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Edinburgh weather by month: averages, rainfall & climate trends

Scotland's historic capital perches between the Firth of Forth and its volcanic hills, swept by Atlantic winds: a cool, breezy, changeable maritime climate of mild summers, soft winters and the occasional creeping sea haar. Edinburgh weather by month: average temperatures, rainfall, records and how the climate has changed since 1940.

Today vs average

+2.8°Chigh above average

16° / 8°Today
13° / 8°Average
see today in detail →

How it's changed

+1.3°Caverage temperature, 2016–2025 vs 1940–1949average temperature vs 1940–4922frost days a year now (2016–2025) · 46 in the 1940sfrost days a year · 46 in the 1940s2days above 25°C a year now (2016–2025) · 1 in the 1940sdays above 25°C · 1 in the 1940s+1.3°C vs the 1940s · see how it's changed →
Weather by montha typical year, averaged over the full recordJanuary, rain 74 mmhigh 6°low 2°February, rain 60 mmhigh 6°low 2°March, rain 62 mmhigh 8°low 3°April, rain 57 mmhigh 11°low 4°May, rain 64 mmhigh 14°low 7°June, rain 62 mmhigh 17°low 10°July, rain 73 mmhigh 18°low 12°August, rain 77 mmhigh 18°low 12°September, rain 69 mmhigh 16°low 10°October, rain 77 mmhigh 13°low 7°November, rain 71 mmhigh 9°low 4°December, rain 73 mmhigh 7°low 3°wettest month October, 77 mm · 820 mm a yearsee month by month →

Right now

What it's doing today vs the historical average for this date.
Overcast

Right now

9.4°

8°feels like
77%humidity
6°dew point
16 km/hfrom SE
UV index0.1
sunrise07:38sunset18:20day length10h 42m
TodayOvercast16°8°
TueClear17°10°
WedOvercast17°10°
ThuOvercast16°9°
FriMostly clear12°8°
SatOvercast11°6°
SunOvercast11°6°

On this date: October 12

Today (forecast)
16° / 8°
Average for October 12
13° / 8°

High above average · +2.8°C

  • Record high: 17.3° · 1949
  • Record low: 0.9° · 1973
  • One year ago: 15° / 8°

Every October 12 in history, coldest to hottest

▲ Daily highs▼ Daily lows

Dots show daily highs (top) and lows (bottom) for each October 12 on record (n = 87). Outlined dots are today's forecast.

Area we sample

Each city's history comes from one ERA5 grid cell, about 28 km across, shown by the dashed box. Near mountains or coasts, conditions can vary across the cell.

Location & data

Historical weather for Edinburgh is sampled from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at 55.95°N, 3.20°W, with daily records since 1940.

Coordinates
55.95°N, 3.20°W
Time zone
Europe/London
Period
1940–2026
Data source
ERA5 (ECMWF)

Last 30 days

26 of the last 31 days were warmer than the historical average for that date. Average difference: +1.6°C.

Each bar is one day, from morning low to afternoon high. Warm-colored bars are days whose mean ran above average; cool bars ran below. The dot inside the bar is the daily mean. The shaded band is the typical 10–90% range expected for that date. Average = the day's mean temperature averaged across every year of record (1940–2026) for that calendar date.

This date over the years

One dot per year, showing the mean temperature on this calendar date. Dots are warmer or cooler than the long-term average (dashed line); the shaded band is the typical 10–90% range, and the highlighted dot is today's forecast. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Weather by month

Average temperatures and rainfall for each month: a typical year, from the full record.

Climate overview

Edinburgh has a cool temperate maritime climate (Köppen Cfb). Its position on the Firth of Forth, between the coast and surrounding hills, keeps temperature swings small and extremes rare; the prevailing south-westerly winds carry mild, unstable air from the North Atlantic. The same exposure earns the capital its reputation as a windy city, kept far milder than its northern latitude would suggest.

Weather here is changeable and breezy rather than severe. From October to April Atlantic depressions and occasional European windstorms sweep through, while easterly winds can roll the 'haar' (a cold sea fog) in off the North Sea, even in summer. True heat and hard frost are both uncommon, as the record warmth of July 2019 and the sharp cold of December 2010 each showed when they briefly broke the usual mild pattern.

The warmest month is July, with typical afternoon highs of 18.2°C and nights around 11.7°C. In January, the coolest month, afternoons reach about 5.9°C and nights dip to 1.8°C.

The yearly total for Edinburgh comes to about 820 mm; monthly amounts range from 57 mm in April up to 77 mm in October.

Comparing the record's first decade with its most recent one, Edinburgh now averages 1.3°C warmer than it did in the 1940s. Where the first decade averaged 45 frost days a year, the recent one saw about 20.

Sources:en.wikipedia.orgbritannica.commetoffice.gov.uk

Climate graph (climograph)

July is the warmest month, January the coolest: a yearly swing of 11°C. Wettest month: October (~77 mm). Whole year averages ~820 mm of rain.

Bars = average monthly rainfall (right axis). Lines = average daily high and low (left axis). Average = each month's value averaged across every year of record (1940–2026).

Rainy days by month

About 116 rainy days a year: most in January (~11), fewest in April (~9).

Bars = average number of days with ≥ 2 mm per month. Hover for the monthly rainfall total.

Monthly wind

Average daily peak wind at 10 m, by month.

Monthly solar energy

Average daily incoming solar energy in megajoules per square metre: the record's own proxy for how sunny the month is.

Edinburgh month by month: what to expect

Typical conditions for each month, averaged across the full record (since 1940). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset. Record high/low are the most extreme values in the ERA5 dataset (modelled since 1940), so they can differ from official weather-station readings.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRainRainy daysDaylightRecord highRecord low
January5.9°1.8°74 mm117.3 h13.9° (2022)−17.7° (1982)
February6.4°1.8°60 mm99.3 h15.2° (2019)−16.4° (1947)
March8.4°2.9°62 mm911.4 h20.8° (2012)−14.4° (1947)
April10.9°4.5°57 mm913.9 h23.1° (2025)−5.7° (1968)
May13.8°7.0°64 mm1016.0 h26.6° (2017)−0.4° (1979)
June16.6°9.9°62 mm917.3 h27.5° (2018)1.6° (1962)
July18.2°11.7°73 mm1016.8 h30.3° (2022)5.3° (1965)
August17.9°11.6°77 mm1014.8 h29.0° (1975)4.5° (1977)
September15.7°9.9°69 mm912.4 h26.2° (2023)0.7° (1954)
October12.5°7.4°77 mm1010.1 h22.3° (1959)−2.8° (1981)
November8.7°4.2°71 mm107.9 h17.1° (2022)−9.0° (1962)
December6.7°2.6°73 mm106.7 h15.2° (2025)−11.1° (2010)

How it's changed

Year-by-year signals from 1940 to today.

Climate stripes

Annual mean shifted from 1940–1949 to 2016–2025 by +1.3°C.

Each vertical stripe is one year. Color encodes how much that year's annual mean differed from the long-term average. Average = each year's annual mean compared to the average of all years (1940–2026). cooler ← → warmer

Annual mean temperature

Long-term trend: +0.20°C per decade.

One point per year, showing the temperature averaged across the whole year. The dashed line is the least-squares long-term trend. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Seasonal warming

Dec–Feb is warming fastest: +0.30°C per decade.

Each faint line is one three-month period's average per year; the bold dashed line is its long-term trend. Different parts of the year often warm at different rates. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Hot days vs frost days

Days ≥ 25°C per year: 0.8 early in the record → 2.1 recently. Frost days: 46 → 22.

Thin lines are raw yearly counts; thick lines are the smoothed trend that removes year-to-year noise. The hot-day threshold is auto-picked per city so the line actually moves. Average = a centered 5-year rolling average to smooth weather noise.

Yearly hot & cold extremes

All-time high in 2022, all-time low in 1982: 30.3°C / −17.7°C.

One point per year: the single hottest and coldest day recorded that year.

Annual rainfall

~820 mm/year on average. Last decade: +6% vs that average. Long-term trend: +23 mm per decade.

One bar per year of total rainfall. Dashed line is the long-term average. Average = the average annual rainfall across every year of record (1940–2026).

Day-by-day grid

Each tiny square is one calendar day across the full record, about 30,000 days per city. Use the mode switch above the chart: Anomaly colors each day by how far it ran from the historical average for that date (red = warmer, blue = cooler), Daily mean temp shows the absolute mean temperature for the day (useful to see seasons and heatwaves), and Precipitation shows daily rainfall (useful to spot wet/dry seasons and droughts). Average = the long-term average for that calendar date (1940–2026).

Frequently asked questions about Edinburgh

Which is the warmest month in Edinburgh?
On long-term average, the warmest month in Edinburgh is July (mean daily temperature of about 15.0°C) and the coolest is January (about 3.9°C).
How does today's temperature in Edinburgh compare to the historical average?
On October 12, 2026, Edinburgh is forecast to reach a high of 15.8°C and a low of 8.1°C. The long-term average for this date (the full record since 1940) is a high of 13.0°C and a low of 7.5°C, so today's high is 2.8°C warmer than that average.
How much has Edinburgh warmed since 1940?
Comparing the first decade of the record (1940–1949) with the most recent (2016–2025), the annual mean temperature in Edinburgh is about 1.3°C warmer.
How much does it rain in Edinburgh?
Edinburgh receives about 820 mm of precipitation per year on long-term average, with October typically the wettest month.
What is the average temperature in Edinburgh?
Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Edinburgh is about 9.1°C. The warmest month is July and the coolest is January.
What are the average temperatures in Edinburgh by month?
Average daily highs and lows for each month in Edinburgh (°C, full record since 1940): January 6°/2°, February 6°/2°, March 8°/3°, April 11°/4°, May 14°/7°, June 17°/10°, July 18°/12°, August 18°/12°, September 16°/10°, October 13°/7°, November 9°/4°, December 7°/3°.
What is the weather like in Edinburgh in summer?
In summer, June through August, Edinburgh is fairly mild. Daytime highs sit at 17–18°C and nights at 10–12°C; July is the warmest month. Rain is steady at around 71 mm a month, spread over roughly 10 days.
What is the weather like in Edinburgh in winter?
December to February is winter in Edinburgh, and it is cold. Afternoons run 6–7°C and nights 2–3°C; January is the coldest month. Rain falls on about 10 days a month, adding up to around 69 mm.
What is the weather like in Edinburgh in spring?
In spring, March through May, Edinburgh is cool. March is still 8°C in the afternoon and 3°C at night, May already 14°C and 7°C. Rain is steady at around 61 mm a month, spread over roughly 9 days.
What is the weather like in Edinburgh in autumn?
September to November is autumn in Edinburgh, and it is cool. September still brings 16°C afternoons and 10°C nights, November only 9°C and 4°C. Rain falls on about 10 days a month, adding up to around 73 mm.
How many days a year does it rain in Edinburgh?
On long-term average, Edinburgh has about 116 days a year with at least 2 mm of rain or snow. The annual total is roughly 820 mm.

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