AI-generatedFort William at a glance
- Best time
- Apr – Jun
- Warmest month
- Jul · 17°
- Warmest sea
- Aug · 14.1°
- Sunshine a year
- 1,090 h
- Rain a year
- 1,994 mm
- Climate
- Maritime
- Time zone
- UTC+0 / UTC+1
- Elevation
- 24 m
Climate in Fort William
Fort William has a maritime climate with moderate summers and cool, often grey winters. July is the warmest month with average highs of 17 °C, while January is the coolest at 5 °C. With around 1,090 hours of sunshine a year, Fort William is rather dull; May is the sunniest month with 5.3 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Poor
Best time to visit: April – June
Keep in mindFrequent rain
A typical day in October
- Morning, 08:00: about 7°
- Midday, 13:00: about 11°
- Afternoon, 16:00: about 11°
- Evening, 20:00: about 9°
- Night, 23:00: about 8°
07:5118:21
Cold evenings: bring a warm jacket.
Estimated from the average high and low: coolest around sunrise, warmest in mid-afternoon.
Light for photos in October
- Golden hour
- Morning 07:27–08:44 · evening 17:28–18:45
- Blue hour
- Morning 07:12–07:27 · evening 18:45–19:00
Golden hour: the sun between 4° below and 6° above the horizon; blue hour: 6° to 4° below it. Times for the 15th of the month; mountains and clouds shift the light.
What is the weather like in Fort William in October?
In October, Fort William is cool: daytime highs average 11 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 12.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 21 days, adding up to 210 mm. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 10 h 31 min07:51 – 18:21
- UV index
- 1 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 18 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 83 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or more
- Snow days
- 0 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC+1Europe/London
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 35 %0 %
- Seaweight 25 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %0 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “Sun, sea & sand”.
What to pack in October
- A jumper for the evenings
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Sea temperature in Fort William
Monthly sea surface temperature with the range of cooler and warmer years.
8 in 10 years: 12.5 – 13.2 °C
Swimming season: Never above 20 °C
- cold
- fresh
- refreshing
- pleasant
- warm
- very warm
The sea temperature in Fort William ranges from 7.8 °C in February to 14.1 °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 October to February 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 13.6 and 14.9 °C.
| Month | Average | Cool year | Warm year | Feels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 8.4° | 7.8° | 8.9° | cold |
| FebruaryFeb | 7.8° | 7.1° | 8.5° | cold |
| MarchMar | 7.8° | 7.2° | 8.5° | cold |
| AprilApr | 8.5° | 7.5° | 9.1° | cold |
| MayMay | 10.1° | 9.3° | 10.8° | cold |
| JuneJun | 11.8° | 11.1° | 12.5° | cold |
| JulyJul | 13.4° | 12.9° | 14.1° | cold |
| AugustAug | 14.1° | 13.6° | 14.9° | cold |
| SeptemberSep | 13.8° | 13.2° | 14.4° | cold |
| OctoberOct | 12.9° | 12.5° | 13.2° | cold |
| NovemberNov | 11.4° | 11.0° | 12.1° | cold |
| DecemberDec | 9.9° | 9.2° | 10.4° | cold |
Sunshine hours in Fort William
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 2.2 of 10.5 hours of daylight in Fort William, 21 % of the day.
Sunshine hours: estimated from radiation data (ERA5, 1996–2025) and calibrated against measured station values; no weather station is close enough here. Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
UV index in Fort William
How strong the sun is at noon, month by month, and how quickly unprotected skin burns.
- Clear-sky UV in October
- 1 · lowLittle protection needed; sunglasses on bright days.
The sun is strongest in June (UV 6).
Minutes until sunburn in October
- Very fair skin
- about 110 min
- Fair skin
- over 2 h
- Light brown skin
- over 2 h
- Olive skin
- over 2 h
Rough guide for unprotected skin at noon under a clear sky; clouds lengthen it, water, sand and snow shorten it. Sunscreen extends the time only partly.
Monthly values: clear-sky noon estimate from the sun's angle, ozone and altitude. UV today: Open-Meteo forecast.
Rain in Fort William: 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, Fort William has about 21 rainy days with 210 mm of rain in total.
Wind and clouds in Fort William
How breezy and how cloudy Fort William is through the year. Tap a month to select it on the whole page.
Wind
Typical daily peak of the wind in km/h: what the afternoon breeze usually reaches, not the gusts.
In October, the wind in Fort William typically peaks at 18 km/h during the day: Beaufort 3, light breeze.
Breezy months for windsurfing and kiting
The daily breeze rarely reaches Beaufort 4 (20 km/h), so wind sports depend on single windy days.
Clouds
Average share of the sky covered by cloud, day and night.
In October, cloud covers on average 83 % of the sky over Fort William: mostly overcast, with about 2.2 hours of sunshine a day.
Wind: mean daily maximum of the hourly wind 10 m above ground (ERA5, 1996–2025). Gusts are stronger, and the model grid of about 28 km smooths out local effects such as capes and valley winds. Clouds: mean total cloud cover of all layers over day and night (ERA5, 1996–2025). Thin high cloud counts as cover even when the sun still shines through.
Snow in Fort William
When Fort William is likely to be white: the chance of seeing snow during a week's stay, the days with fresh snow and how much falls. Tap a month to select it.
Snow calendar
- hardly any
- possible
- likely
- very likely
In October, it hardly ever snows in Fort William.
Snow days bring at least 1 cm of fresh snow. Fresh snow comes from ERA5 snowfall (1996–2025) at the height of the place, not on the slopes above it; the snow chance also weighs whether the snow settles. An estimate from climate averages, not a snow report.
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Nights and sleep in Fort William
How warm the nights get in each month, from the mean night-time low. Tap a month for details.
- Cold 0–8°
- Cool 8–15°
ColdOctober: nights around 7°. The room should be heated.
The coolest nights are in January (1°), the warmest in July (11°). Nights fall below 8 °C on average from October to May, so the room should be heated.
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 | 0 | 5° | 1° | 8.4° | 1.1 h | 19 | 210 |
| FebruaryFeb | 0 | 6° | 1° | 7.8° | 2.0 h | 18 | 196 |
| MarchMar | 1 | 8° | 2° | 7.8° | 2.9 h | 17 | 151 |
| AprilApr | 8 | 11° | 4° | 8.5° | 4.4 h | 16 | 109 |
| MayMay | 9 | 14° | 7° | 10.1° | 5.3 h | 17 | 132 |
| JuneJun | 5 | 16° | 10° | 11.8° | 4.5 h | 18 | 128 |
| JulyJul | 3 | 17° | 11° | 13.4° | 4.0 h | 19 | 136 |
| AugustAug | 3 | 17° | 11° | 14.1° | 3.8 h | 20 | 162 |
| SeptemberSep | 0 | 15° | 9° | 13.8° | 3.1 h | 18 | 163 |
| OctoberOct | 0 | 11° | 7° | 12.9° | 2.2 h | 21 | 210 |
| NovemberNov | 0 | 8° | 4° | 11.4° | 1.5 h | 19 | 183 |
| DecemberDec | 0 | 6° | 2° | 9.9° | 0.9 h | 19 | 215 |
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences
56.82° N, 5.11° W · 24 m · Europe/London
Best time to visit Fort William
The best time to visit Fort William is from April to June. The sea stays too cool for a classic beach holiday: even in August it only reaches 14.1 °C. The wettest month is December with 215 mm of precipitation.
Fort William through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
Fort William in spring
Mar – May
Poor
- 8–14 °C by day
- Sea 9 °C
- 4 h of sun a day
- 50 rainy days in all
Fort William in summer
Jun – Aug
Poor
- 16–17 °C by day
- Sea 13 °C
- 4 h of sun a day
- 57 rainy days in all
Fort William in autumn
Sep – Nov
Poor
- 8–15 °C by day
- Sea 13 °C
- 2 h of sun a day
- 57 rainy days in all
Fort William in winter
Dec – Feb
Poor
- 5–6 °C by day
- Sea 9 °C
- 1 h of sun a day
- 56 rainy days in all
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Fort William for you.
Your best months: April – June
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Compare two months in Fort William
Pick two months to see how the weather differs. A tick marks the clearly better value; for temperatures it depends on your plans.
May has the better holiday weather in Fort William: score 9 against 0. In May, days are 3 °C warmer than in October. The sea is 3 °C cooler in May. May has 4 fewer rainy days. The sun shines 3 hours longer a day in May.
| Month | October | May |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 0 | 9better |
| Day high | 11° | 14° |
| Night low | 7° | 7° |
| Sea | 12.9° | 10.1° |
| Sunshine | 2.2 h | 5.3 hbetter |
| Rainy days | 21 | 17better |
| Rainfall | 210 mm | 132 mmbetter |
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Which month for what?
Beach & swimming
No month
Sea from 21 °C, warm and mostly dry
Sightseeing & hiking
No month
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Rainy months
All year
12 or more rainy days
Snow
Dec – Mar
Snow on 2 or more days
Fort William month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
0January5° · Sea 8° · 1 h
In January, Fort William is cold: daytime highs average 5 °C, and nights cool down to about 1 °C. The sea averages 8.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 1 hours a day. It rains often – on about 19 days, adding up to 210 mm. Snow falls on about 6 days. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in January0February6° · Sea 8° · 2 h
In February, Fort William is cold: daytime highs average 6 °C, and nights cool down to about 1 °C. The sea averages 7.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 18 days, adding up to 196 mm. Snow falls on about 7 days. All in all, February is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in February1March8° · Sea 8° · 3 h
In March, Fort William is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sea averages 7.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. It rains often – on about 17 days, adding up to 151 mm. Snow falls on about 4 days. All in all, March is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in March8April11° · Sea 9° · 4 h
In April, Fort William is cool: daytime highs average 11 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. The sea averages 8.5 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 16 days, adding up to 109 mm. All in all, April is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in April9May14° · Sea 10° · 5 h
In May, Fort William is cool: daytime highs average 14 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 10.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 17 days, adding up to 132 mm. All in all, May is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in May5June16° · Sea 12° · 5 h
In June, Fort William is cool: daytime highs average 16 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 11.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 18 days, adding up to 128 mm. All in all, June is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in June3July17° · Sea 13° · 4 h
In July, Fort William is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 11 °C. The sea averages 13.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. It rains often – on about 19 days, adding up to 136 mm. All in all, July is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in July3August17° · Sea 14° · 4 h
In August, Fort William is mild: daytime highs average 17 °C, and nights cool down to about 11 °C. The sea averages 14.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 4 hours a day. It rains often – on about 20 days, adding up to 162 mm. All in all, August is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in August0September15° · Sea 14° · 3 h
In September, Fort William is cool: daytime highs average 15 °C, and nights cool down to about 9 °C. The sea averages 13.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. It rains often – on about 18 days, adding up to 163 mm. All in all, September is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in September0October11° · Sea 13° · 2 h
In October, Fort William is cool: daytime highs average 11 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 12.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 21 days, adding up to 210 mm. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in October0November8° · Sea 11° · 2 h
In November, Fort William is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. The sea averages 11.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 19 days, adding up to 183 mm. Snow falls on about 2 days. All in all, November is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in November0December6° · Sea 10° · 1 h
In December, Fort William is cold: daytime highs average 6 °C, and nights cool down to about 2 °C. The sea averages 9.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 1 hours a day. It rains often – on about 19 days, adding up to 215 mm. Snow falls on about 5 days. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Fort William.
Fort William in DecemberFort William compared
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Fort William vs. Oban
In October the holiday weather in Fort William and Oban is about equally good (score 0 vs. 0). During the day Oban is 1 °C warmer than Fort William. The sea is about equally warm. Oban gets one more hour of sunshine a day.
| in October | Fort William | Oban |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday score | 0 | 0 |
| Daytime high | 11° | 12° |
| Sea | 13° | 13° |
| Sunshine | 2 h | 3 h |
| Rainy days | 21 | 22 |
| Best time | Apr – Jun | Apr – Jun |
Through the year
United Kingdom in October: the best places
In October, Fort William ranks 26 among the 31 nearest destinations in this country.
- Sunderland13°12°38
- 2Durham13°37
- 3Bradford13°36
- 4Newcastle upon Tyne13°35
- 5Belfast13°14°31
- 6Portadown12°30
- 7Edinburgh12°12°29
- 8Carlisle12°29
- 26Fort WilliamThis page11°13°0
Planning a trip to Fort William
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
Fort William in the school holidays
How the weather suits the usual holiday periods. Dates vary by school and region, so each holiday uses the months it usually falls in.
Fort William has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 8) and its weakest during October half-term (score 0).
- 6
Easter holidays
Mar – Apr
Poor
- 10 °C by day
- Sea 8 °C
- 4.0 h of sun a day
- 16 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain, Snow
- 8
May half-term
May – Jun
PoorBest holidays
- 14 °C by day
- Sea 10 °C
- 5.1 h of sun a day
- 17 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 3
Summer holidays
Jul – Aug
Poor
- 17 °C by day
- Sea 14 °C
- 3.9 h of sun a day
- 20 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 0
October half-term
Oct
Poor
- 11 °C by day
- Sea 13 °C
- 2.2 h of sun a day
- 21 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 0
Christmas holidays
Dec – Jan
Poor
- 6 °C by day
- Sea 9 °C
- 1.0 h of sun a day
- 19 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain, Snow
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 1 h 20 min
- Distance
- 670 km
- Time zone
- UTC+1
- Jet lag
- Hardly any (under 3 h)
Estimated from the straight-line distance: 30 minutes for take-off and landing plus 830 km/h cruising speed.
Frequently asked questions about Fort William
When is the best time to visit Fort William?
The best time to visit Fort William is from April to June. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
How warm is the sea in Fort William?
The sea temperature in Fort William ranges from 7.8 °C in February to 14.1 °C in August. Even at its warmest the sea stays below 20 °C, so swimming is bracing at best.
Can you swim in Fort William in October?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in October the sea averages just 12.9 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
What is the warmest month in Fort William?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 17 °C and nights around 11 °C. January is the coolest month at 5 °C.
When does it rain most in Fort William?
The wettest month is December with 215 mm of precipitation. The driest month is April with 109 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Fort William get?
Fort William gets around 1,090 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is May with 5.3 hours a day; in December there are 0.9 hours a day.
What time zone is Fort William in?
Fort William uses the time zone Europe/London: UTC+0 in January and UTC+1 in July.
How long is the flight from London to Fort William?
A nonstop flight from London to Fort William takes about 1 h 20 min, for a straight-line distance of about 670 km.
Which school holidays are best for Fort William?
Fort William has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 8) and its weakest during October half-term (score 0). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 6, May half-term 8, Summer holidays 3, October half-term 0, Christmas holidays 0.
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