Edinburgh at a glance
- Best time
- Jul – Aug
- Warmest month
- Jul · 18°
- Warmest sea
- Aug · 14.5°
- Sunshine a year
- 1,570 h
- Rain a year
- 811 mm
- Climate
- Maritime
- Time zone
- UTC+0 / UTC+1
- Elevation
- 66 m
Climate in Edinburgh
Edinburgh has a maritime climate with moderate summers and cool, often grey winters. July is the warmest month with average highs of 18 °C, while January is the coolest at 6 °C. With around 1,570 hours of sunshine a year, Edinburgh is rather dull; May is the sunniest month with 6.2 hours a day.
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Poor
Best time to visit: July – August
What is the weather like in Edinburgh in October?
In October, Edinburgh is cool: daytime highs average 12 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 12.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 85 mm in total. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 10 h 34 min07:42 – 18:15
- UV index
- 1 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or more
- Wind
- 23 km/haverage daily peak
- Cloud cover
- 74 %on average
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 0 days1 cm or more of fresh snow
- Time zone
- UTC+1Europe/London
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %40 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %5 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %30 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in October
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Sea temperature in Edinburgh
Monthly sea surface temperature with the range of cooler and warmer years.
8 in 10 years: 11.4 – 12.6 °C
Swimming season: Never above 20 °C
- cold
- fresh
- refreshing
- pleasant
- warm
- very warm
The sea temperature in Edinburgh ranges from 6.1 °C in February to 14.5 °C in August. Even at its warmest the sea stays below 20 °C, so swimming is bracing at best.
The sea warms up slowly: it is warmest in August, while the air already peaks in July. From November to January the sea is even warmer than the afternoon air. The sea temperature varies from year to year: in August, eight out of ten years were between 13.8 and 15.0 °C.
| Month | Average | Cool year | Warm year | Feels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 6.8° | 6.3° | 7.4° | cold |
| FebruaryFeb | 6.1° | 5.4° | 6.7° | cold |
| MarchMar | 6.3° | 5.4° | 6.9° | cold |
| AprilApr | 7.6° | 6.7° | 8.3° | cold |
| MayMay | 9.8° | 9.1° | 10.6° | cold |
| JuneJun | 12.2° | 11.1° | 13.2° | cold |
| JulyJul | 14.0° | 13.0° | 15.2° | cold |
| AugustAug | 14.5° | 13.8° | 15.0° | cold |
| SeptemberSep | 13.6° | 12.9° | 14.4° | cold |
| OctoberOct | 12.0° | 11.4° | 12.6° | cold |
| NovemberNov | 10.1° | 9.5° | 10.8° | cold |
| DecemberDec | 8.2° | 7.7° | 8.8° | cold |
Sunshine hours in Edinburgh
Average hours of bright sunshine per day, next to the length of the day. Tap a month to select it.
In October, the sun shines for about 3.3 of 10.6 hours of daylight in Edinburgh, 31 % of the day.
Sunshine hours count the time with bright, direct sunshine (WMO definition, estimated from model data); daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
Rain in Edinburgh: rainy days and rainfall
A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain or snow; the amount is what falls in the whole month. Tap a month to select it.
In October, Edinburgh has about 14 rainy days with 85 mm of rain in total.
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Temperatures through the year
Average daytime high, night-time low and sea temperature per month.
| Month | Score | Day | Night | Sea | Sun | Rain days | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 10 | 6° | 2° | 6.8° | 2.6 h | 14 | 70 |
| FebruaryFeb | 15 | 7° | 2° | 6.1° | 3.8 h | 12 | 63 |
| MarchMar | 18 | 8° | 3° | 6.3° | 4.5 h | 12 | 58 |
| AprilApr | 35 | 10° | 4° | 7.6° | 5.7 h | 12 | 52 |
| MayMay | 48 | 13° | 7° | 9.8° | 6.2 h | 13 | 59 |
| JuneJun | 59 | 16° | 10° | 12.2° | 5.6 h | 13 | 64 |
| JulyJul | 64 | 18° | 12° | 14.0° | 5.4 h | 14 | 74 |
| AugustAug | 63 | 17° | 12° | 14.5° | 5.1 h | 14 | 75 |
| SeptemberSep | 56 | 15° | 10° | 13.6° | 4.3 h | 11 | 58 |
| OctoberOct | 30 | 12° | 8° | 12.0° | 3.3 h | 14 | 85 |
| NovemberNov | 11 | 8° | 4° | 10.1° | 3.0 h | 14 | 73 |
| DecemberDec | 8 | 6° | 2° | 8.2° | 2.1 h | 14 | 80 |
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)
55.95° N, 3.20° W · 66 m · Europe/London
Best time to visit Edinburgh
The best time to visit Edinburgh is from July to August. The sea stays too cool for a classic beach holiday: even in August it only reaches 14.5 °C. For sightseeing, day trips and hiking, conditions are most comfortable in September. Rain is most frequent from May to August and from October to March; the wettest month is October with 85 mm.
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Edinburgh for you.
Your best months: June – August
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
No month
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
Sep
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Rainy months
May – Aug, Oct – Mar
12 or more rainy days
Edinburgh month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
10January6° · Sea 7° · 3 h
In January, Edinburgh is cold: daytime highs average 6 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sea averages 6.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 70 mm in total. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in January15February7° · Sea 6° · 4 h
In February, Edinburgh is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sea averages 6.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 4 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 63 mm in total. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, February is not an ideal month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in February18March8° · Sea 6° · 5 h
In March, Edinburgh is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 3 °C. The sea averages 6.3 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 58 mm in total. All in all, March is not an ideal month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in March35April10° · Sea 8° · 6 h
In April, Edinburgh is cool: daytime highs average 10 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. The sea averages 7.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 52 mm in total. All in all, April is not an ideal month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in April48May13° · Sea 10° · 6 h
In May, Edinburgh is cool: daytime highs average 13 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 9.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 59 mm in total. All in all, May is a so-so month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in May59June16° · Sea 12° · 6 h
In June, Edinburgh is cool: daytime highs average 16 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 12.2 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 64 mm in total. All in all, June is a so-so month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in June64July18° · Sea 14° · 5 h
In July, Edinburgh is mild: daytime highs average 18 °C, and nights cool down to about 12 °C. The sea averages 14.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 14 days, adding up to 74 mm. All in all, July is a good month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in July63August17° · Sea 15° · 5 h
In August, Edinburgh is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 12 °C. The sea averages 14.5 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 75 mm in total. All in all, August is a good month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in August56September15° · Sea 14° · 4 h
In September, Edinburgh is cool: daytime highs average 15 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 13.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 58 mm in total. All in all, September is a so-so month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in September30October12° · Sea 12° · 3 h
In October, Edinburgh is cool: daytime highs average 12 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 12.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 85 mm in total. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in October11November8° · Sea 10° · 3 h
In November, Edinburgh is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. The sea averages 10.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 14 rainy days and 73 mm in total. All in all, November is not an ideal month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in November8December6° · Sea 8° · 2 h
In December, Edinburgh is cold: daytime highs average 6 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sea averages 8.2 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 14 days, adding up to 80 mm. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Edinburgh.
Edinburgh in DecemberPlanning a trip to Edinburgh
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 1 h 10 min
- Distance
- 530 km
- Time zone
- UTC+1
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Frequently asked questions about Edinburgh
When is the best time to visit Edinburgh?
The best time to visit Edinburgh is from July to August. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
How warm is the sea in Edinburgh?
The sea temperature in Edinburgh ranges from 6.1 °C in February to 14.5 °C in August. Even at its warmest the sea stays below 20 °C, so swimming is bracing at best.
Can you swim in Edinburgh in October?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in October the sea averages just 12.0 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
What is the warmest month in Edinburgh?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 18 °C and nights around 12 °C. January is the coolest month at 6 °C.
When does it rain most in Edinburgh?
Rain is most frequent from May to August and from October to March; the wettest month is October with 85 mm. The driest month is April with 52 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Edinburgh get?
Edinburgh gets around 1,570 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is May with 6.2 hours a day; in December there are 2.1 hours a day.
What time zone is Edinburgh in?
Edinburgh uses the time zone Europe/London: UTC+0 in January and UTC+1 in July.
How long is the flight from London to Edinburgh?
A nonstop flight from London to Edinburgh takes about 1 h 10 min, for a straight-line distance of about 530 km.
Near Edinburgh
Other destinations close by.