}}</ref> Temperatures on the night of 12–13 October were also just under {{convert|18.2|C}} in London.

Coastal areas in the southern half of England have on average the warmest autumns, with mean temperatures of {{convert|10.7|to|13.0|C|F|1}}.<ref name="autumn">{{cite web | url = http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/15.gif | title = Mean Temperature Autumn Average | access-date = 14 August 2007 | publisher = Met Office | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030823/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/15.gif | archive-date = 27 September 2007 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> Mountainous areas of Wales and northern England, and almost all of Scotland, experience mean temperatures between {{convert|1.7|and|7.5|C|F|1}}.<ref name="autumn" />
[[File:UK zonemap.png|thumb|upright|[[Hardiness zone]]s in the [[British Isles]]. Based on the [[USDA]] system and used to indicate growing conditions for plants.]]

The warmest autumn on record was in 2006 with a mean temperature of 11.35C. The coldest autumn on record was in 1887 with a mean temperature of 6.97C.

The sunniest autumn on record for the UK was 1959 with an average of 341.3 sunshine hours recorded on average across the UK. The dullest autumn on record for the UK was in 1968 with just 208.2 hours of sunshine recorded.

The wettest autumn on record for the UK was in 2000 with an average of 509.6mm of precipitation across the UK.  The driest autumn on record for the UK was in 1922 with 192.7mm of precipitation.<ref name="ReferenceE" />

===Winter===
Winter in the [[UK]] is defined as lasting from December to February. The season is generally cool, wet, windy, and cloudy. Temperatures at night rarely drop below {{convert|-10|C}} and in the day rarely rise above {{convert|15|C|F|0}}. Precipitation can be plentiful throughout the season, though snow is relatively infrequent despite the country's high latitude: often the only areas with significant snowfall are the [[Scottish Highlands]] and the [[Pennines]], where at higher elevations a colder climate determines the vegetation, mainly temperate coniferous forest, although deforestation has severely decreased the forest area. For a majority of the UK, snow is frequent in winter time yet is usually light and does not last long, apart from the higher altitudes, where snow can lie for 1–5 months or even beyond 6 months.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/snow/snow-in-the-uk|title=UK snow and facts|website=Met Office|access-date=4 June 2019|archive-date=4 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190604052753/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/learn-about/weather/types-of-weather/snow/snow-in-the-uk|url-status=live}}</ref>

Towards the later part of the season the weather usually stabilises with less wind, less precipitation and lower temperatures. This change is particularly pronounced near the coasts, mainly because the [[Atlantic Ocean]] is often at its coldest at this time after being cooled throughout the autumn and the winter. The early part of winter however is often unsettled and stormy; often the wettest and windiest time of the year.

[[File:Saddle and sgurr na sgine 06-07 086.jpg|thumb|left|Snow cover on [[The Saddle]] in the [[Scottish Highlands]]]]
Snow falls intermittently and mainly affects northern and eastern areas, high ground in Wales and especially the mountains of [[Scotland]], where there is often enough snow lying to permit [[skiing]] at some of the five [[List of ski areas and resorts in Europe#Scotland|Scottish ski resorts]]. These resorts usually operate between December and April, depending on the snowfall. Frequently in the mountains potent depressions may move in from the north in the form of "[[polar low]]s", introducing heavy snow and often [[blizzard]]-like conditions to parts of the United Kingdom, particularly Scotland. Blizzards have become rarer in the 21st century, although much of England was affected by one on 30 January 2003. During periods of light winds and high pressure, [[frost]] and [[fog]] can become a problem and can pose a major hazard to drivers.

Mean winter temperatures in the UK are most influenced by proximity to the sea. The coldest areas are the mountains of Wales and northern England, and inland areas of [[Scotland]], averaging {{convert|-3.6|to|2.3|C|F|1}}.<ref name="winter">{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/16.gif |title=Mean Temperature Winter Average |access-date=14 August 2007 |publisher=[[Met Office]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100531061625/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/tmean/16.gif |archive-date=31 May 2010 }}</ref> Coastal areas, particularly those in the south and west, experience the mildest winters, on average {{convert|5|to|8.7|C|F|1}}.<ref name="winter" /> [[Hardiness zone]]s in the UK are high, ranging from zone 7 in the [[Scottish Highlands]], the [[Pennines]] and [[Snowdonia]], to zone 10 on the [[Isles of Scilly]]. Most of the UK lies in zones 8 or 9.<ref name="hardinesszones">{{cite web | year = 1999 | url = http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/europe/ | title = Hardiness Zone Map for Europe | publisher = GardenWeb | access-date = 23 December 2007 | archive-date = 29 June 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070629194559/http://www.gardenweb.com/zones/europe/ | url-status = live }}</ref> In zone 7, the average lowest temperature each year is between {{convert|-17.7|and|-12.3|C|F|1}}, and in zone 10, this figure is between {{convert|-1.1|and|4.4|C|F|1}}.<ref name="zonetemps">{{cite web | year = 2003 | url = http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hrdzon3.html | title = Hardiness Zones — Details | publisher = [[United States National Arboretum]] | access-date = 23 December 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110805235047/http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/hrdzon3.html | archive-date = 5 August 2011 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>

Snow falls in the UK every year, but in small quantities. The UK can suffer extreme winters like 1684, 1740, 1795 (when London had its record lowest temperature of {{convert|-21.1|C|F|1}}, 1947 and 1963. In 1962 it snowed on [[Boxing Day]], and snow lasted in most areas until 6 March, with blizzards through February, which had significant and documented effects on the [[FA Cup]] - Wrexham were forced to play on sand for one tie. In recent times snow has generally become rarer, but the UK can still get heavy falls, such as in 1978–79, 1981–82, [[January 1987 South-East England snowfall|1986–87]] and [[Winter of 1990–91 in Western Europe|1990–91]]. The [[February 2009 Great Britain and Ireland snowfall|winter of 2008/09]] produced the heaviest snowfall since 1991 between 1 and 3 February, and the [[Winter of 2009–10 in Great Britain and Ireland|winter of 2009–10]] was even more severe, with many parts of the United Kingdom having the coldest and snowiest winters since 1978/79; temperatures plummeted to {{convert|-22.3|C}} at [[Altnaharra]], Sutherland – close to the {{convert|-22.9|C}} recorded in Antarctica in the same period. The lowest temperature ever recorded in the UK was {{convert|-27.2|C}}, on 10 January 1982 and 11 February 1895 in [[Braemar]], Scotland and on 30 December 1995 in Altnaharra.

December 2015 was the wettest calendar month ever recorded in the United Kingdom, and January 2016 the second wettest. In these months, some northern and western parts had 2 to 4 times as much rainfall as normal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/summaries/2016/january|title=January 2016|website=Met Office|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180626031007/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/summaries/2016/january|archive-date = 26 June 2018}}</ref> December 2015 was also the warmest December averaged over the whole UK, and the CET had the warmest December on record. (CET was {{convert|9.7|C}}, this is warmer than even any March<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.trevorharley.com/|title=Trevor Harley Home Page|website=www.trevorharley.com|access-date=28 April 2019|archive-date=12 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412153324/https://www.trevorharley.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>). Most areas of southern England had average monthly temperatures 5–6 deg. C above normal. Some plants flowered that would normally do so in the spring.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35228779|title=December warmest and wettest month|first=Roger|last=Harrabin|date=25 June 2018|work=BBC News|access-date=25 June 2018|archive-date=17 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717085458/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35228779|url-status=live}}</ref>

The mildest winter on record for England was the winter of 2015–16 with a mean temperature for England of 6.47C.  The coldest winter on record for England was the winter of 1962–63 with a mean temperature of  {{convert|-0.60|C|||abbr=|sigfig=3}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Areal values from HadUK-Grid 1km gridded climate data from land surface network Source: Met Office National Climate Information Centre Monthly, seasonal and annual mean air temperature for England |url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/datasets/Tmean/ranked/England.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211124185409/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/pub/data/weather/uk/climate/datasets/Tmean/ranked/England.txt |archive-date=2021-11-24 |access-date= |website=metoffice.gov.uk}}</ref>

==Sunshine and cloud==
[[File:Newbury and surroundings.jpg|thumb|right|A sunny spring day]]
The average total annual sunshine in the United Kingdom is 1339.7 hours, which is just under 30% of the maximum possible (The maximum hours of sunshine possible in one year is approximately 4476 hours).<ref name="ukaverages">{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/uk.html |title=UK 1971–2000 averages |access-date=4 August 2007 |publisher=Met Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705140124/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/uk.html |archive-date=5 July 2009 }}</ref> The hours of sunshine vary from 1200 to about 1580 hours per year, and since 1996 the UK has been and still is receiving above the 1981 to 2010 average hours of sunshine.<ref name="met off climate series">{{Cite web|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-temperature-rainfall-and-sunshine-time-series|title=UK temperature, rainfall and sunshine time series|website=Met Office|access-date=17 October 2019|archive-date=17 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191017203556/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/research/climate/maps-and-data/uk-temperature-rainfall-and-sunshine-time-series|url-status=live}}</ref>

Generally the United Kingdom sees frequent cloudy skies due to its high latitude and oceanic controlled climate. The lowest sunshine hours are found in northern parts of the country and the highest in the southern parts and southern coast of England. The counties of [[Dorset]], [[Hampshire]], [[Sussex]] and [[Kent]] are the sunniest areas, which have annual average totals of around 1,750 hours of sunshine per year.<ref name="Englandclimate">{{cite web | url = http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/location/england/index.html | title =  Met Office:English Climate | access-date = 4 August 2007 | publisher = Met Office |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070525051524/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/location/england/index.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 25 May 2007}}</ref> Northern, western and [[mountain]]ous areas are generally the cloudiest areas of the UK, with some mountainous areas receiving fewer than 1,000 hours of sunshine a year.<ref name="Englandclimate" />

[[File:Plymouth hoe from mountbatten 2.jpg|thumb|left|200px|An overcast day in [[Plymouth]], south-west England]]
Valley areas such as the [[South Wales Valleys]], due to their north–south orientation, receive less sunshine than lowland areas because the mountains on either side of the valley obscure the sun in the early morning and late evening. This is noticeable in winter where there are only a few hours of sunshine. The mountains of Wales, northern England and Scotland can be especially cloudy with extensive [[mist]] and [[fog]]. Near the coast, sea fog may develop in the spring and early summer. Radiation fog may develop over inland areas of [[Great Britain]] and can persist for hours or even days in the winter and can pose a major hazard for drivers and aircraft.

Often anticyclones ([[High pressure area|high pressure systems]]) may move over the United Kingdom, which can persist for weeks or even months. The subsided, dry air from the Azores often results in clear skies and few clouds, bringing [[frost]]y nights in winter and warm days in the summer.

Average hours of sunshine in winter range from 38–108 hours in some mountainous areas and western Scotland, up to 217 hours in the south and east of England;<ref name="wintersunshine">{{cite web | url = http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/ss/16.gif | title = Sunshine Duration Winter Average | access-date = 4 August 2007 | publisher = Met Office | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929092926/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/ss/16.gif | archive-date = 29 September 2007 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> while average hours of sunshine in summer range from 294–420 hours in northern Scotland and Northern Ireland, to 600–760 hours in southern English coastal counties.<ref name="summersunshine">{{cite web | url = http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/ss/14.gif | title = Sunshine Duration Summer Average | access-date = 4 August 2007 | publisher = Met Office | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070927030725/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/ss/14.gif | archive-date = 27 September 2007 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>
The most sunshine recorded in one month was 383.9 hours at [[Eastbourne]] ([[East Sussex]]) in July 1911.<ref name="Englandclimate" />

===Extremes===

{|class=wikitable
|-
!colspan=7|<big>Greatest monthly sunshine hours</big><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.torro.org.uk/extremes/sunshine|title=Sunshine|access-date=26 June 2021|archive-date=26 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626095649/https://www.torro.org.uk/extremes/sunshine|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
!rowspan=2|Month
!colspan=3|Most sunshine in one month (hours)
|-
!hours
!Location and date
|-
!January
|115 ||
* [[Bournemouth]], [[Dorset]] (Jan 1959)
|-
!February
|167 ||
* [[Jersey]], [[Channel Islands]] (Feb 1891)
|-
!March
|253 ||
* [[Aberystwyth]], [[Ceredigion]] (Mar 1929)
|-
!April
|302 ||
* [[Westbourne, West Sussex|Westbourne]], [[Sussex]] (Apr 1893)
|-
!May
|353||
* [[Worthing]], [[West Sussex]] (May 1909)
|-
!June
|382 ||
* [[Falmouth, Cornwall|Falmouth]], [[Cornwall]] (Jun 1925)
|-
!July
|384 ||
* [[Eastbourne]], [[East Sussex]] (Jul 1911)
* [[Hastings]], East Sussex (Jul 1911)
|-
!August
|333 ||
* [[Ilfracombe]], [[Devon]] (Aug 1976)
|-
!September
|281 ||
* Jersey, Channel Islands (Sep 1959)
|-
!October
|207 ||
* [[Felixstowe]], [[Suffolk]] (Oct 1921)
|-
!November
|145 ||
* [[Falmouth, Cornwall|Falmouth]], [[Cornwall]] (Nov 1923)
|-
!December
|120 ||
* [[St Helier]], Jersey, Channel Islands (Dec 2001)
|}

{{clear}}

==Atlantic Ocean==
One of the greatest influences on the climate of the UK is the Atlantic Ocean and especially the [[Gulf Stream]], which carries warm water up from lower latitudes and modifies the high latitude air masses that pass across the UK. This [[thermohaline circulation]] has a powerful moderating and warming effect on the country's climate. This warm water current warms the climate to such a great extent that if the current did not exist then temperatures in winter would be about {{convert|10|C-change}} lower than they are today and similar to eastern Russia or Canada near the same latitude. The current allows England to have [[vineyard]]s at the same latitude that [[Canada]] has [[polar bear]]s. These warm [[ocean current]]s also bring substantial amounts of [[humidity]] which contributes to the notoriously wet climate that western parts of the UK experience.

==Winds==
{{further|List of atmospheric pressure records in Europe}}
The high latitude and proximity to a large ocean to the west means that the United Kingdom experiences strong winds. The prevailing wind is from the south-west, but it may blow from any direction for sustained periods of time. Winds are strongest near westerly facing coasts and exposed [[headland]]s.

[[Gale]]s—which are defined as winds with speeds of {{convert|51|to|101|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}}—are strongly associated with the passage of deep depressions across the country. The [[Hebrides]] experience on average 35 days of gale a year (a day where there are gale-force winds) while inland areas in England and Wales receive fewer than 5 days of gale a year.<ref name="Englandclimate" /> Areas of high [[elevation]] tend to have higher wind speeds than low elevations, and [[Great Dun Fell]] in [[Cumbria]] (at {{convert|857|m|ft|0|abbr=on|disp=or}}) averaged 114 days of gale a year during the period 1963 to 1976. The highest [[wind|gust]] recorded at a low level in England was {{convert|191|km/h|mph|0|abbr=on}} at [[Gwennap Head]] in [[Cornwall]] on 15 December 1979,<ref name="Englandclimate" /> and a 115&nbsp;mph gust was also recorded at Shoreham-By-Sea on 16 October 1987. A disputed 122&nbsp;mph gust was recorded on 16 October 1987 at Gorleston in Norfolk during the [[Great Storm of 1987]]. In Scotland, Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire recorded {{convert|142|mph|abbr=on|order=flip}} on 13 February 1989, which was equalled during [[Cyclone Xaver]] on 5 December 2013. Wales' highest wind speed gust of {{convert|124|mph|abbr=on|order=flip}} was set at Rhoose, Vale of Glamorgan on 28 October 1989. Especially potent storm systems typically affect the UK during autumn and winter, with the winters of 1989/1990 and 2013/2014 particularly notable for the frequency and potency of storm systems.{{fact|date=February 2025}}

An unofficial gust of {{convert|194|mph|||abbr=on}} was recorded in the Shetland Isles during the [[New Year's Day Storm]] on 1 January 1992, and an equal unofficial 194&nbsp;mph wind gust is claimed to have been set in the Cairngorm Mountains on 19 December 2008.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/4141762/Highlands-mountain-claims-strongest-UK-wind.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/4141762/Highlands-mountain-claims-strongest-UK-wind.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=Highlands mountain claims strongest UK wind|first=Nick|last=Britten|date=25 June 2018|newspaper=The Telegraph}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Barometric pressure plays a role in storm systems. For the United Kingdom, record figures for barometric pressure recordings are:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/media/pdf/c/f/Fact_sheet_No._9.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2012-03-11 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028123740/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/media/pdf/c/f/Fact_sheet_No._9.pdf |archive-date=28 October 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Highest – 1053.6mb (Aberdeen, 31 January 1902)

Lowest – 925.6mb (Ochtertyre, 26 January 1884)

Notably a low pressure storm system affected the UK with a central pressure of 914.0mb on 10 January 1993, however this figure is not recorded over the UK but out in the Atlantic, despite the system affecting the UK.

==Rainfall==

Rainfall amounts can vary greatly across the United Kingdom: generally the further west and the higher the elevation, the greater the rainfall. The mountains of [[Wales]], [[Scotland]], the [[Pennines]] in [[Northern England]] and the [[moorland|moors]] of [[South West England]] are the wettest parts of the country, and in some of these places as much as {{convert|4577|mm|in|1}} of rain can fall annually,<ref name="4577mm">{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/rr/17.gif |title=Rainfall Amount (mm) Annual Average |access-date=13 April 2008 |publisher=Met Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719222449/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/rr/17.gif |archive-date=19 July 2013 }}</ref> making these locations some of the wettest in Europe. The wettest spot in the United Kingdom is [[Crib Goch]], in [[Snowdonia]], which averaged {{convert|178|in|mm|}} rain over a 30 year period.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3354276/The-wetter-the-better.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120128075059/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/3354276/The-wetter-the-better.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=28 January 2012|title=The wetter, the better|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]]|last=Clark|first=Ross|date=28 October 2006|access-date=2 September 2009|location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=40 die as one year's rain falls in a day|url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article548749.ece|newspaper=The Times|last=Philip|first=Catherine|date=28 July 2005|access-date=2 September 2009|location=London|archive-date=1 June 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100601123910/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article548749.ece|url-status=dead}}</ref> Most rainfall in the United Kingdom comes from North Atlantic depressions which roll into the country throughout the year from the west or southwest and are particularly frequent and intense in the autumn and winter. They can on occasions bring prolonged periods of heavy rain, and [[flood]]ing is quite common.

Parts of England are dry in global terms, which is contrary to the stereotypical view—[[London]] receives just below {{convert|650|mm|in|1}} per annum,<ref name="londonrain">{{cite web|url=http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/water/why_important.jsp |title=Mayor of London Environment |access-date=31 July 2008 |publisher=Mayor of London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007111452/http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/environment/water/why_important.jsp |archive-date=7 October 2007 }}</ref> which is less than [[Rome]], [[Sydney]], or [[New York City]]. In [[East Anglia]] it typically rains on about 113 days per year.<ref name="eastanglia">{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/east_anglia.html |title=East Anglia 1971–2000 averages |access-date=4 August 2007 |publisher=Met Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929093459/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/areal/east_anglia.html |archive-date=29 September 2007 }}</ref> Most of the south, south-east and East Anglia receive less than {{convert|700|mm|in|1}} of rain per year.<ref name="Englandclimate" /> The English counties of [[Essex, England|Essex]], [[Cambridgeshire]]—as well as parts of [[North Yorkshire]], the [[East Riding of Yorkshire]], [[Suffolk]] and [[Norfolk]]—are amongst the driest in the UK, with an average annual rainfall of around {{convert|600|mm|in|1}}. This is due to a mild [[rainshadow]] effect, due to mountainous parts of the South West, Wales and Cumbria blocking the moist airflow across the country to the east. In some years rainfall totals in Essex and South Suffolk can be below {{convert|450|mm|in|1}} (especially areas around [[Colchester]], [[Clacton]] and [[Ipswich]])—less than the average annual rainfall in [[Jerusalem]], [[Beirut]] and even some [[semi-arid]] parts of the world. The rainy reputation of Britain originates from the frequent cool, cloudy and drizzly conditions rather than overall rainfall amounts.

Parts of the United Kingdom have had drought problems in recent years, particularly in 2004–2006 and more recently in 2018. Fires broke out in some areas, even across the normally damp higher ground of north-west England and Wales. The landscape in much of England and east Wales became very parched, even near the coast; water restrictions were in place in some areas.

July 2006 was the hottest month on record for the United Kingdom and much of Europe,<ref name="2006July">{{cite news | url = http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1922913,00.html | title = Official: this summer is the longest, hottest ever | access-date = 5 November 2006 | last = McKie | first = Robin | date = 15 October 2006 | newspaper = The Observer | location = London | archive-date = 3 November 2006 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20061103143220/http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,1922913,00.html | url-status = live }}</ref> however England has had warmer spells of 31 days which did not coincide with a calendar month—in 1976 and 1995. The impact of droughts is increased because the driest parts of England also have the highest population density, and therefore the highest water consumption. The drought in 2006 was eased when in the period from October 2006 to January 2007, which had well above average rainfall.

December 2015 was the wettest month ever recorded in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Carrington|first1=Damian|title=December 2015 was the wettest month ever recorded in UK|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/05/december-2015-was-wettest-month-ever-recorded-in-uk|access-date=11 December 2016|archive-date=8 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161208035207/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jan/05/december-2015-was-wettest-month-ever-recorded-in-uk|url-status=live}}</ref> The average rainfall for the month was almost doubled.<ref>{{cite web|title=December 2015 breaks records|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2016/december-records|website=Met Office|access-date=5 January 2016|archive-date=9 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160109234009/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2016/december-records|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Extremes===

{|class=wikitable
|-
!colspan=7|<big>UK daily rainfall extremes by month</big><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.torro.org.uk/extremes/rainfall|title=Precipitation / Rainfall|access-date=26 June 2021|archive-date=26 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626090746/https://www.torro.org.uk/extremes/rainfall|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
!rowspan=2|Month
!colspan=3|Most rainfall in 24 hours
|-
!mm
!in
!Location and date
|-
!January
|{{convert|238.4|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[Loch Sloy Hydro-Electric Scheme|Sloy]], [[Argyll and Bute]] (17 Jan 1974)
|-
!February
|{{convert|196.6|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[Ben Nevis]], [[Highland (council area)|Highland]] (6 Feb 1894)
|-
!March
|{{convert|164.3|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[Glen Etive]], [[Highland (council area)|Highland]] (26 Mar 1968)
|-
!April
|{{convert|182.1|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[Seathwaite, Allerdale|Seathwaite]], [[Cumbria]] (22 Apr 1970)
|-
!May
|{{convert|172.2|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[Seathwaite, Allerdale|Seathwaite]], [[Cumbria]] (8 May 1884)
|-
!June
|{{convert|242.8|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[Bruton]], [[Somerset]] (28 Jun 1917)
|-
!July
|{{convert|279.4|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[Winterborne St Martin|Martinstown]], [[Dorset]] (18 Jul 1955)
|-
!August
|{{convert|239.9|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[East Wretham]], Norfolk (16 Aug 2020)
|-
!September
|{{convert|190.7|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[Stourmouth|West Stourmouth]], [[Kent]] (20 Sep 1973)
|-
!October
|{{convert|208.3|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[Loch Quoich|Kinlochquoich]], [[Highland (council area)|Highland]] (11 Oct 1916)
|-
!November
|{{convert|253.0|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[Seathwaite, Allerdale|Seathwaite]], [[Cumbria]] (19 Nov 2009)
|-
!December
|{{convert|264.4|mm|disp=table}} ||
* [[Thirlmere]], [[Cumbria]] (5 Dec 2015)
|}

==Temperature==
[[File:Cambridge Botanic Garden Weather Station from the West.jpg|thumb|[[Cambridge University Botanic Garden|Cambridge Botanic Garden]] Weather Station where a then-record high of {{convert|38.7|C|F}} was recorded]]
Generally, the United Kingdom has cool to mild winters and warm to hot summers with moderate variation in temperature throughout the year. In England the average annual temperature varies from {{convert|8.5|C|F|1}} in the north to {{convert|11|C|F|1}} in the south, but over the higher ground this can be several degrees lower.<ref name="Englandclimate" /> This small variation in temperature is to a large extent due to the moderating effect the Atlantic Ocean has—water has a much greater [[specific heat capacity]] than air and tends to heat and cool slowly throughout the year. This has a warming influence on coastal areas in winter and a cooling influence in summer.

The ocean is at its coldest in February or early March, thus around coastal areas February is often the coldest month, but inland there is little to choose between January and February as the coldest.<ref name="Englandclimate" /> Temperatures tend to drop lowest on late winter nights inland, in the presence of high pressure, clear skies, light winds and when there is snow on the ground. On occasions, cold polar or continental air can be drawn in over the United Kingdom to bring very cold weather.

The floors of inland valleys away from the warming influence of the sea can be particularly cold, as cold, dense air drains into them. A temperature of {{convert|-26.1|C|F}} was recorded under such conditions at [[Edgmond, Shropshire|Edgmond]] in [[Shropshire]] on 10 January 1982, the coldest temperature recorded in [[England and Wales]]. The following day the coldest maximum temperature in England, at {{convert|-11.3|C|F|1}}, was recorded at the same site.<ref name="Englandclimate" />

On average the warmest winter temperatures occur on the south and west coasts, however, warm temperatures occasionally occur due to a [[foehn wind]] warming up downwind after crossing the mountains. Temperatures in these areas can rise to {{convert|15|C|F|0}} in winter on rare occasions<ref name="Scotlandclimate">{{cite web | url = http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/location/scotland/index.html | title =  Met Office: Scottish Climate | access-date = 4 August 2007 | publisher = Met Office |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070527202029/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/location/scotland/index.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = 27 May 2007}}</ref> This is a particularly notable event in northern Scotland, mainly [[Aberdeenshire]], where these high temperatures can occur in midwinter when the sun only reaches about 10° above the horizon.

July is on average the warmest month, and the highest temperatures tend to occur away from the Atlantic in southern, eastern and central England, where summer temperatures can rise above {{convert|30|C|F|0}}.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/extremes/ |title=UK climate - Extremes - Met Office |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120403174157/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/extremes/ |archive-date=3 April 2012 }}</ref>

{|class=wikitable
|-
!colspan=7|<big>Absolute temperature ranges</big>
|-
!rowspan=2|Country
!colspan=3|Maximum temperatures
!colspan=3|Minimum temperatures
|-
!°C
!°F
!Location and date
!°C
!°F
!Location and date
|-
!England
|{{convert|40.3|C|disp=table}} ||
* Coningsby, Lincolnshire on 19 July 2022
|{{convert|-26.1|C|disp=table}}||
* Edgmond, near Newport, Shropshire on 10 January 1982
|-
!Wales
|{{convert|37.1|C|disp=table}} ||
* Hawarden, Flintshire on 18 July 2022
|{{convert|-23.3|C|disp=table}}||
* Rhayader, Radnorshire on 21 January 1940
|-
!Scotland
|{{convert|35.1|C|disp=table}}||
* Floors Castle (Kelso), Scottish Borders on 19 July 2022
|{{convert|-27.2|C|disp=table}}||
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire on 11 February 1895 and 10 January 1982
* Altnaharra, Sutherland on 30 December 1995
|-
!Northern Ireland
|{{convert|31.3|C|disp=table}} ||
* Castlederg, County Tyrone on 21 July 2021
|{{convert|-18.6|C|disp=table}} ||
* Castlederg, County Tyrone on 23 December 2010
|}

==Severe weather==
The United Kingdom is not particularly noted for [[extreme weather]], as the region's cool, oceanic climate is opposed to convective storms. However, events such as floods and drought may be experienced. The summer of 1976 or 2018, for example, experienced temperatures as high as {{convert|35|C|F|0}}, and it was so dry the country suffered drought and water shortages.<ref name="1976drought">{{cite web |url=http://www.proc-iahs.net/364/404/2014/piahs-364-404-2014.pdf |title=Analysis of drought characteristics for improved understanding of a water resource system |author1=Amy T. Lennard |author2=Neil MacDonald |author3=Janet Hooke |publisher=IAHS |access-date=9 January 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222515/http://www.proc-iahs.net/364/404/2014/piahs-364-404-2014.pdf |archive-date=3 March 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Extended periods of extreme weather, such as the droughts of 1975–1976, summer 2006, and spring 2012, the long hot summers of 1911, 1976, 2003, 2006 and 2018, and the winters of 1946–1947, 1962–1963, 2009–2010, and 2010–2011 are often caused by blocking [[anticyclone]]s which can persist for several days, weeks, or even months. In winter they can bring long periods of cold dry weather and in summer long periods of hot dry weather.

[[File:Gordon 2006 track.png|thumb|right|Hurricane Gordon's path]]
There have also been occurrences of severe [[flash floods]] caused by intense rainfall; the most severe was the [[Lynmouth disaster]] of 1952 in which 34 people died and 38 houses and buildings were completely destroyed. In the summer of 2004, a severe flash flood devastated the town of [[Boscastle]] in [[Cornwall]]. However, the worst floods in the United Kingdom in modern times occurred in the [[North Sea flood of 1953]]. A powerful storm from the Atlantic moved around Scotland and down the east coast of England. As it moved south it produced a [[storm surge]] which was magnified as the [[North Sea]] became narrower further south. By the time the storm affected south-east England and the [[Netherlands]], the surge had reached the height of {{convert|3.6|m|ft|0|lk=on}}. Over 300 people were killed by the floods in eastern England.

[[Thunderstorm]]s in general are not common in the U.K. The areas that see the most occur in the southern part of England, while areas in the north and west see very few thunderstorms annually.<ref name="thunder">{{cite web | url = http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/dt/17.gif | title = Days of Thunder Annual Average | access-date = 14 August 2007 | publisher = Met Office | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070929092826/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/19712000/dt/17.gif | archive-date = 29 September 2007 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> In [[London]], thunderstorms occur on average 14–19 days a year, while in most of Northern Ireland and the west of Scotland thunderstorms occur on around 3 days a year. The counties that see the most storms are Kent, the eastern part of Surrey, Sussex, Greater London, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and to a lesser extent Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire.<ref name="thunder" /> Occasionally, thunderstorms can be severe and produce large [[hail]]stones as seen in [[Ottery St Mary]], [[Devon]] in October 2008, where drifts reached {{convert|1.8|m}}.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7699112.stm|title=Hailstorm sparks 'absolute chaos'|date=30 October 2008|work=BBC News|access-date=30 October 2009|archive-date=5 November 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081105175613/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/devon/7699112.stm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Strong winds occur mainly in the autumn and winter months associated with low pressure systems and Scotland experiences hurricane-force winds in most winters. The [[Gale of January 1976]], [[Great Storm of 1987]] (23&nbsp;fatalities) and the [[Burns' Day storm]] of 1990 (97&nbsp;fatalities) are particularly severe examples; Scotland saw winds of 142&nbsp;mph during [[Cyclone Xaver]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25243460 | title=Deadly storm and tidal surge batter northern Europe | date=6 December 2013 | work=BBC News | access-date=21 July 2018 | archive-date=11 September 2018 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911215524/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-25243460 | url-status=live }}</ref>

The most rain recorded to fall on a single day was 279&nbsp;mm at [[Winterborne St Martin|Martinstown]] ([[Dorset]]) on 18 July 1955,<ref name="Englandclimate" /> but also 243&nbsp;mm fell at Bruton, Somerset on 28 June 1917.<ref>Harvey J. E. Rodda, Max A. Little, Rose G. Wood, Nina MacDougall, Patrick E. McSharry (2009). [http://www.eng.ox.ac.uk/samp/members/max/publications/Rodda_Weather_09.pdf A digital archive of extreme rainfalls in the British Isles from 1866 to 1968 based on British Rainfall] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091122235612/http://www.eng.ox.ac.uk/samp/members/max/publications/Rodda_Weather_09.pdf |date=22 November 2009 }}, Weather 64(3):71-75.</ref> [[June 2007 United Kingdom floods|Heavy rain]] also fell between 20 and 25 June in 2007; some areas experienced a month's rainfall in one day. Four people died in the flooding and over £1.5&nbsp;billion of damage to businesses and properties was caused.

[[Tropical cyclone]]s do not affect the UK due to the high latitude, cold ocean waters, and distance from source regions of tropical storms.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cefas.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/datarep43.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=4 June 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130525040911/http://www.cefas.defra.gov.uk/publications/files/datarep43.pdf |archive-date=25 May 2013 }} The coastal temperature network and ferry route programme: long-term temperature and salinity observations, A. E. Joyce, Cefas.</ref> so any tropical cyclone that does come anywhere near the UK has said to have undergone a process called [[extratropical transition]]. This now means it is an [[extratropical cyclone]], which the UK frequently experiences. The [[Great Storm of 1987]] was a very deep depression which formed in the [[Bay of Biscay]], which also contained the remnants of [[Hurricane Floyd (1987)|Hurricane Floyd]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/hurricane_cycle.shtml|title=Hurricanes|publisher= The [[BBC]]|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20091211184143/http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/features/understanding/hurricane_cycle.shtml|archive-date = 11 December 2009}}</ref> [[Hurricane Lili (1996)|Hurricane Lili of 1996]] and [[Hurricane Gordon (2006)|Hurricane Gordon of 2006]] both crossed the UK as strong [[extratropical cyclones]] with tropical hurricane-force winds, causing transport closures, power-cuts and flooding in [[Northern Ireland]], [[Scotland]] and [[South West England]]. In 2011, the remnants of [[Hurricane Katia (2011)|Hurricane Katia]] passed over northwestern Scotland with winds near {{convert|70|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.

==Tornadoes==
The United Kingdom has at least 33 [[tornadoes]] per year,<ref>{{cite web | url=http://tordach.org/pdf/ecss02s.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040407192955/http://www.tordach.org/pdf/ecss02s.pdf | url-status=dead | archive-date=7 April 2004 | title=An updated estimate of tornado occurrence in Europe | author=Nikolai Dotzek | access-date=9 January 2015 }}</ref> more than any other country in the world relative to its land area.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climate-information/extreme-events/us-tornado-climatology | title=U.S. Tornado Climatology | publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | access-date=6 July 2014 | archive-date=1 August 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801210149/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climate-information/extreme-events/us-tornado-climatology | url-status=live }}</ref> Though these tornadoes are much weaker than in areas of the United States, there is a significant number of these tornadoes annually. [[Ted Fujita|Dr. Ted Fujita]] (inventor of the [[Fujita scale]]), an American [[meteorologist]], was the first to recognise the UK as the top site for tornadoes in 1973.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.torro.org.uk/site/tfaq.php|title=TORRO - Tornado FAQ's|website=www.torro.org.uk|access-date=5 February 2015|archive-date=21 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321055030/http://www.torro.org.uk/site/tfaq.php|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchester/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_9001000/9001614.stm|title=Why UK is world's 'tornado alley'|date=15 September 2010|work=BBC News|access-date=5 February 2015|archive-date=5 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150205101626/http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchester/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_9001000/9001614.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Although most tornadoes are weak, there are occasional destructive events, for example, the [[2005 Birmingham tornado]] and the [[2006 London tornado]], registering IF3 and F2 on the [[International Fujita scale]] and [[Fujita scale]] respectively. both caused significant damage and injury. The largest ever recorded was thought to have been an F4, again in [[London tornado of 1091|London in 1091]]. The deadliest known tornado was an [[1913 United Kingdom tornado outbreak|F3]] which occurred on 27 October 1913 in south Wales.

The UK also holds the title for the largest known [[tornado outbreak]] outside of the United States. On [[1981 United Kingdom tornado outbreak|23 November 1981]], 105 tornadoes were spawned by a cold front in the space of 5.25 hours. Excepting Derbyshire, every county in a triangular area from Gwynedd to Humberside to Essex was hit by at least one tornado, while Norfolk was hit by at least 13. Very fortunately most tornadoes were short-lived and also weak (the strongest was around T5 on the [[TORRO scale|TORRO Tornado Scale]]) and no deaths occurred.<ref name="torro.org.uk">{{cite web |title=TORRO - British & European Tornado Extremes |url=http://www.torro.org.uk/site/whirlwind_info.php |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140828221141/http://www.torro.org.uk/site/whirlwind_info.php |archive-date=28 August 2014 |access-date=5 June 2017 |website=www.torro.org.uk}}</ref>

Southern England between the Isle of Wight and Beachy Head has been recognised as a 'hotspot' for tornadoes and waterspouts.<ref name=doe72>{{Cite book|last=Doe|first=Robert K.|title=Extreme Weather: Forty Years of the Tornado and Storm Research Organisation (TORRO)|publisher=Wiley|location=Chichester|year=2016|isbn=978-1-118-95109-5|pages=72–74}}</ref> The area (known as 'The Isle of Wight and South Coast Anomaly') has seen significant activity and is thought to be due to the shedding of vortices, downwind of the Isle of Wight, under certain weather conditions.<ref name=doe72/>

==Climate history==
[[File:Temperature_Bar_Chart_Europe-United_Kingdom--1884-2020--2021-07-13.png|thumb|upright=1.5|Temperature change in the United Kingdom since 1884 in the context of [[global warming]]]]
The climate of the United Kingdom has not always been the way it is today. During some periods it was much warmer and in others it was much colder. The [[last glacial period]] was a period of extreme cold weather that lasted for tens of thousands of years and ended about 10,000 years ago. During this period the temperature was so low that much of the surrounding ocean froze and a great [[ice sheet]] extended over all of the United Kingdom except the south of [[England]] (connected to mainland Europe via the dry English Channel) and southern coastal areas of [[Wales]].

The cold period from the 16th to the mid-19th centuries is known as the [[Little Ice Age]].

The temperature records in England are continuous back to the mid 17th century. The [[Central England temperature]] (CET) record is the oldest in the world, and is a compound source of cross-correlated records from several locations in central England. Precipitation records date back to the eighteenth century and the modern [[England and Wales Precipitation]] series begins in 1766.

A detailed narrative account of the weather of every year from 1913 to 1942, with photographs of plants taken on the same day in each of those years, may be found in Willis (1944).<ref>Willis, J. H., (1944) ''Weatherwise'', London, George Allen and Unwin.</ref>

As with many parts of the world, over the last century the United Kingdom has reported a warming trend in temperatures. While some of this may be due to a recovery from the cooler period of climate mid 20th century (particularly the 1960s) the last 20 years has nonetheless seen an unprecedented level of warm weather. In July 2019, [[BBC]] reported that records from the [[Met Office]] show that the 10 warmest years in the UK have occurred since 2002, with 2014 being the warmest. In the same period, the coolest year has been 2010; however, this still only ranks 22nd on the overall list of coolest years on record.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49167797|title=UK's 10 warmest years all occurred since 2002|last=McGrath|first=Matt|date=2019-07-31|access-date=2019-07-31|language=en-GB|archive-date=5 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230105145232/https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49167797|url-status=live}}</ref> In January 2024, provisional data released by the [[Met Office]] report that 2023 was the second hottest year on record, surpassing 2014. This puts it just behind 2022, which recorded an average temperature of only {{Convert|0.06|C|F|abbr=}} higher. However, for both [[Wales]] and [[Northern Ireland]], 2023 was their hottest year on record.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2024-01-02 |title=UK weather: 2023 was second warmest year on record, says Met Office |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67845671 |access-date=2024-01-02}}</ref>

The averages shown below have been calculated using month CET data from 1659, using periods of 30 years as the WMO advises.<ref name = uk/>

{{Weather box
|location = Central England, 1661-1690
|collapsed =
|metric first = y
|single line = y
| Jan mean C  =2.9
| Feb mean C  =3.0
| Mar mean C  =4.8
| Apr mean C  =7.4
| May mean C  =11.0
| Jun mean C  =14.3
| Jul mean C  =15.8
| Aug mean C  =15.3
| Sep mean C  =12.8
| Oct mean C  =9.5
| Nov mean C  =5.7
| Dec mean C  =3.4
| year mean C =8.81
|source 1 = Met Office<ref name = uk>{{cite web
  | url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcet/cetml1659on.dat
  | title=CET Met Office
  | publisher=Met Office
  | access-date=12 July 2019
  | archive-date=29 January 2021
  | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210129233611/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/hadobs/hadcet/cetml1659on.dat
  | url-status=dead
  }}</ref>
|date=July 2019}}
{{Weather box
|location = Central England, 1961-1990
|collapsed =
|metric first = y
|single line = y
| Jan mean C  =3.8
| Feb mean C  =3.8
| Mar mean C  =5.7
| Apr mean C  =8.5
| May mean C  =11.2
| Jun mean C  =14.2
| Jul mean C  =16.0
| Aug mean C  =15.8
| Sep mean C  =13.6
| Oct mean C  =10.6
| Nov mean C  =6.5
| Dec mean C  =4.6
| year mean C =9.47
|source 1 = Met Office<ref name = uk/>
|date=June 2021}}
{{Weather box
|location = Central England, 1991-2020
|collapsed =
|metric first = y
|single line = y
| Jan mean C  =4.7
| Feb mean C  =4.9
| Mar mean C  =6.7
| Apr mean C  =8.9
| May mean C  =11.9
| Jun mean C  =14.7
| Jul mean C  =16.8
| Aug mean C  =16.5
| Sep mean C  =14.2
| Oct mean C  =10.9
| Nov mean C  =7.4
| Dec mean C  =5.0
| year mean C =10.22
|source 1 = Met Office<ref name = uk/>
|date=July 2019}}
{{Weather box
|location = Central England, all series mean (1659–2018)
|collapsed =
|metric first = y
|single line = y
| Jan mean C  = 3.3
| Feb mean C  =3.9
| Mar mean C  =5.3
| Apr mean C  =7.9
| May mean C  =11.2
| Jun mean C  =14.3
| Jul mean C  =16.0
| Aug mean C  =15.6
| Sep mean C  =13.4
| Oct mean C  =9.7
| Nov mean C  =6.1
| Dec mean C  =4.1
| year mean C =9.27
|source 1 = Met Office<ref name = uk/>
|date=July 2019}}

==Monthly temperature extremes==
Monthly extremes are only accepted by the UK [[Met Office]] if they are reported at stations below {{convert|500|m|ft}} in elevation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.torro.org.uk/mintemps.php|title=TORRO - British Weather Extremes: Minimum Temperatures|website=www.torro.org.uk|access-date=28 December 2019|archive-date=28 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191228021556/http://www.torro.org.uk/mintemps.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> Lower temperatures have been frequently reported at slightly more elevated stations.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/extremes/monthly_temperature_country.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206164520/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/extremes/monthly_temperature_country.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 February 2012|title=Met Office: Monthly temperature records by country|date=6 February 2012}}</ref>

{{Weather box
| location = United Kingdom
| metric first = Yes
| single line = Yes
| Jan record high C = 19.9
| Feb record high C = 21.2
| Mar record high C = 25.6
| Apr record high C = 29.4
| May record high C = 32.8
| Jun record high C = 35.6
| Jul record high C = 40.3
| Aug record high C = 38.5
| Sep record high C = 35.6
| Oct record high C = 29.9
| Nov record high C = 22.4
| Dec record high C = 18.7
| year record high C = 40.3
| Jan high C = 6.4
| Feb high C = 6.6
| Mar high C = 8.9
| Apr high C = 11.4
| May high C = 14.7
| Jun high C = 17.3
| Jul high C = 19.4
| Aug high C = 19.1
| Sep high C = 16.5
| Oct high C = 12.8
| Nov high C = 9.1
| Dec high C = 6.7
| year high C = 12.4
| Jan low C = 0.9
| Feb low C = 0.7
| Mar low C = 2.1
| Apr low C = 3.4
| May low C = 6.0
| Jun low C = 8.8
| Jul low C = 10.9
| Aug low C = 10.8
| Sep low C = 8.8
| Oct low C = 6.2
| Nov low C = 3.3
| Dec low C = 1.1
| year low C = 5.3
| Jan record low C = -27.2
| Feb record low C = -27.2
| Mar record low C = -22.8
| Apr record low C = -15.4
| May record low C = -9.4
| Jun record low C = -5.6
| Jul record low C = -2.5
| Aug record low C = -4.5
| Sep record low C = -6.7
| Oct record low C = -11.7
| Nov record low C = -23.3
| Dec record low C = -27.2
| year record low C = -27.2
| rain colour = green
| Jan rain mm = 121.7
| Feb rain mm = 88.6
| Mar rain mm = 95.1
| Apr rain mm = 72.7
| May rain mm = 70.0
| Jun rain mm = 73.4
| Jul rain mm = 78.1
| Aug rain mm = 89.5
| Sep rain mm = 96.4
| Oct rain mm = 127.1
| Nov rain mm = 121.1
| Dec rain mm = 120.2
| unit rain days = 1 mm
| Jan rain days = 15.5
| Feb rain days = 12.3
| Mar rain days = 13.9
| Apr rain days = 11.7
| May rain days = 11.2
| Jun rain days = 11.0
| Jul rain days = 11.4
| Aug rain days = 12.0
| Sep rain days = 12.1
| Oct rain days = 15.0
| Nov rain days = 15.2
| Dec rain days = 14.7
| Jan sun = 47.2
| Feb sun = 69.8
| Mar sun = 101.8
| Apr sun = 148.1
| May sun = 185.9
| Jun sun = 169.5
| Jul sun = 172.4
| Aug sun = 163.0
| Sep sun = 124.7
| Oct sun = 92.5
| Nov sun = 57.2
| Dec sun = 40.8
| source 1 = Met Office<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate-extremes/#?tab=climateExtremes
 |title=Climate Records
 |publisher=Met Office
 |access-date=18 June 2017
 |archive-date=21 December 2016
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221004454/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/climate-extremes/#?tab=climateExtremes
 |url-status=live
 }}</ref>
| source =
}}

===Overall===

{|class=wikitable
|-
!colspan=7|<big>UK temperature extremes, by month</big>
|-
!rowspan=2|Month
!colspan=3|Maximum temperature
!colspan=3|Minimum temperature
|-
!°C
!°F
!Location and date
!°C
!°F
!Location and date
|-
!January
|{{convert|19.9|C|disp=table}} ||
* Achfary, Highland (28 Jan 2024)
|{{convert|-27.2|C|disp=table}}||
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire (10 Jan 1982)
|-
!February
|{{convert|21.2|C|disp=table}} ||
* Kew Gardens, London (26 Feb 2019)<ref name="auto"/>
|{{convert|-27.2|C|disp=table}}||
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire (11 Feb 1895)
|-
!March
|{{convert|25.6|C|disp=table}} ||
* Mepal, Cambridgeshire (29 Mar 1968)
|{{convert|-22.8|C|disp=table}}||
* Logie Coldstone, Aberdeenshire (14 Mar 1958)
|-
!April
|{{convert|29.4|C|disp=table}} ||
* Camden Square, London (16 Apr 1949)
|{{convert|-15.4|C|disp=table}} ||
* Eskdalemuir, Dumfriesshire (2 Apr 1917)
|-
!May
|{{convert|32.8|C|disp=table}} ||
* Camden Square, London (22 May 1922)
* Horsham, West Sussex (29 May 1944)
* Tunbridge Wells, Kent (29 May 1944)
* Regent's Park, London (29 May 1944)
|{{convert|-9.4|C|disp=table}} ||
* Lynford, Norfolk (4 May 1941)
* Lynford, Norfolk (11 May 1941)
* Fort Augustus, Highland (15 May 1941)
|-
!June
|{{convert|35.6|C|disp=table}} ||
* Camden Square, London (29 Jun 1957)
* Southampton (28 Jun 1976)
|{{convert|-5.6|C|disp=table}} ||
* Dalwhinnie, Highland (9 Jun 1955)
* Santon Downham, Norfolk (1 Jun 1962)
* Santon Downham, Norfolk (3 Jun 1962)
|-
!July
|{{convert|40.3|C|disp=table}} ||
* Coningsby, Lincolnshire (19 Jul 2022)<ref name="Cambs 2019">{{Cite web|url=https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2019/new-official-highest-temperature-in-uk-confirmed|title=New official highest temperature in UK confirmed|author=Press Office|date=2019-07-29|publisher=[[Met Office]]|access-date=2019-07-29|archive-date=29 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729160459/https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2019/new-official-highest-temperature-in-uk-confirmed|url-status=live}}</ref>
|{{convert|-2.5|C|disp=table}} ||
* Lagganlia, Highland (15 Jul 1977)
|-
!August
|{{convert|38.5|C|disp=table}} ||
* Brogdale, Faversham, Kent (10 Aug 2003)
|{{convert|-4.5|C|disp=table}} ||
* Lagganlia, Highland (21 Aug 1973)
|-
!September
|{{convert|35.6|C|disp=table}} ||
* Bawtry, Hesley Hall, South Yorkshire (2 Sep 1906)
|{{convert|-6.7|C|disp=table}} ||
* Dalwhinnie, Highland (26 Sep 1942)
|-
!October
|{{convert|29.9|C|disp=table}} ||
* Gravesend, Kent (1 Oct 2011)
|{{convert|-11.7|C|disp=table}} ||
* Dalwhinnie, Highland (28 Oct 1948)
|-
!November
|{{convert|22.4|C|disp=table}} ||
* Trawsgoed, Ceredigion (1 Nov 2015)
|{{convert|-23.3|C|disp=table}} ||
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire (14 Nov 1919)
|-
!December
|{{convert|18.7|C|disp=table}} ||
* Achfary, Highland (28 Dec 2019)
|{{convert|-27.2|C|disp=table}} ||
* Altnaharra, Highland (30 Dec 1995)
|}

===Maximum temperatures===
Below is a list of the highest and lowest daily maximum temperatures recorded in the UK. This is in accordance with the Met Office, hence readings from the [[Cairn Gorm]] station are not on this list.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
{|class=wikitable
|-
!colspan=7|<big>UK maximum temperature extremes, by month</big>
|-
!rowspan=2|Month
!colspan=3|Highest maximum temperatures
!colspan=3|Lowest maximum temperatures
|-
!°C
!°F
!Location and date
!°C
!°F
!Location and date
|-
!January
|{{convert|18.3|C|disp=table}} ||
* Aber, Gwynedd (27 Jan 1958)
* Aber, Gwynedd (10 Jan 1971)
* Aboyne, Aberdeenshire (26 Jan 2003)
* Inchmarlo, Kincardineshire (26 Jan 2003)
|{{convert|-13.0|C|disp=table}} ||
* West Linton, Scottish Borders (10 Jan 1982)
|-
!February
|{{convert|21.2|C|disp=table}} ||
* Kew Gardens, London (26 Feb 2019)<ref name="auto"/>
|{{convert|-10.0|C|disp=table}}||
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire (9 Feb 1895)
* Princeton, Devon (1 Feb 1956)
|-
!March
|{{convert|25.6|C|disp=table}} ||
* Mepal, Cambridgeshire (29 Mar 1968)
|{{convert|-4.7|C|disp=table}}||
* Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent (1 Mar 2018)
|-
!April
|{{convert|29.4|C|disp=table}} ||
* Camden Square, London (16 Apr 1949)
|{{convert|-1.1|C|disp=table}} ||
* Durham, County Durham (1 Apr 1917)
* Macclesfield, Cheshire (1 Apr 1917)
|-
!May
|{{convert|32.8|C|disp=table}} ||
* Camden Square, London (22 May 1922)
* Horsham, West Sussex (29 May 1944)
* Tunbridge Wells, Kent (29 May 1944)
* Regent's Park, London (29 May 1944)
|{{convert|1.6|C|disp=table}} ||
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire (8 May 1917)
* Knockanrock, Highland (1 May 1979)
|-
!June
|{{convert|35.6|C|disp=table}} ||
* Camden Square, London (29 Jun 1957)
* Southampton (28 Jun 1976)
|{{convert|5.1|C|disp=table}} ||
* Nunraw Abbey, East Lothian (2 Jun 1975)
|-
!July
|{{convert|40.3|C|disp=table}} ||
* Coningsby, Lincolnshire (19 Jul 2022)
|{{convert|7.5|C|disp=table}} ||
* Clashnoir, Banffshire (5 Jul 1978)
|-
!August
|{{convert|38.5|C|disp=table}} ||
* Brogdale, Faversham, Kent (10 Aug 2003)
|{{convert|8.9|C|disp=table}} ||
* Bradford, West Yorkshire (28 Aug 1919)
* Newton Rigg, Cumbria (28 Aug 1919)
* Lerwick, Shetland (18 Aug 1964)
|-
!September
|{{convert|35.6|C|disp=table}} ||
* Bawtry, Hesley Hall, South Yorkshire (2 Sep 1906)
|{{convert|4.4|C|disp=table}} ||
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire (29 Sep 1915)
|-
!October
|{{convert|29.9|C|disp=table}} ||
* Gravesend, Kent (1 Oct 2011)
|{{convert|0.4|C|disp=table}} ||
* Glenmore Lodge, Inverness-shire (17 Oct 1973)
|-
!November
|{{convert|22.4|C|disp=table}} ||
* Trawsgoed, Ceredigion (1 Nov 2015)
|{{convert|-11.1|C|disp=table}} ||
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire (29 Nov 1912)
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire (14 Nov 1919)
|-
!December
|{{convert|18.3|C|disp=table}} ||
* Achnashellach, Highland (2 Dec 1948)
|{{convert|-15.9|C|disp=table}} ||
* Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire (29 Dec 1995)
|}

===Minimum temperatures===
Below is a list of the highest and lowest daily minimum temperatures recorded in the UK. This is in accordance with the met office, hence readings from the [[Cairn Gorm]] station are not on this list.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

{|class=wikitable
|-
!colspan=7|<big>UK minimum temperature extremes, by month</big>
|-
!rowspan=2|Month
!colspan=3|Highest minimum temperatures
!colspan=3|Lowest minimum temperatures
|-
!°C
!°F
!Location and date
!°C
!°F
!Location and date
|-
!January
|{{convert|13.1|C|disp=table}} ||
* Magilligan, County Londonderry (25 Jan 2016)
|{{convert|-27.2|C|disp=table}}||
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire (10 Jan 1982)
|-
!February
|{{convert|13.9|C|disp=table}} ||
* Achnagart, Highland (23 Feb 2019)
|{{convert|-27.2|C|disp=table}}||
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire (11 Feb 1895)
|-
!March
|{{convert|14.2|C|disp=table}} ||
* Arthog, Gwynedd (18 Mar 1990)
|{{convert|-22.8|C|disp=table}}||
* Logie Coldstone, Aberdeenshire (14 Mar 1958)
|-
!April
|{{convert|15.9|C|disp=table}} ||
* Kenley Airfield, Greater London (19 Apr 2018)
|{{convert|-15.4|C|disp=table}} ||
* Eskdalemuir, Dumfriesshire (2 Apr 1917)
|-
!May
|{{convert|18.9|C|disp=table}} ||
* Folkestone, Kent (31 May 1947)
|{{convert|-9.4|C|disp=table}} ||
* Lynford, Norfolk (4 May 1941)
* Lynford, Norfolk (11 May 1941)
* Fort Augustus, Highland (15 May 1941)
|-
!June
|{{convert|22.7|C|disp=table}} ||
* Ventnor Park, Isle of Wight (22 Jun 1976)
|{{convert|-5.6|C|disp=table}} ||
* Dalwhinnie, Highland (9 Jun 1955)
* Santon Downham, Norfolk (1 Jun 1962)
* Santon Downham, Norfolk (3 Jun 1962)
|-
!July
| {{convert|26.8|C|disp=table}} ||
* Shirburn Model Farm, Oxfordshire (19 Jul 2022)
|{{convert|-2.5|C|disp=table}} ||
* Lagganlia, Highland (15 Jul 1977)
|-
!August
|{{convert|23.9|C|disp=table}} ||
* Brighton, East Sussex (3 Aug 1990)
|{{convert|-4.5|C|disp=table}} ||
* Lagganlia, Highland (21 Aug 1973)
|-
!September
|{{convert|21.7|C|disp=table}} ||
* St James's Park, London (5 Sep 1949)
|{{convert|-6.7|C|disp=table}} ||
* Dalwhinnie, Highland (26 Sep 1942)
|-
!October
|{{convert|19.4|C|disp=table}} ||
* Aber, Gwynedd (1 Oct 1985)
|{{convert|-11.7|C|disp=table}} ||
* Dalwhinnie, Highland (28 Oct 1948)
|-
!November
|{{convert|15.9|C|disp=table}} ||
* Eastbourne, East Sussex (3 Nov 2005)
|{{convert|-23.3|C|disp=table}} ||
* Braemar, Aberdeenshire (14 Nov 1919)
|-
!December
|{{convert|15.0|C|disp=table}} ||
* Hawarden, Flintshire (12 Dec 1994)
|{{convert|-27.2|C|disp=table}} ||
* Altnaharra, Highland (30 Dec 1995)
|}

==Climate change==
{{Main|Climate change in the United Kingdom}}
Central estimates produced by the [[Met Office]] predict average annual temperature to increase by 2&nbsp;°C and the warmest summer day to increase by 3&nbsp;°C by the 2050s. Average winter rainfall is also likely to increase and most areas will see a slight decrease in annual rainfall.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climatechange/guide/ukcp/map/ |title=UKCP Map |publisher=The [[Met Office]] |access-date=9 December 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090705144623/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climatechange/guide/ukcp/map/ |archive-date=5 July 2009 }}</ref>

According to the Met Office, in the UK, the decade from 2000 to 2009 was the warmest since instrumental record dating started in 1850.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2013/decadal-forecasts|title=Updates to our decadal forecast|publisher=The [[Met Office]]|access-date=27 February 2013|archive-date=25 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130325161908/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2013/decadal-forecasts|url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, it was reported by the Met Office and BBC in 2019 that the 10 warmest years in the UK have all been since 2002.<ref name="auto1"/>

Boris Johnson announced that UK will set a target of 68% reduction in GHG emissions by the year 2030 and include this target in its commitments in the Paris agreement.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Harvey |first1=Fiona |author-link=Fiona Harvey |title=UK vows to outdo other economies with 68% emissions cuts by 2030 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/03/uk-vows-outdo-other-major-economies-emissions-cuts-by-2030 |access-date=27 December 2020 |agency=The Guardian |date=4 December 2020 |archive-date=8 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230308093824/https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/03/uk-vows-outdo-other-major-economies-emissions-cuts-by-2030 |url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|United Kingdom}}
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[2005 United Kingdom snow events]]
* [[Air pollution in the United Kingdom]]
* [[Climate of south-west England]]
* [[European windstorm]]
* [[Geography of the United Kingdom]]
* [[List of natural disasters in the British Isles (disambiguation)|List of natural disasters in the British Isles]]
* [[United Kingdom weather records]]
{{div col end}}

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=Note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929092545/http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/index.html Met Office]

{{Europe topic|Climate of}}
{{Heat waves in the United Kingdom}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Climate Of The United Kingdom}}
[[Category:Climate of the United Kingdom| ]]
[[Category:Climate by country|United Kingdom]]