Average weather, temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours
The climate of Stornoway is
oceanic, with cold, rainy winters and cool, cloudy summers. The wind often blows, and can sometimes be stormy, especially in the colder half of the year.
The city is located in the north of the Isle of Lewis and Harris, which is part of the Outer Hebrides, located to the north-west of Scotland.
The
average temperature of the coldest month (February) is of 4.7 °C (40 °F), that of the warmest month (August) is of 13.5 °C (56 °F). The lowest record is -12.2 °C (10.0 °F), the highest is 26.3 °C (79 °F). Here are the average temperatures.
Stornoway - Average temperatures| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Min (°C) | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
|---|
| Max (°C) | 7 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 8 |
|---|
| Min (°F) | 36 | 36 | 37 | 39 | 43 | 48 | 52 | 52 | 48 | 45 | 39 | 37 |
|---|
| Max (°F) | 45 | 45 | 46 | 50 | 54 | 57 | 61 | 61 | 57 | 54 | 48 | 46 |
|---|
amounts to 1,250 millimeters (49.2 inches) per year: it is therefore quite abundant. It ranges from 60 mm (2.4 in) in the driest month (June) to 150 mm (5.9 in) in the wettest (January). Here is the average precipitation.
Stornoway - Average precipitation| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|
| Prec.(mm) | 150 | 110 | 115 | 75 | 65 | 60 | 75 | 90 | 110 | 140 | 135 | 130 | 1250 |
|---|
| Prec.(in) | 5.9 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 3 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 3 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 5.5 | 5.3 | 5.1 | 49.2 |
|---|
| Days | 21 | 17 | 20 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 21 | 20 | 20 | 205 |
|---|
On average, there are around 1,220
sunshine hours per year; so, the sun is rarely seen. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.
Stornoway - Sunshine| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Hours | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
|---|
The
sea temperature ranges between 7 °C (45 °F) and 13 °C (55 °F). So, it is cold all year round. Here are the average sea temperatures.
Stornoway - Sea temperature| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|
| Temp (°C) | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 |
|---|
| Temp (°F) | 46 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 48 | 52 | 55 | 55 | 55 | 54 | 52 | 50 |
|---|
Best Time
The best time to visit Stornoway is the summer, from June to August, since it is the mildest season. However, there are often cloudy skies, wind, rain and a bit of cold at night.