Stornoway climate
Stornoway (Scotland, United Kingdom) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 10 °C49 °F, and about 1,375 mm54 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Stornoway climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 846 | 642 | 744 | 1445.7 |
| Feb | 745 | 541 | 643 | 1114.4 |
| Mar | 846 | 542 | 644 | 1054.1 |
| Apr | 948 | 744 | 846 | 753.0 |
| May | 1152 | 847 | 1049 | 893.5 |
| Jun | 1356 | 1151 | 1253 | 883.5 |
| Jul | 1558 | 1254 | 1356 | 1044.1 |
| Aug | 1559 | 1355 | 1457 | 1184.6 |
| Sep | 1457 | 1253 | 1355 | 1194.7 |
| Oct | 1253 | 1050 | 1152 | 1435.6 |
| Nov | 1050 | 846 | 948 | 1345.3 |
| Dec | 847 | 643 | 745 | 1455.7 |
| Year | 1559 | 541 | 1049 | 1,37554 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 84% | 89% | 0.3 | 7:06 |
| Feb | 84% | 87% | 0.9 | 9:15 |
| Mar | 84% | 84% | 2.0 | 11:36 |
| Apr | 83% | 81% | 3.5 | 14:17 |
| May | 83% | 80% | 4.7 | 16:42 |
| Jun | 85% | 87% | 4.8 | 18:12 |
| Jul | 86% | 87% | 4.4 | 17:34 |
| Aug | 86% | 86% | 3.6 | 15:21 |
| Sep | 85% | 84% | 2.4 | 12:41 |
| Oct | 84% | 85% | 1.2 | 10:07 |
| Nov | 83% | 88% | 0.5 | 7:44 |
| Dec | 83% | 89% | 0.2 | 6:26 |
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 Stornoway is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 15 °C59 °F and a low of 13 °C55 °F. The coldest is February, when highs average 7 °C45 °F and lows 5 °C41 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 7.6 °C13.7 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,375 mm54 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is December (145 mm5.7 in), the driest is April (75 mm3.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 83% in May to 86% in July. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 80%) are typical of May. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 17 km/h (11 mph) in July to 29 km/h (18 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 6.4 hours in December to 18.2 hours in June.
Best time to visit Stornoway
No month comes close to our comfort ideal here. The least demanding months are June, July and August (average highs 13 °C56 °F, 15 °C58 °F and 15 °C59 °F).
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 8 °C46 °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 Stornoway
- Winter (December–February) — highs 745 to 8 °C47 °F, lows 541 to 6 °C43 °F, about 133 mm5.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 846 to 11 °C52 °F, lows 542 to 8 °C47 °F, about 90 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 1356 to 15 °C59 °F, lows 1151 to 13 °C55 °F, about 103 mm4.1 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 1050 to 14 °C57 °F, lows 846 to 12 °C53 °F, about 132 mm5.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Stornoway compares
Compared with Aberdeen, about 281 km to the southeast, Stornoway has practically the same average temperature and receives 52% more precipitation (1,375 mm54 in vs 907 mm36 in). The difference is largest in April (0.7 °C1.3 °F warmer).
Of the 66 places in the United Kingdom covered by World Climates, Stornoway is the 47th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 2nd 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: Cork (Ireland, Cfb), Dublin (Ireland, Cfb) and Limerick (Ireland, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Aberdeen 281 km · 9 °C49 °F · 907 mm36 in
- Dundee 282 km · 8 °C47 °F · 999 mm39 in
- Glasgow 291 km · 9 °C48 °F · 1,380 mm54 in
- Edinburgh 316 km · 9 °C48 °F · 889 mm35 in
- Belfast 403 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,068 mm42 in
- Tórshavn 423 km · 8 °C46 °F · 1,183 mm47 in
- Newcastle upon Tyne 463 km · 9 °C49 °F · 863 mm34 in
- Isle of Man (Douglas) 466 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,124 mm44 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Stornoway?
August is the warmest month in Stornoway, with an average high of 15 °C (59 °F) and an average low of 13 °C (55 °F).
What is the coldest month in Stornoway?
February is the coldest month, with an average high of 7 °C (45 °F) and an average low of 5 °C (41 °F).
When does it rain the most in Stornoway?
December is the wettest month with about 145 mm (5.7 in) of precipitation; April is the driest with about 75 mm (3.0 in).
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.