Edinburgh climate
Edinburgh (Scotland, United Kingdom) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 9 °C48 °F, and about 889 mm35 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Edinburgh climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 642 | 236 | 439 | 752.9 | 9 |
| Feb | 643 | 235 | 439 | 602.4 | 9 |
| Mar | 846 | 236 | 541 | 602.4 | 7 |
| Apr | 1151 | 439 | 745 | 532.1 | 2 |
| May | 1456 | 744 | 1050 | 592.3 | 0 |
| Jun | 1661 | 1050 | 1355 | 823.2 | 0 |
| Jul | 1865 | 1253 | 1559 | 923.6 | 0 |
| Aug | 1864 | 1152 | 1458 | 1003.9 | 0 |
| Sep | 1660 | 949 | 1355 | 642.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 1254 | 745 | 1049 | 933.7 | 0 |
| Nov | 947 | 440 | 644 | 793.1 | 2 |
| Dec | 643 | 236 | 440 | 722.9 | 8 |
| Year | 1865 | 235 | 948 | 88935 | 36 |
“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 | 94% | 79% | 0.6 | 7:34 |
| Feb | 92% | 77% | 1.2 | 9:29 |
| Mar | 89% | 77% | 2.3 | 11:39 |
| Apr | 86% | 75% | 3.7 | 14:06 |
| May | 83% | 74% | 4.7 | 16:16 |
| Jun | 84% | 82% | 4.6 | 17:34 |
| Jul | 84% | 78% | 4.4 | 17:01 |
| Aug | 85% | 78% | 3.6 | 15:03 |
| Sep | 87% | 76% | 2.6 | 12:38 |
| Oct | 90% | 76% | 1.5 | 10:17 |
| Nov | 93% | 76% | 0.7 | 8:07 |
| Dec | 94% | 77% | 0.4 | 6:59 |
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 Edinburgh is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 18 °C65 °F and a low of 12 °C53 °F. The coldest is February, when highs average 6 °C43 °F and lows 2 °C35 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 11.1 °C19.9 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 889 mm35 in. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is August (100 mm3.9 in), the driest is April (53 mm2.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 83% in May to 94% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 74%) are typical of May. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in July to 18 km/h (11 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 7.0 hours in December to 17.6 hours in June.
Best time to visit Edinburgh
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–September: average highs of 16 °C60 °F to 18 °C65 °F with 64 mm2.5 in to 100 mm3.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 6 °C42 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to 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 Edinburgh
- Winter (December–February) — highs around 6 °C42 °F, lows around 2 °C35 °F, about 69 mm2.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 846 to 14 °C56 °F, lows 236 to 7 °C44 °F, about 57 mm2.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 1661 to 18 °C65 °F, lows 1050 to 12 °C53 °F, about 91 mm3.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 947 to 16 °C60 °F, lows 440 to 9 °C49 °F, about 79 mm3.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Edinburgh compares
Compared with Glasgow, about 67 km to the west, Edinburgh has practically the same average temperature and receives 36% less precipitation (889 mm35 in vs 1,380 mm54 in).
Of the 66 places in the United Kingdom covered by World Climates, Edinburgh is the 64th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 22nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United Kingdom climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Dublin (Ireland, Cfb), Kristiansand (Norway, Cfb) and Limerick (Ireland, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Dundee 59 km · 8 °C47 °F · 999 mm39 in
- Glasgow 67 km · 9 °C48 °F · 1,380 mm54 in
- Newcastle upon Tyne 148 km · 9 °C49 °F · 863 mm34 in
- Aberdeen 149 km · 9 °C49 °F · 907 mm36 in
- Sunderland 163 km · 10 °C49 °F · 783 mm31 in
- Middlesbrough 197 km · 10 °C49 °F · 829 mm33 in
- Isle of Man (Douglas) 216 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,124 mm44 in
- Belfast 229 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,068 mm42 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Edinburgh?
July is the warmest month in Edinburgh, with an average high of 18 °C (65 °F) and an average low of 12 °C (53 °F).
What is the coldest month in Edinburgh?
February is the coldest month, with an average high of 6 °C (43 °F) and an average low of 2 °C (35 °F).
When does it rain the most in Edinburgh?
August is the wettest month with about 100 mm (3.9 in) of precipitation; April is the driest with about 53 mm (2.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Edinburgh?
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 — most of all 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 128 m, while Edinburgh lies at about 66 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.4 °C0.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.