Sunderland climate
Sunderland (England, United Kingdom) has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). The average temperature over the year is 10 °C49 °F, and about 783 mm31 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Sunderland climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 744 | 439 | 541 | 662.6 |
| Feb | 744 | 338 | 541 | 562.2 |
| Mar | 846 | 439 | 642 | 512.0 |
| Apr | 1050 | 542 | 846 | 461.8 |
| May | 1355 | 847 | 1051 | 481.9 |
| Jun | 1560 | 1152 | 1356 | 692.7 |
| Jul | 1763 | 1355 | 1559 | 773.0 |
| Aug | 1763 | 1355 | 1559 | 863.4 |
| Sep | 1660 | 1152 | 1356 | 602.4 |
| Oct | 1355 | 948 | 1152 | 793.1 |
| Nov | 1049 | 744 | 846 | 763.0 |
| Dec | 745 | 540 | 643 | 682.7 |
| Year | 1763 | 338 | 1049 | 78331 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 89% | 79% | 0.6 | 7:46 |
| Feb | 88% | 79% | 1.3 | 9:36 |
| Mar | 86% | 76% | 2.4 | 11:39 |
| Apr | 85% | 75% | 3.7 | 14:01 |
| May | 84% | 74% | 4.7 | 16:06 |
| Jun | 84% | 78% | 4.7 | 17:19 |
| Jul | 84% | 77% | 4.6 | 16:48 |
| Aug | 85% | 78% | 3.8 | 14:56 |
| Sep | 86% | 75% | 2.8 | 12:37 |
| Oct | 87% | 77% | 1.5 | 10:21 |
| Nov | 89% | 78% | 0.8 | 8:17 |
| Dec | 90% | 77% | 0.5 | 7:13 |
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 Sunderland is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 17 °C63 °F and a low of 13 °C55 °F. The coldest is February, when highs average 7 °C44 °F and lows 3 °C38 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 10.2 °C18.4 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 783 mm31 in. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is August (86 mm3.4 in), the driest is April (46 mm1.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 84% in May to 90% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 74%) are typical of May. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 13 km/h (8 mph) in July to 23 km/h (14 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 7.2 hours in December to 17.3 hours in June.
Best time to visit Sunderland
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–September: average highs of 15 °C60 °F to 17 °C63 °F with 60 mm2.4 in to 86 mm3.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 7 °C44 °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 Sunderland
- Winter (December–February) — highs around 7 °C44 °F, lows 338 to 5 °C40 °F, about 64 mm2.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 846 to 13 °C55 °F, lows 439 to 8 °C47 °F, about 48 mm1.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 1560 to 17 °C63 °F, lows 1152 to 13 °C55 °F, about 77 mm3.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1049 to 16 °C60 °F, lows 744 to 11 °C52 °F, about 72 mm2.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Sunderland compares
Compared with Newcastle upon Tyne, about 17 km to the northwest, Sunderland is on average 0.5 °C0.9 °F warmer and receives 9% less precipitation (783 mm31 in vs 863 mm34 in). The difference is largest in December (1.4 °C2.6 °F warmer).
Of the 66 places in the United Kingdom covered by World Climates, Sunderland is the 46th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 34th 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), Limerick (Ireland, Cfb) and Cork (Ireland, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Newcastle upon Tyne 17 km · 9 °C49 °F · 863 mm34 in
- Middlesbrough 38 km · 10 °C49 °F · 829 mm33 in
- Leeds 124 km · 9 °C49 °F · 763 mm30 in
- Bradford 126 km · 9 °C48 °F · 1,008 mm40 in
- Huddersfield 142 km · 9 °C49 °F · 960 mm38 in
- Kingston upon Hull 146 km · 10 °C50 °F · 742 mm29 in
- Preston 153 km · 10 °C49 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- Oldham 159 km · 9 °C47 °F · 960 mm38 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Sunderland?
August is the warmest month in Sunderland, with an average high of 17 °C (63 °F) and an average low of 13 °C (55 °F).
What is the coldest month in Sunderland?
February is the coldest month, with an average high of 7 °C (44 °F) and an average low of 3 °C (38 °F).
When does it rain the most in Sunderland?
August is the wettest month with about 86 mm (3.4 in) of precipitation; April is the driest with about 46 mm (1.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Sunderland?
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.