Climate in England

In England, the central-southern part of the island of Great Britain, the climate is oceanic, with quite cold, rainy winters and very mild or pleasantly warm summers.

Rainfall is more abundant in the western part: it exceeds 800 millimeters (31 inches) per year in Liverpool and Manchester, while it reaches 1,000 mm (40 in) in the south-west, in Plymouth.
In the north-west, in Cumbria, the Lake District (see Ambleside), where there are hills that force wet Atlantic air masses to rise (including Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain, 978 meters or 3,209 feet), is particularly rainy. In Seathwaite, the rainiest inhabited place in England, 3,550 mm (140 in) of rain fall per year, while in Sprinkling Tarn, a pond at 600 meters of altitude, it reaches 5,000 mm (195 in).
In the eastern and southern plains, the rains are still quite frequent but they are not abundant, so much so that they often drop below 700 mm (27.5 in) per year, and sometimes even 600 mm (23.5 in), as happens in Ipswich and Cambridge, in the south-east, or in Middlesbrough and Sunderland, which are in the north-east, east of the Pennine Chain.

Fog can be formed in the inland areas of England at night, in periods in which a high pressure system dominates, in autumn and winter. Instead, from April to September, sea fog can form on the north-eastern coasts, in Yorkshire and Northumberland.

The temperature of the sea in England increases gradually from north to south, so that in August it reaches 17 °C (63 °F) on the southern coast.

The climate in detail

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• The seasons
• The cities - Newcastle, Liverpool, Plymouth
• When to go
• What to pack

The seasons

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Winter in England is cold and cloudy, sometimes foggy, sometimes windy. The average temperatures in this season don't vary much from north to south: in January, they are around 3/4 °C (37/39 °F) in the north (see Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Sunderland), around 4/5 °C (39/41 °F) in che center-south (see Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, London), and around 5,5/6 °C (42/43) in the far south (see Southampton, Brighton).
In fact, the southernmost regions are the farthest from the Pole, but they are also the closest to the European mainland, from which cold air masses of Russian origin can arrive during winter. For this reason, the east side (which includes London) is also more prone to snowfall. However, these snowy or freezing periods are typically short-lived; in fact, here too, as in Scotland, the westerlies tend to come back after a short time.
Given that cold air masses reach Scotland from the north and England from the east, it's not surprising that, in addition to West Wales, the mildest area is south-western England (Devon and Cornwall), where the average temperature in January and February hovers around 6.5 °C (43.5 °F, see Plymouth). Here, snowfalls and frosts are rare.
On the tip of Cornwall, on the Isles of Scilly and the islets of the English Channel (see Jersey, Guernsey), there are microclimates in which the absence of frost allows for the growth of subtropical plant species. On the other hand, in the south-west, which is so much exposed to Atlantic currents, rainfall is more abundant.

Spring in England is very cool, and the temperature increases slowly; rainfall is still frequent, but it's not as abundant as in autumn and winter. In March, and sometimes even in April, there may be cold periods, with occasional snowfalls, more likely in inland and northern areas.
Late spring is the sunniest period of the year, despite the almost daily presence of clouds; the wind also reduces its intensity and frequency. In May, the country is covered with flowers.



Unlike in winter, during summer, the temperature increases from the north-west to the south-east, so the highest temperatures are found in the area of London. In fact, daytime temperatures in July range from 19 °C (66 °F) in Newcastle, to 20.5 °C (69 °F) in Manchester, to 22 °C (71.5 °F) in Birmingham, and to 24 °C (75 °F) in the London area. In the south-west, which during winter was the mildest area, summer is cool: lows are around 13 °C (55 °F) and highs around 20 °C (68 °F).
Even in summer, the weather is variable across the country, so that it can change from day to day, or several times during the same day.
June is a nice month: the days are long, nature is in bloom (also thanks to the passion of the British for gardening), and the temperatures are pleasant. However, there can be, as always, rain and showers.
The south of England is the area most subject to hot periods, when currents from Spain can bring a taste of Mediterranean summer, and the temperature may even reach 35 °C (95 °F). These periods do not occur every year and usually only last a few days, however, in recent years they are becoming more frequent due to global warming. In July 2022, the temperature reached 40 °C (104 °F) for the first time, in London and other locations in the interior of England, not only of the south.
During summer, the rains are more frequent and abundant in the north than in the south: in Manchester, there are on average 11 days with rainfall in July, while they are "only" 8 in London.
Sometimes in summer, thunderstorms can burst, especially in inland and southern areas, often accompanied by wind gusts.

In Northern England, the sky is often cloudy: in Liverpool and Manchester, the sun shines at most for 6 hours a day from May to July; it goes a bit better in the south, where in some areas (see London), it reaches 7 hours, and even more so on the southern coast (see Plymouth, Brighton, Eastbourne), where it can reach 7.5/8 hours.

Autumn in England is gray and rainy, sometimes windy. In November, the first occasional snowfalls can be occur.

The cities

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Newcastle

Newcastle upon Tyne is in the northeast, a short distance from the coast. Here, the average temperature ranges from 4 °C (39 °F) in January to 15 °C (59 °F) in July.

Precipitation amounts to 650 mm (25.5 in) per year, and is well distributed throughout the year, although the wettest season is autumn.

In Newcastle, there are 1,450 hours of sunshine a year. They are not many, however, the sunniest period goes from May to August.

The sea in Newcastle is cold even in summer, and reaches just 15 °C (59 °F) August.

Liverpool

Liverpool is located further south, and on the west coast. Temperatures are slightly higher than Newcastle, ranging from 5.3 °C (41.5 °F) in January to 16.8 °C (62.2 °F) in July.

Precipitation is at an intermediate level, in fact, it amounts to 835 mm (33 in) per year.

In Liverpool too, the sun does not shine very often, and here too, the sunniest period goes from May to August.

Plymouth

Plymouth is located on the southern coast, the mildest and sunniest in England. The average in January and February is 6.5 °C (43.7 °F).

The south-west of England is a fairly rainy area. In Plymouth, rainfall amounts to 1,000 mm (40 in) per year, but in inland areas of Devon and Cornwall it also reaches 2,000 mm (80 in).

London is located in the south-east, in a relatively dry area, and which in summer is more easily exposed to warm currents from the south.

When to go

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The best time to visit England is summer, from June to August: it is quite rainy everywhere, but also relatively sunny.
The mid-summer period (July-August) is pleasantly warm in the south, and between one shower and another, the sun can come out. Actually, sometimes there may be hot days, especially in inland areas and in the south.

The sea is cold even in summer: in August, the temperature of the Atlantic Ocean reaches 17 °C (63 °F) in the English Channel and in Cornwall.

Since the English climate is not characterized by weather extremes, there is no season to be absolutely avoided, although it must be said that from November to January, the days are very short and the sky is often gray or cloudy, moreover, in winter, from December to February, but sometimes also in November and March, there may be cold periods, with snow and frost.

What to pack

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In winter: pack warm clothes, such as a sweater, a coat, a wind jacket, and a raincoat. For colder periods: pack gloves, a hat, and a scarf.
In summer: pack clothes for spring and autumn, a jacket and a sweater, and a raincoat or umbrella. In the area of London, it's more likely that in some days you can wear light clothing, a T-shirt and shorts.

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See also the temperatures month by month