January in London — the hardest end of the year
Hardest · 4.5/10Expect 4°C (39°F) in January. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Budget for roughly 52 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 8.1 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 4.5/10 on the same scale — 10th of 12 months, versus 9.4/10 for the best month here.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in London — 4.9 points higher on the same scale.
February in London — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 5.1/10Expect 7°C (44°F) in February. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Budget for roughly 58 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 9.6 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 5.1/10 on the same scale — 9th of 12 months, versus 9.4/10 for the best month here.
Budget for low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in London — 4.3 points higher on the same scale.
March in London — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 5.4/10March averages 7°C (45°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rainfall runs 72 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 3 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 11.5 hours of daylight.
It scores 5.4/10 here, 8th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
Flexible dates? June scores 4 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
April in London — reliably good (6th best month)
Good · 7.4/10Expect 9°C (48°F) in April. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Budget for roughly 48 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 13 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 13.6 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 7.4/10 on the same scale — 6th of 12 months, versus 9.4/10 for the best month here.
Budget for mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in London — 2 points higher on the same scale.
May ranks 4th of 12 for London — one of the best windows
Best window · 8.5/10May averages 13°C (56°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 55 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 21 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 15.4 hours of daylight.
A 8.5/10 puts this among the year's best months in London (4th of 12); only June scores higher, at 9.4/10.
Plan for mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
June: the best month of the year in London
Best window · 9.4/10Temperatures hover around 16°C (61°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
With around 41 mm of rain, any showers tend to pass through rather than settle in; about 26 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 16.4 hours of daylight fill the rest.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for London at 9.4/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect peak pricing, and crowds are moderate. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening.
July is one of the strongest months in London (2nd)
Best window · 9.2/10Temperatures hover around 18°C (65°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
Budget for roughly 49 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 21 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 16 hours of daylight to work around it.
On our climate-comfort scale this is one of the strongest months of the year for London at 9.2/10 (2nd of 12), just behind June at 9.4/10.
Budget for peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
August is one of the strongest months in London (3rd)
Best window · 8.8/10August averages 19°C (65°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 51 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 17 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 14.4 hours of daylight.
A 8.8/10 puts this among the year's best months in London (3rd of 12); only June scores higher, at 9.4/10.
Figure on peak pricing, with this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
September holds up well in London — 5th best month
Good · 7.5/10September averages 16°C (61°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Rainfall runs 63 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 6 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 12.4 hours of daylight.
It scores 7.5/10 here, 5th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
Flexible dates? June scores 1.9 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
October in London — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 5.8/10Temperatures hover around 13°C (55°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
Budget for roughly 83 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.4 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 5.8/10 on the same scale — 7th of 12 months, versus 9.4/10 for the best month here.
Budget for low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in London — 3.6 points higher on the same scale.
November in London — off-season conditions
Hardest · 4.2/10Expect 8°C (46°F) in November. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
100 mm of rain signals a properly wet month, with only almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine to count on — build indoor options into the schedule.
That is 4.2/10 on the same scale — 12th of 12 months, versus 9.4/10 for the best month here.
Budget for low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, June is materially better in London — 5.2 points higher on the same scale.
December in London: expect compromises
Hardest · 4.3/10December averages 6°C (43°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rainfall runs 69 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get almost no days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 7.6 hours of daylight.
It scores 4.3/10 here, 11th of 12 months, against 9.4/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
Flexible dates? June scores 5.1 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
