Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours
The climate of Portsmouth, a city located in Hampshire, is
oceanic, with quite cold, rainy winters and mild, relatively rainy summers. However, the south coast of England, where Portsmouth is located, has a mild and sunny microclimate, compared to the rest of Great Britain.
The
average temperature of the coldest month (February) is of 5.5 °C (42 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 17.9 °C (64 °F). The lowest record is -8 °C (17.5 °F), the highest is 35 °C (95 °F).
Here are the average temperatures.
Portsmouth - Average temperatures| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Min (°C) | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 4 |
|---|
| Max (°C) | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 9 |
|---|
| Min (°F) | 37 | 37 | 39 | 43 | 48 | 54 | 57 | 57 | 54 | 50 | 43 | 39 |
|---|
| Max (°F) | 46 | 46 | 50 | 55 | 63 | 66 | 70 | 70 | 66 | 61 | 54 | 48 |
|---|
amounts to 700 millimeters (27.6 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 40 mm (1.6 in) in the driest months (April, June) to 85 mm (3.3 in) in the wettest ones (October, November, December). Here is the average precipitation.
Portsmouth - Average precipitation| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|
| Prec.(mm) | 70 | 50 | 50 | 40 | 45 | 40 | 45 | 50 | 55 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 700 |
|---|
| Prec.(in) | 2.8 | 2 | 2 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 2 | 2.2 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 27.6 |
|---|
| Days | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 109 |
|---|
On average, there are around 1,920
sunshine hours per year: we are at the highest levels in Britain. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Portsmouth - Sunshine| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Hours | 2 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
|---|
The
sea temperature ranges between 8 °C (46 °F) and 17 °C (63 °F). So, it never becomes warm for swimming. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Portsmouth - Sea temperature| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Temp (°C) | 9 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 17 | 16 | 13 | 11 |
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| Temp (°F) | 48 | 46 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 55 | 59 | 63 | 63 | 61 | 55 | 52 |
|---|
Best Time
The
best time to visit Portsmouth is the summer, from June to August, since it is the warmest of the year, although even in this season, it's better to bring a sweatshirt, a light jacket and an umbrella. The month of June is a bit cooler, so you may prefer July and August. September is a good month as well: it's a bit rainier than the summer months, but the temperatures are still pleasant, especially in the first part.
As previously mentioned, the
sea is very cool even in summer, however, on sunny days, when the breeze is not too cool, you can sunbathe.