Bradford climate
Bradford (England, United Kingdom) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 9 °C48 °F, and about 1,008 mm40 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Bradford climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 542 | 135 | 338 | 853.4 | 12 |
| Feb | 643 | 134 | 338 | 712.8 | 13 |
| Mar | 847 | 235 | 541 | 672.6 | 10 |
| Apr | 1253 | 439 | 846 | 602.4 | 5 |
| May | 1559 | 744 | 1151 | 702.8 | 1 |
| Jun | 1864 | 1049 | 1457 | 923.6 | 0 |
| Jul | 1967 | 1152 | 1560 | 973.8 | 0 |
| Aug | 1966 | 1152 | 1559 | 1064.2 | 0 |
| Sep | 1762 | 948 | 1355 | 773.0 | 0 |
| Oct | 1355 | 744 | 1050 | 963.8 | 1 |
| Nov | 948 | 439 | 643 | 933.7 | 5 |
| Dec | 643 | 236 | 439 | 913.6 | 11 |
| Year | 1967 | 134 | 948 | 1,00840 | 59 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 96% | 76% | 0.7 | 7:57 |
| Feb | 94% | 74% | 1.4 | 9:42 |
| Mar | 91% | 73% | 2.5 | 11:40 |
| Apr | 87% | 72% | 3.8 | 13:56 |
| May | 84% | 71% | 4.8 | 15:55 |
| Jun | 84% | 77% | 4.8 | 17:04 |
| Jul | 85% | 74% | 4.8 | 16:35 |
| Aug | 86% | 75% | 3.9 | 14:49 |
| Sep | 88% | 71% | 2.9 | 12:36 |
| Oct | 92% | 74% | 1.7 | 10:25 |
| Nov | 95% | 73% | 0.8 | 8:27 |
| Dec | 96% | 72% | 0.5 | 7:26 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Bradford is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 19 °C67 °F and a low of 11 °C52 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 5 °C42 °F and lows 1 °C35 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 12 °C21.5 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,008 mm40 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is August (106 mm4.2 in), the driest is April (60 mm2.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 84% in May to 96% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 71%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in July to 15 km/h (9 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 7.4 hours in December to 17.1 hours in June.
Best time to visit Bradford
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–September. Average highs then reach 17 °C62 °F to 19 °C67 °F. Precipitation is 77 mm3.0 in to 106 mm4.2 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 5 °C42 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Bradford
- Winter (December–February) — highs 542 to 6 °C43 °F, lows 134 to 2 °C36 °F, about 83 mm3.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 847 to 15 °C59 °F, lows 235 to 7 °C44 °F, about 66 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 1864 to 19 °C67 °F, lows 1049 to 11 °C52 °F, about 99 mm3.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 948 to 17 °C62 °F, lows 439 to 9 °C48 °F, about 89 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Bradford compares
The nearest larger place is Leeds, about 13 km to the east. Compared with it, Bradford is on average 0.4 °C0.7 °F cooler. It receives 32% more precipitation (1,008 mm40 in vs 763 mm30 in). The difference is largest in August (0.7 °C1.2 °F cooler).
World Climates covers 66 places in the United Kingdom. By annual mean temperature, Bradford is the 61st warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 11th wettest. See all of them on the United Kingdom climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Kristiansand (Norway, Cfb), Limerick (Ireland, Cfb) and Dublin (Ireland, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Climate in Leeds 13 km · 9 °C49 °F · 763 mm30 in
- Climate in Huddersfield 16 km · 9 °C49 °F · 960 mm38 in
- Climate in Oldham 37 km · 9 °C47 °F · 960 mm38 in
- Climate in Manchester 47 km · 10 °C49 °F · 1,002 mm39 in
- Climate in Sheffield 49 km · 9 °C49 °F · 739 mm29 in
- Climate in Preston 63 km · 10 °C49 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- Climate in Mansfield 82 km · 9 °C49 °F · 780 mm31 in
- Climate in Blackpool 85 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,164 mm46 in
All places in the United Kingdom · England climate · West Yorkshire climate
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Bradford?
July is the warmest month in Bradford. Its average high is 19 °C (67 °F) and its average low is 11 °C (52 °F).
What is the coldest month in Bradford?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is 5 °C (42 °F) and its average low is 1 °C (35 °F).
When does it rain the most in Bradford?
August is the wettest month with about 106 mm (4.2 in) of precipitation. April is the driest with about 60 mm (2.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Bradford?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station. So they can differ from airport records. The gaps are largest on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 234 m, while Bradford lies at about 110 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.8 °C1.5 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.