VoyaggoraBest months by city
| City | Best months | Hottest month | Wettest month |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | May to June and September | July, 73°F (23°C) | October, about 16 rainy days |
| Edinburgh | May to September | July, 65°F (18°C) | October, about 18 rainy days |
| Cornwall | June to September (weather data only) | August, 67°F (19°C) | October, about 19 rainy days |
| Cotswolds | June to September (weather data only) | August, 71°F (22°C) | December, about 16 rainy days |
| Devon | June to September (weather data only) | July, 69°F (21°C) | October, about 18 rainy days |
| Dorset | June to September (weather data only) | July, 70°F (21°C) | October, about 18 rainy days |
| York | May to June and August to September (weather data only) | July, 69°F (21°C) | October, about 16 rainy days |
Each city name opens its own month-by-month table. Heat is the average daytime high; rainy days are days with at least 1 mm of rain. Cities marked "weather data only" have not yet been checked against crowds, closures or local seasons.
Every month at a glance
| City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| London | Okay | Okay | Okay | Okay | Best | Best | Okay | Okay | Best | Avoid | Okay | Okay |
| Edinburgh | Okay | Okay | Okay | Okay | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Avoid | Okay | Okay |
| Cornwall | Okay | Okay | Okay | Okay | Okay | Best | Best | Best | Best | Avoid | Avoid | Avoid |
| Cotswolds | Okay | Okay | Avoid | Okay | Okay | Best | Best | Best | Best | Avoid | Okay | Avoid |
| Devon | Okay | Okay | Okay | Okay | Okay | Best | Best | Best | Best | Avoid | Okay | Avoid |
| Dorset | Okay | Okay | Okay | Okay | Okay | Best | Best | Best | Best | Avoid | Okay | Okay |
| York | Okay | Okay | Okay | Okay | Best | Best | Avoid | Best | Best | Avoid | Okay | Avoid |
Best = the city's best months. Avoid = very hot, very cold or among the wettest months. Okay = neither. Hover or tap a cell for the reason.
The United Kingdom month by month
- January
- None of the cities we cover is at its best this month.
- February
- None of the cities we cover is at its best this month.
- March
- None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Cotswolds (among the wettest, 15 rainy days).
- April
- None of the cities we cover is at its best this month.
- May
- At its best in London, Edinburgh and York (3 of 7).
- June
- At its best in London, Edinburgh, Cornwall, Cotswolds, Devon, Dorset and York (7 of 7).
- July
- At its best in Edinburgh, Cornwall, Cotswolds, Devon and Dorset (5 of 7). Worth avoiding: York (among the wettest, 15 rainy days).
- August
- At its best in Edinburgh, Cornwall, Cotswolds, Devon, Dorset and York (6 of 7).
- September
- At its best in London, Edinburgh, Cornwall, Cotswolds, Devon, Dorset and York (7 of 7).
- October
- None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: London (among the wettest, 16 rainy days); Edinburgh (among the wettest, 18 rainy days); Cornwall (among the wettest, 19 rainy days); Cotswolds (among the wettest, 15 rainy days); Devon (among the wettest, 18 rainy days); Dorset (among the wettest, 18 rainy days); York (among the wettest, 16 rainy days).
- November
- None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Cornwall (among the wettest, 18 rainy days).
- December
- None of the cities we cover is at its best this month. Worth avoiding: Cornwall (among the wettest, 18 rainy days); Cotswolds (among the wettest, 16 rainy days); Devon (among the wettest, 17 rainy days); York (among the wettest, 15 rainy days).
Plan your trip
Open a city guide for tours, hotels and what to do there:
More ways to book in the United Kingdom: Leonardo Hotels, villas from Oliver’s Travels, car rental on VIP Cars and self-guided city games from City Game. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Parking, stays and gear in the UK: UK airport parking on Compare My Parking, parking spaces on YourParkingSpace, serviced apartments from Guestz, stays on Priceino Holiday and caravan and motorhome gear from Camper Nation. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Holiday cottages in the UK: Cornwall Hideaways, Cotswolds Hideaways, Devon Hideaways, Dorset Hideaways, Norfolk Hideaways, Suffolk Hideaways, Yorkshire Hideaways, Isle of Wight Hideaways, Glamping Hideaways and Rural Retreats. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
See today's travel advisory for the United Kingdom (government warnings, checked every 2 minutes).
The United Kingdom: common questions
- When is the best time to visit the United Kingdom?
- The best time to visit the United Kingdom is June and September: all 7 of the cities we cover are at their best then. By city: London, May to June and September; Edinburgh, May to September; Cornwall, June to September; Cotswolds, June to September; Devon, June to September; Dorset, June to September; York, May to June and August to September. Cities marked weather data only have a pick based on temperature and rain alone, not yet checked against crowds or local seasons.
- When is the hottest month in the United Kingdom?
- It depends on the city. The hottest month is July in London, Edinburgh, Devon, Dorset and York; August in Cornwall and Cotswolds (average daytime highs, 2019-2024).
- When is the rainy season in the United Kingdom?
- The wettest month, counted in days with at least 1 mm of rain, is October in London, Edinburgh, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and York; December in Cotswolds. Open the city guide for the full month-by-month table.
- Is there a month that is good everywhere in the United Kingdom?
- Yes: June and September, when all 7 cities we cover are at their best.
How we worked this out
Temperatures and rainy days come from Open-Meteo ERA5 records for 2019-2024 for each city. Where a city's best months were checked by hand against crowds and local seasons, that is the pick shown; otherwise the pick is based on weather alone and is marked. Weather changes from year to year, so treat this as a planning guide, not a forecast.