London (Greater London) weather (2024)

FAQs

Is it hot or cold in London now? ›

The coldest month is usually January when temperatures can sink to around 33 F (1 C). Snow is pretty rare in London but if it does fall it's typically in January or February.

Rainfall in London

Overall rainfall is highest in November and August (64mm and 59mm respectively) and is lowest in March and April (37mm each). On wet days, why not visit one of London's top museums and art galleries or entertain the kids with one of these family outings for rainy days.

Modern London has the equable climate of South East England, with mild winters and temperate summers. The average daytime air temperature is 52 °F (11 °C), with 42 °F (5.5 °C) in January and 65 °F (18 °C) in July.

November and August see the highest rainfall in London. The summer months of May, June, July is the best time to visit London. London is less crowded during the shoulder season which comprises of Mid-September through November, March through April.

The temperatures of London are much milder than those of NYC. NYC is both warmer in the summer and colder in the winter - London is just London all the time. London's temperatures average winter lowers around 40 degrees F (or 5 Celsius) and summer highs get up to around 70 degrees F (21 Celsius).

The average daytime temperature in January is around 8°C (46°F), with an average high in July of 22°C (73°F). There will of course be some summer days when the temperature climbs above 25°C (77°F) or even 30°C (86°F).

Tips: It might not rain in summer but it will be humid and sticky. Wear loose cotton or linen fabrics and keep yourself hydrated at all times.

The 'raining champion' is Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro which has 1661mm of rain per year, way more than second-placed Slovenian capital Ljubljana which has 1368mm. London gets 557.4 a year. Mind you, if the UK's capital was Manchester it would probably be a very different story.

Where does it rain more Paris or London? ›

While the total annual rainfall is about the same, London has more frequent drizzle. It will rain less in one occasion, but it will rain a bit more often in London. It has also a little bit more foggy days than Paris. A bit more humidity in London on average.

London's rain is about half of the annual average of Sydney (1,222mm) or Orlando or New York (1,175mm and 1,059mm respectively). Britain tends to get more light rain and drizzle. More rainy days, but less water overall. Slight rain is less than 0.5 mm per hour while a heavy shower is more than 10mm an hour.

The city can sometimes experience extremes. Snowfall is an infrequent occurrence in winter, falling on an average of 16 days per year, though infrequently heavy.

July is the hottest month in London with an average temperature of 19°C (66°F) and the coldest is January at 5°C (41°F) with the most daily sunshine hours at 7 in June. The wettest month is October with an average of 71mm of rain..

London can get fairly cold in the winter, with London weather in December, January, and February seeing temperatures dropping to an average of 2°C to 8°C. It's not uncommon for them to drop below zero during these months.

This means that London seldom experiences extreme cold in the winter or stifling heat in the summer. The average daytime temperature in January is around 8°C (46°F), with an average high in July of 22°C (73°F). There will of course be some summer days when the temperature climbs above 25°C (77°F) or even 30°C (86°F).

England generally has low maximum temperatures year round. England is also sunnier throughout the year, but unlike Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, the sunniest month is July, with an average of 193.5 hours.

Because our air comes in from the Atlantic, it tends to be more humid than continental air. Humidity makes us perceive temperature differently. It works with both hot and cold air. More humid cold air feels colder than less humid air at the same temperature.