Climate - Portsmouth (England)

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 city is located on a small island, Portsea, which however is very close to the mainland, to which it is connected by three bridges. East of Portsmouth we find another small island, Hayling. A short distance to the south is instead a larger island, Wight.
Winter is not very cold, but the sky is often cloudy, the humidity is high and there are periods when the wind blows moderate or strong. The rains are frequent.
Snow is rare, but can occasionally occur. On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature generally drops to around -4/-5 °C (23/25 °F), but can sometimes drop to lower values. At nearby Lee-on-Solent Airport, the temperature dropped to -8 °C (17.5 °F) in February 1985, to -8.5 °C (16.5 °F) and in February 1986, to -10 °C (14 °F) in January 1987, to -8.5 °C (16.5 °F) in February 1991, and to -6.5 °C (20.5 °F) in January 2010.
In summer, temperatures are generally mild or cool. It can also rain, albeit a little less often than in winter.
However, hot periods cannot be ruled out, usually of short duration. On nearby Thorney Island, the temperature reached 31 °C (88 °F) in August 1990, 35 °C (95 °F) in August 2003, 31.5 °C (88.5 °F) in July 1995 and in July 2006, and 32 °C (89.5 °F) in August 2020.
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). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation 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.

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.

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.

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.