Bristol weather by month & the best time to visit
United Kingdom · city break · oceanic / maritime climate
The best time to visit Bristol is July — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 75/100), with August and June close behind. Bristol averages about 1,565 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 21°C / 70°F and roughly 69 mm of rain in July.
When is the best time to visit Bristol?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Bristol is July, then August and June. The dullest month is January (0/100, 76 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Bristol?
Bristol isn't a sunny place by world standards: about 1,565 hours of sunshine a year. 75 Sunshine Score points separate July (75) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #11 of 48 destinations in United Kingdom for annual sunshine, above the national median of 1,345 hours. The year's 812 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 6° / 43°F | 1° / 34°F | 76 mm | 0 | 6° / 43°F |
| February | 0 | 7° / 45°F | 1° / 34°F | 60 mm | 1 | 7° / 45°F |
| March | 6 | 9° / 48°F | 2° / 36°F | 60 mm | 2 | 9° / 48°F |
| April | 26 | 12° / 54°F | 4° / 39°F | 50 mm | 3 | 11° / 52°F |
| May | 51 | 16° / 61°F | 7° / 45°F | 60 mm | 4 | 15° / 59°F |
| June | 70 | 19° / 66°F | 10° / 50°F | 62 mm | 5 | 18° / 64°F |
| July | 75 | 21° / 70°F | 12° / 54°F | 69 mm | 5 | 20° / 68°F |
| August | 74 | 20° / 68°F | 12° / 54°F | 72 mm | 4 | 21° / 70°F |
| September | 65 | 18° / 64°F | 9° / 48°F | 50 mm | 3 | 17° / 63°F |
| October | 36 | 14° / 57°F | 7° / 45°F | 83 mm | 1 | 13° / 55°F |
| November | 12 | 10° / 50°F | 4° / 39°F | 86 mm | 1 | 11° / 52°F |
| December | 0 | 7° / 45°F | 2° / 36°F | 84 mm | 0 | 8° / 46°F |
Sea temperature in Bristol by month
The sea off Bristol is warmest in August at around 21°C / 70°F, and coolest in January at 6°C / 43°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly 1 month a year. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Head-to-head
How Bristol compares month by month: Bristol vs Cardiff · Bristol vs Bournemouth · Bristol vs Southampton · Bristol vs Exeter · all comparisons
Bristol: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Bristol?
Bristol is a city break in United Kingdom with a oceanic / maritime climate — the sea reaches 21°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) about 1 months a year.
How many hours of sunshine does Bristol get a year?
Bristol gets about 1,565 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around July.
When is the best time to visit Bristol?
The sunniest time to visit Bristol is July, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 75/100 (with August and June close behind). Expect daytime highs around 21°C / 70°F.
What is the least sunny month in Bristol?
January is the least sunny month in Bristol, scoring 0/100 with about 76 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Bristol?
The sea in Bristol ranges from about 6°C (January) to 21°C (August). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Bristol?
The typical midday UV index in Bristol peaks around 5 (moderate) in June, easing to about 0 (low) in January. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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