Plymouth climate
Plymouth (England, United Kingdom) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C53 °F, and about 1,164 mm46 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Plymouth climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 948 | 642 | 745 | 1234.8 | 1 |
| Feb | 947 | 541 | 744 | 973.8 | 2 |
| Mar | 1050 | 542 | 846 | 883.5 | 1 |
| Apr | 1254 | 744 | 1049 | 682.7 | 0 |
| May | 1559 | 949 | 1254 | 712.8 | 0 |
| Jun | 1864 | 1254 | 1559 | 793.1 | 0 |
| Jul | 1967 | 1457 | 1762 | 893.5 | 0 |
| Aug | 1967 | 1457 | 1762 | 953.8 | 0 |
| Sep | 1864 | 1254 | 1559 | 682.7 | 0 |
| Oct | 1559 | 1151 | 1355 | 1254.9 | 0 |
| Nov | 1253 | 847 | 1050 | 1305.1 | 0 |
| Dec | 1049 | 644 | 846 | 1315.2 | 1 |
| Year | 1967 | 541 | 1153 | 1,16446 | 5 |
“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 | 90% | 78% | 0.8 | 8:28 |
| Feb | 89% | 75% | 1.6 | 9:59 |
| Mar | 88% | 70% | 2.8 | 11:43 |
| Apr | 86% | 64% | 4.5 | 13:43 |
| May | 85% | 66% | 5.4 | 15:26 |
| Jun | 85% | 66% | 5.8 | 16:24 |
| Jul | 85% | 68% | 5.4 | 16:00 |
| Aug | 86% | 69% | 4.6 | 14:29 |
| Sep | 86% | 65% | 3.5 | 12:32 |
| Oct | 88% | 72% | 2.0 | 10:37 |
| Nov | 89% | 76% | 1.0 | 8:54 |
| Dec | 90% | 76% | 0.7 | 8:02 |
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 Plymouth is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 19 °C67 °F and a low of 14 °C57 °F. The coldest is February, when highs average 9 °C47 °F and lows 5 °C41 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 9.8 °C17.6 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,164 mm46 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is December (131 mm5.2 in), the driest is April (68 mm2.7 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 85% in June to 90% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 64%) are typical of April. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 14 km/h (9 mph) in June to 20 km/h (12 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 8.0 hours in December to 16.4 hours in June.
Best time to visit Plymouth
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–September: average highs of 18 °C64 °F to 19 °C67 °F with 68 mm2.7 in to 95 mm3.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 9 °C48 °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 Plymouth
- Winter (December–February) — highs 947 to 10 °C49 °F, lows 541 to 6 °C44 °F, about 117 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1050 to 15 °C59 °F, lows 542 to 9 °C49 °F, about 76 mm3.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 1864 to 19 °C67 °F, lows 1254 to 14 °C57 °F, about 88 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1253 to 18 °C64 °F, lows 847 to 12 °C54 °F, about 108 mm4.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Plymouth compares
Compared with Swansea, about 140 km to the north, Plymouth is on average 0.3 °C0.6 °F warmer and receives 5% more precipitation (1,164 mm46 in vs 1,105 mm43 in). The difference is largest in January (0.8 °C1.5 °F warmer).
Of the 66 places in the United Kingdom covered by World Climates, Plymouth is the 5th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 3rd 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 (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Cork (Ireland, Cfb), Brest (France, Cfb) and Osorno (Chile, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Exeter 59 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,087 mm43 in
- Swansea 140 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,105 mm43 in
- Cardiff 141 km · 11 °C52 °F · 967 mm38 in
- Guernsey (St Peter Port) 153 km · 12 °C54 °F · 847 mm33 in
- Newport 157 km · 11 °C52 °F · 967 mm38 in
- Bristol 162 km · 11 °C51 °F · 811 mm32 in
- Isles of Scilly (Hugh Town) 163 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,003 mm40 in
- Bournemouth 165 km · 12 °C53 °F · 845 mm33 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Plymouth?
July is the warmest month in Plymouth, with an average high of 19 °C (67 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
What is the coldest month in Plymouth?
February is the coldest month, with an average high of 9 °C (47 °F) and an average low of 5 °C (41 °F).
When does it rain the most in Plymouth?
December is the wettest month with about 131 mm (5.2 in) of precipitation; April is the driest with about 68 mm (2.7 in).
What is the best time to visit Plymouth?
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 111 m, while Plymouth lies at about 14 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.6 °C1.1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.