Cardiff weather by month & the best time to visit
United Kingdom · city break · oceanic / maritime climate
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The best time to visit Cardiff is July — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 73/100), with August and June close behind. Cardiff averages about 1,565 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 20°C / 68°F and roughly 80 mm of rain in July.
When is the best time to visit Cardiff?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Cardiff is July, then August and June. The dullest month is January (0/100, 94 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Cardiff?
Cardiff isn't a sunny place by world standards: about 1,565 hours of sunshine a year. 73 Sunshine Score points separate July (73) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #12 of 48 destinations in United Kingdom for annual sunshine, above the national median of 1,345 hours. The year's 966 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 | 7° / 45°F | 3° / 37°F | 94 mm | 0 | 8° / 46°F |
| February | 0 | 7° / 45°F | 3° / 37°F | 73 mm | 1 | 9° / 48°F |
| March | 6 | 9° / 48°F | 3° / 37°F | 70 mm | 2 | 9° / 48°F |
| April | 32 | 13° / 55°F | 5° / 41°F | 56 mm | 3 | 11° / 52°F |
| May | 50 | 16° / 61°F | 8° / 46°F | 67 mm | 4 | 14° / 57°F |
| June | 68 | 19° / 66°F | 11° / 52°F | 72 mm | 5 | 16° / 61°F |
| July | 73 | 20° / 68°F | 13° / 55°F | 80 mm | 5 | 17° / 63°F |
| August | 72 | 20° / 68°F | 13° / 55°F | 84 mm | 4 | 18° / 64°F |
| September | 63 | 18° / 64°F | 11° / 52°F | 63 mm | 3 | 17° / 63°F |
| October | 35 | 14° / 57°F | 9° / 48°F | 100 mm | 1 | 15° / 59°F |
| November | 17 | 11° / 52°F | 6° / 43°F | 103 mm | 1 | 13° / 55°F |
| December | 0 | 8° / 46°F | 4° / 39°F | 104 mm | 0 | 10° / 50°F |
Sea temperature in Cardiff by month
The sea off Cardiff is warmest in August at around 18°C / 64°F, and coolest in January at 8°C / 46°F. It never reaches comfortable swimming temperatures (21°C+). Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Head-to-head
How Cardiff compares month by month: Cardiff vs Bristol · Cardiff vs Bournemouth · Cardiff vs Exeter · Cardiff vs Newquay · all comparisons
Cardiff: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Cardiff?
Cardiff is a city break in United Kingdom with a oceanic / maritime climate — the sea reaches 18°C at its warmest.
How many hours of sunshine does Cardiff get a year?
Cardiff gets about 1,565 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around July.
When is the best time to visit Cardiff?
The sunniest time to visit Cardiff is July, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 73/100 (with August and June close behind). Expect daytime highs around 20°C / 68°F.
What is the least sunny month in Cardiff?
January is the least sunny month in Cardiff, scoring 0/100 with about 94 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Cardiff?
The sea in Cardiff ranges from about 8°C (January) to 18°C (August). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Cardiff?
The typical midday UV index in Cardiff 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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