London’s weather is a captivating mix of short, comfortable summers and long, cold winters. Throughout the year, temperatures fluctuate between a chilly 39°F and a pleasant 74°F, rarely dipping below 30°F or exceeding 84°F. This creates a diverse climate that offers something for everyone, from wintery wonderlands to vibrant summer days.
But when is the best time to visit London? The answer depends on your preferences. If warm weather activities are your priority, then late June to early September is your ideal window, offering a peak tourism score in the third week of July.
Understanding London’s Climate: A Visual Journey
To get a clear understanding of London’s climate throughout the year, we’ve created a visual guide showcasing the average hourly temperatures. The horizontal axis represents the days of the year, while the vertical axis displays the hours of the day. The color of each point signifies the average temperature for that specific hour and day. This visual representation provides a comprehensive overview of London’s temperature patterns throughout the year.
London’s Climate Compared: A Global Perspective
Even though London is known for its unique charm, you might be surprised to learn that Picnic Point, Washington, United States, located 4,774 miles away, shares a remarkably similar climate. This fascinating comparison highlights the global reach of certain weather patterns.
London’s Sunshine: A Guide to Sunlight Hours
Another fascinating aspect of London’s climate is its sunshine. We’ve created a visual representation showcasing the sun’s elevation and azimuth (direction) for every hour of every day throughout the year. The horizontal axis displays the days of the year, while the vertical axis shows the hours of the day. The background color indicates the azimuth of the sun, while the black lines represent contours of constant solar elevation. This visual guide allows you to visualize the sun’s journey across the sky in London throughout the year.
Finding the Perfect Time to Visit: Travel Scores Explained
To help you plan your trip, we’ve developed two travel scores: the tourism score and the beach/pool score. Both scores aim to quantify the pleasantness of London’s weather based on temperature, cloud cover, and precipitation.
The tourism score prioritizes clear, rainless days with pleasant temperatures between 65°F and 80°F, making it perfect for exploring London’s iconic landmarks and charming streets. Based on this score, the best time to visit for general outdoor activities is from late June to early September, with a peak score in the third week of July.
The beach/pool score, on the other hand, favors clear, rainless days with warmer temperatures between 75°F and 90°F, ideal for enjoying outdoor activities like swimming or relaxing in the sun. This score suggests that the best time to visit for hot-weather activities is from mid-July to mid-August, with a peak score in the last week of July.
Understanding the Travel Scores: A Deeper Dive
To understand how these scores are calculated, we analyze hourly weather data between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM for every day from 1980 to 2016. For each hour, we assign independent scores to perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation, combining these scores into a single hourly composite score. This score is then aggregated into days, averaged over all years, and smoothed to provide a comprehensive picture of London’s weather throughout the year.
Our cloud cover score ranges from 10 for fully clear skies to 1 for fully overcast skies, with linearly decreasing values for partially cloudy skies. Similarly, our precipitation score is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, ranging from 10 for no precipitation to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.
The temperature scores for tourism and beach/pool activities are designed to reflect the ideal weather conditions for these activities. The tourism temperature score ranges from 0 for temperatures below 50°F to 10 for 75°F, with linearly increasing and decreasing values for temperatures between these points. The beach/pool temperature score follows a similar pattern, ranging from 0 for temperatures below 65°F to 10 for 82°F.
By considering these comprehensive scores, you can choose the perfect time to visit London based on your individual preferences, ensuring a memorable and enjoyable trip.
