London weather by month & the best time to visit

🇬🇧 United Kingdom · major city break · oceanic / maritime climate

The best time to visit London is June — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 78/100), with July and August close behind. London averages about 1,604 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 20°C / 68°F and roughly 55 mm of rain in June.

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Sun hours / year

1,604

Sunniest month

June

Peak score

78/100

Rain / year

681 mm

Midday UV at peak

5 (moderate)

Sea at warmest

19°C / 66°F

Population

9M

Elevation

12 m

When is the best time to visit London?

For sunshine, the best time to visit London is June, then July and August. The dullest month is January (0/100, 61 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.

How sunny is London?

London isn't a sunny place by world standards: about 1,604 hours of sunshine a year. 78 Sunshine Score points separate June (78) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #7 of 48 destinations in United Kingdom for annual sunshine, above the national median of 1,345 hours. The year's 681 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.

Sunshine Score by month

Sea temperature in London by month

The sea off London is warmest in August at around 19°C / 66°F, and coolest in February at 8°C / 46°F. It never reaches comfortable swimming temperatures (21°C+). Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.

See London on the interactive sunshine globe →

Nearby places for sunshine

• London United Kingdom · 81 km · best in Sep · 1,592 h sun/yr
• Norwich United Kingdom · 129 km · best in Jun · 1,586 h sun/yr
• Ostend Belgium · 157 km · best in Jun · 1,769 h sun/yr
• Southampton United Kingdom · 158 km · best in Sep · 1,900 h sun/yr
• Birmingham United Kingdom · 194 km · best in Jul · 1,561 h sun/yr
• Nottingham United Kingdom · 197 km · best in Jul · 1,563 h sun/yr