Leuven climate
Leuven (Belgium) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C51 °F, and about 763 mm30 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Leuven climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 541 | 032 | 236 | 692.7 | 15 |
| Feb | 644 | 031 | 338 | 622.4 | 14 |
| Mar | 1051 | 235 | 643 | 562.2 | 9 |
| Apr | 1559 | 540 | 1050 | 401.6 | 3 |
| May | 1966 | 947 | 1457 | 602.3 | 0 |
| Jun | 2272 | 1253 | 1763 | 632.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 2475 | 1457 | 1966 | 742.9 | 0 |
| Aug | 2374 | 1356 | 1865 | 793.1 | 0 |
| Sep | 2068 | 1050 | 1559 | 542.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 1560 | 745 | 1152 | 612.4 | 1 |
| Nov | 1050 | 439 | 744 | 682.7 | 4 |
| Dec | 642 | 133 | 338 | 773.0 | 13 |
| Year | 2475 | 031 | 1151 | 76330 | 60 |
“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 | 92% | 77% | 0.8 | 8:24 |
| Feb | 89% | 74% | 1.5 | 9:56 |
| Mar | 84% | 69% | 2.7 | 11:43 |
| Apr | 77% | 64% | 4.2 | 13:45 |
| May | 76% | 69% | 5.0 | 15:30 |
| Jun | 75% | 69% | 5.4 | 16:30 |
| Jul | 74% | 67% | 5.2 | 16:05 |
| Aug | 76% | 66% | 4.4 | 14:32 |
| Sep | 78% | 63% | 3.4 | 12:32 |
| Oct | 85% | 70% | 2.0 | 10:35 |
| Nov | 91% | 77% | 1.0 | 8:50 |
| Dec | 93% | 77% | 0.6 | 7:57 |
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 Leuven is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 24 °C75 °F and a low of 14 °C57 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 5 °C41 °F and lows 0 °C32 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 16.5 °C29.6 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 763 mm30 in. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is August (79 mm3.1 in), the driest is April (40 mm1.6 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 74% in July to 93% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 63%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in August to 14 km/h (8 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 8.0 hours in December to 16.5 hours in June.
Best time to visit Leuven
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–September: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 24 °C75 °F with 54 mm2.1 in to 79 mm3.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 5 °C41 °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 Leuven
- Winter (December–February) — highs 541 to 6 °C44 °F, lows 031 to 1 °C33 °F, about 69 mm2.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1051 to 19 °C66 °F, lows 235 to 9 °C47 °F, about 52 mm2.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2272 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1253 to 14 °C57 °F, about 72 mm2.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1050 to 20 °C68 °F, lows 439 to 10 °C50 °F, about 61 mm2.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Leuven compares
Compared with Brussels, about 25 km to the west, Leuven has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation.
Of the 8 places in Belgium covered by World Climates, Leuven is the 3rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 8th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Belgium climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Breda (The Netherlands, Cfb), Tilburg (The Netherlands, Cfb) and Eindhoven (The Netherlands, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Brussels 25 km · 10 °C51 °F · 764 mm30 in
- Antwerp 43 km · 11 °C51 °F · 764 mm30 in
- Namur 47 km · 10 °C50 °F · 808 mm32 in
- Charleroi 55 km · 10 °C50 °F · 776 mm31 in
- Liège 67 km · 11 °C51 °F · 862 mm34 in
- Maastricht 69 km · 11 °C51 °F · 771 mm30 in
- Gent 71 km · 10 °C51 °F · 778 mm31 in
- Breda 79 km · 11 °C51 °F · 772 mm30 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Leuven?
July is the warmest month in Leuven, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
What is the coldest month in Leuven?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 5 °C (41 °F) and an average low of 0 °C (32 °F).
When does it rain the most in Leuven?
August is the wettest month with about 79 mm (3.1 in) of precipitation; April is the driest with about 40 mm (1.6 in).
What is the best time to visit Leuven?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–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.