Edinburgh weather by month & the best time to visit
United Kingdom · city break · oceanic / maritime climate
The best time to visit Edinburgh is July — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 58/100), with August and June close behind. Edinburgh averages about 1,292 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 18°C / 64°F and roughly 91 mm of rain in July.
When is the best time to visit Edinburgh?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Edinburgh is July, then August and June. The dullest month is January (0/100, 74 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Edinburgh?
Edinburgh isn't a sunny place by world standards: about 1,292 hours of sunshine a year. 58 Sunshine Score points separate July (58) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #32 of 48 destinations in United Kingdom for annual sunshine, below the national median of 1,345 hours. The year's 889 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 | 2° / 36°F | 74 mm | 0 | 6° / 43°F |
| February | 0 | 6° / 43°F | 2° / 36°F | 60 mm | 1 | 6° / 43°F |
| March | 0 | 8° / 46°F | 3° / 37°F | 60 mm | 1 | 7° / 45°F |
| April | 19 | 11° / 52°F | 4° / 39°F | 53 mm | 2 | 9° / 48°F |
| May | 37 | 14° / 57°F | 7° / 45°F | 60 mm | 4 | 13° / 55°F |
| June | 53 | 17° / 63°F | 10° / 50°F | 82 mm | 4 | 14° / 57°F |
| July | 58 | 18° / 64°F | 12° / 54°F | 91 mm | 4 | 15° / 59°F |
| August | 56 | 18° / 64°F | 11° / 52°F | 100 mm | 3 | 16° / 61°F |
| September | 49 | 16° / 61°F | 10° / 50°F | 64 mm | 2 | 14° / 57°F |
| October | 23 | 12° / 54°F | 7° / 45°F | 93 mm | 1 | 12° / 54°F |
| November | 6 | 9° / 48°F | 5° / 41°F | 79 mm | 0 | 10° / 50°F |
| December | 0 | 6° / 43°F | 3° / 37°F | 73 mm | 0 | 7° / 45°F |
Sea temperature in Edinburgh by month
The sea off Edinburgh is warmest in August at around 16°C / 61°F, and coolest in January at 6°C / 43°F. It never reaches comfortable swimming temperatures (21°C+). Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Edinburgh compares month by month: Edinburgh vs Glasgow · Edinburgh vs Newcastle upon Tyne · Edinburgh vs Aberdeen · Edinburgh vs Inverness · all comparisons
Edinburgh: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Edinburgh?
Edinburgh is a city break in United Kingdom with a oceanic / maritime climate — the sea reaches 16°C at its warmest.
How many hours of sunshine does Edinburgh get a year?
Edinburgh gets about 1,292 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around July.
When is the best time to visit Edinburgh?
The sunniest time to visit Edinburgh is July, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 58/100 (with August and June close behind). Expect daytime highs around 18°C / 64°F.
What is the least sunny month in Edinburgh?
January is the least sunny month in Edinburgh, scoring 0/100 with about 74 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Edinburgh?
The sea in Edinburgh ranges from about 6°C (January) to 16°C (August). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Edinburgh?
The typical midday UV index in Edinburgh peaks around 4 (moderate) in May, 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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