Edinburgh is at its most pleasant in mid and late July. For walking, go from May to mid October. It is rarely warm enough for sunbathing.
When to go five ratings · thirty-six ten-day sections · click a cell to read it
Sun is not what Edinburgh is for: the Sunbathing rating tops out at 4, mostly because it is too cool. The clearest skies come in November, when the sky is typically 60% covered at midday (often cloudy).
For being outside, go in mid and late July. It peaks in mid July, at 63. That is a short window, about three weeks a year. Avoid mid October to April for this: it falls to 0, mostly because it is too cold.
The walking season here runs from May to mid October. It peaks in late July, at 85. The weakest stretch is from January to early February, when it drops to 5, mostly because it is too cold.
The year, measured
The average temperature in Edinburgh over the whole year is 9°C. July is the hottest month, with highs of about 18°C; January is the coldest, with lows of about 3°C. Edinburgh has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 12% in April, the driest month, to 23% in February, the wettest. Winds in Edinburgh are highest in February, averaging 5.3 m/s (19 km/h), and lightest in July, at 3.8 m/s (14 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the W. The clearest skies in Edinburgh come in April, when the sky is typically 63% covered; December is the cloudiest month, at 69%.
Month by month Edinburgh climate by month: average temperatures year round · click a month to read it
| Month | High | Low | Feels like | Chance of rain | Cloud | Wind | Being outside | Sun | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°C | 3°C | 0°C | 19% | 67% | 4.7 m/s | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| February | 6°C | 4°C | 1°C | 23% | 66% | 5.3 m/s | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| March | 8°C | 4°C | 3°C | 18% | 68% | 4.5 m/s | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| April | 10°C | 5°C | 5°C | 12% | 63% | 4.1 m/s | 2 | 0 | 40 |
| May | 14°C | 9°C | 10°C | 15% | 64% | 4.0 m/s | 15 | 0 | 70 |
| June | 16°C | 11°C | 13°C | 15% | 68% | 4.1 m/s | 32 | 1 | 81 |
| July | 18°C | 13°C | 15°C | 16% | 68% | 3.8 m/s | 54 | 2 | 83 |
| August | 17°C | 13°C | 14°C | 18% | 65% | 4.0 m/s | 48 | 1 | 83 |
| September | 15°C | 11°C | 12°C | 17% | 65% | 4.0 m/s | 27 | 1 | 79 |
| October | 12°C | 9°C | 8°C | 22% | 66% | 4.4 m/s | 4 | 0 | 57 |
| November | 8°C | 5°C | 4°C | 19% | 65% | 4.0 m/s | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| December | 6°C | 4°C | 1°C | 21% | 69% | 4.4 m/s | 0 | 0 | 12 |
High and low are the warmest and coolest of four readings a day — midnight, 6am, noon and 6pm — so a true overnight low can sit a degree or two under them. Chance of rain, cloud and wind are the day’s average; feels-like and the three ratings (each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80) are read at midday.
Seasons, and the year in short Edinburgh weather by season
Year round, Edinburgh has days of about 5°C at their warmest in January, its coolest month, and 18°C in July, its warmest; the coolest hours of the day run from 3°C to 13°C through the year, and the average temperature over the year is 9°C around the clock. Rain is most likely around February and least likely around April. Every figure here is a decade of observations blended into one representative year, so it reads as what this date is usually like, not a forecast for one particular day.
Edinburgh weather in winterDecember to February
Winter in Edinburgh has typical daily highs of about 6°C and lows of about 4°C, with a 21% chance of rain on a given day.
Edinburgh weather in springMarch to May
Spring in Edinburgh has typical daily highs of about 11°C and lows of about 6°C, with a 15% chance of rain on a given day.
Edinburgh weather in summerJune to August
Summer in Edinburgh has typical daily highs of about 17°C and lows of about 12°C, with a 17% chance of rain on a given day.
Edinburgh weather in autumnSeptember to November
Autumn in Edinburgh has typical daily highs of about 12°C and lows of about 8°C, with a 19% chance of rain on a given day.
When is the rainy season in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 12% in April, the driest month, to 23% in February, the wettest.
What time of year is Edinburgh windiest?
Winds in Edinburgh are highest in February, averaging 5.3 m/s (19 km/h), and lightest in July, at 3.8 m/s (14 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the W.
What is the average temperature in Edinburgh year round?
The average temperature in Edinburgh over the whole year is 9°C. July is the hottest month, with highs of about 18°C; January is the coldest, with lows of about 3°C.
Where to go instead in early January, the weakest time here for being outside
How this is worked out
Every figure is a decade of weather-station observations blended into one typical year, in ten-day sections. The ratings, the chart and the feels-like column are read at midday local solar time. Being outside is the Easy outdoors rating, Sun is Sunbathing and Walking is Active outdoors, each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80. They describe what a time of year is usually like here, not a forecast. The dotted links open the map at that time of year; set its time of day to midday to see these numbers.