London is a city of contrasts, especially when it comes to weather. Summers are short, pleasant, and often partly cloudy, while winters stretch out long and chilly, with plenty of wind and cloudy days. Throughout the year, temperatures usually range from a brisk 39°F to a comfortable 74°F, rarely dropping below 30°F or soaring above 84°F.
When to Visit London for Sunshine and Warmth
If you’re dreaming of enjoying London’s iconic sights and attractions in warm, sunny weather, the best time to visit is from late June to early September. This period offers the highest chances for pleasant temperatures and clear skies, making it perfect for exploring the city’s parks, gardens, and outdoor markets.
London Weather by the Hour: A Visual Guide
To give you a better understanding of London’s weather patterns throughout the year, we’ve created a unique visual representation. This color-coded map shows you the average hourly temperature for every day of the year. The horizontal axis represents the day of the year, the vertical axis represents the hour of the day, and the color corresponds to the average temperature for that specific time.
Finding a Climate Twin: Picnic Point, Washington
Interestingly, there’s a far-off place with a climate surprisingly similar to London: Picnic Point, Washington, located 4,774 miles away. This means that if you’re looking for a similar weather experience to London, you might want to consider visiting this spot in the United States.
Deciphering the Sun’s Path: Elevation and Azimuth
Another helpful visualization shows the sun’s elevation (how high it is in the sky) and azimuth (its direction) for every hour of every day. This map, represented by colors and lines, allows you to understand the sun’s path throughout the year in London. The background color indicates the sun’s azimuth, while the black lines show areas of constant solar elevation.
London’s Ideal Weather: A Travel Score System
To help you plan your trip, we’ve developed a travel score system that assesses the weather’s suitability for different types of activities. This system takes into account temperature, cloud cover, and precipitation, giving you a clear indication of the best time to visit for specific travel goals.
For general outdoor tourism, the tourism score indicates that the best time to visit London is from late June to early September, with the peak score falling in the third week of July. This period offers a combination of comfortable temperatures, clear skies, and low rainfall.
If you’re looking for hot-weather activities, like swimming or sunbathing, the beach/pool score suggests visiting between mid-July and mid-August, with the peak score in the last week of July. During this time, temperatures are at their highest, providing the most ideal conditions for these activities.
The travel score system is based on a combination of hourly scores for temperature, cloud cover, and precipitation. These scores are then combined into a single hourly composite score, which is aggregated into daily scores, averaged over multiple years, and smoothed. We use a 10-point scale for each factor, with higher scores indicating more favorable conditions.
For cloud cover, a score of 10 indicates fully clear skies, decreasing linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies and 1 for fully overcast skies. The precipitation score is based on three-hour precipitation intervals, with 10 representing no precipitation, 9 for trace precipitation, and 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.
Our temperature scores are designed to reflect the ideal conditions for different types of activities. The tourism score favors temperatures between 65°F and 80°F, while the beach/pool score favors temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Both scores account for perceived temperature, taking into consideration factors like humidity and wind speed.
So, whether you’re planning a sightseeing adventure or a relaxing getaway, understanding London’s weather patterns and using our travel score system can help you plan the perfect trip.
