AI-generatedLerwick at a glance
- Best time
- May – Jun
- Warmest month
- Aug · 14°
- Warmest sea
- Aug · 13.0°
- Sunshine a year
- 1,160 h
- Rain a year
- 1,030 mm
- Climate
- Maritime
- Time zone
- UTC+0 / UTC+1
- Elevation
- 0 m
Climate in Lerwick
Lerwick has a maritime climate with moderate summers and cool, often grey winters. August is the warmest month with average highs of 14 °C, while February is the coolest at 7 °C. With around 1,160 hours of sunshine a year, Lerwick is rather dull; May is the sunniest month with 6.2 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Poor
Best time to visit: May – June
Keep in mindFrequent rain
A typical day in October
- Morning, 08:00: about 9°
- Midday, 13:00: about 11°
- Afternoon, 16:00: about 11°
- Evening, 20:00: about 10°
- Night, 23:00: about 10°
07:4217:59
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 07:15–08:41 · evening 17:00–18:25
- Blue hour
- Morning 06:59–07:15 · evening 18:25–18:41
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 Lerwick in October?
In October, Lerwick is cool: daytime highs average 11 °C, and nights cool down to about 9 °C. The sea averages 11.2 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 20 days, adding up to 116 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 45 km/h. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 10 h 17 min07:42 – 17:59
- UV index
- 1 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 45 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 76 %on averageAll months
- 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 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
- Windproof jacket
Sea temperature in Lerwick
Monthly sea surface temperature with the range of cooler and warmer years.
8 in 10 years: 10.8 – 11.6 °C
Swimming season: Never above 20 °C
- cold
- fresh
- refreshing
- pleasant
- warm
- very warm
The sea temperature in Lerwick ranges from 7.3 °C in March to 13.0 °C in August. Even at its warmest the sea stays below 20 °C, so swimming is bracing at best.
From October to March 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 12.3 and 13.8 °C.
| Month | Average | Cool year | Warm year | Feels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 8.1° | 7.5° | 8.4° | cold |
| FebruaryFeb | 7.5° | 7.1° | 8.0° | cold |
| MarchMar | 7.3° | 6.8° | 7.8° | cold |
| AprilApr | 7.6° | 7.1° | 7.9° | cold |
| MayMay | 8.6° | 8.0° | 9.1° | cold |
| JuneJun | 10.3° | 9.5° | 11.2° | cold |
| JulyJul | 12.2° | 11.4° | 12.9° | cold |
| AugustAug | 13.0° | 12.3° | 13.8° | cold |
| SeptemberSep | 12.3° | 11.7° | 12.9° | cold |
| OctoberOct | 11.2° | 10.8° | 11.6° | cold |
| NovemberNov | 10.0° | 9.5° | 10.5° | cold |
| DecemberDec | 9.0° | 8.3° | 9.5° | cold |
Sunshine hours in Lerwick
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 2.4 of 10.3 hours of daylight in Lerwick, 23 % of the day.
Sunshine hours: measured at the weather station 3 km away, averages 1991–2020 (WMO climate normals). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset on the 15th of the month.
UV index in Lerwick
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
- over 2 h
- 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 Lerwick: 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, Lerwick has about 20 rainy days with 116 mm of rain in total.
Wind and clouds in Lerwick
How breezy and how cloudy Lerwick 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 Lerwick typically peaks at 45 km/h during the day: Beaufort 6, strong wind.
Breezy months for windsurfing and kiting
From Beaufort 4 (20 km/h) the daily breeze is usually enough for windsurfing and often for kiting, and here it gets there all year.
Clouds
Average share of the sky covered by cloud, day and night.
In October, cloud covers on average 76 % of the sky over Lerwick: mostly cloudy, with about 2.4 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.
Climate through the year
Long-term monthly averages. Tap a month to see its details.
Nights and sleep in Lerwick
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°
CoolOctober: nights around 9°. A duvet at night and a jumper for the evening.
The coolest nights are in February (4°), the warmest in August (12°). Nights fall below 8 °C on average from November 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 | 7° | 5° | 8.1° | 0.9 h | 21 | 120 |
| FebruaryFeb | 0 | 7° | 4° | 7.5° | 2.0 h | 18 | 96 |
| MarchMar | 2 | 7° | 5° | 7.3° | 3.2 h | 17 | 84 |
| AprilApr | 14 | 8° | 6° | 7.6° | 4.7 h | 12 | 51 |
| MayMay | 21 | 9° | 7° | 8.6° | 6.2 h | 11 | 46 |
| JuneJun | 17 | 11° | 10° | 10.3° | 4.9 h | 11 | 53 |
| JulyJul | 14 | 13° | 12° | 12.2° | 4.1 h | 11 | 59 |
| AugustAug | 13 | 14° | 12° | 13.0° | 4.3 h | 12 | 73 |
| SeptemberSep | 6 | 13° | 11° | 12.3° | 3.3 h | 15 | 85 |
| OctoberOct | 0 | 11° | 9° | 11.2° | 2.4 h | 20 | 116 |
| NovemberNov | 0 | 9° | 7° | 10.0° | 1.3 h | 22 | 125 |
| DecemberDec | 0 | 8° | 5° | 9.0° | 0.7 h | 21 | 122 |
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
60.15° N, 1.14° W · 0 m · Europe/London
Best time to visit Lerwick
The best time to visit Lerwick is from May to June. The sea stays too cool for a classic beach holiday: even in August it only reaches 13.0 °C. Rain is most frequent from August to April; the wettest month is November with 125 mm.
Lerwick through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
Lerwick in spring
Mar – May
Poor
- 7–9 °C by day
- Sea 8 °C
- 5 h of sun a day
- 40 rainy days in all
Lerwick in summer
Jun – Aug
Poor
- 11–14 °C by day
- Sea 12 °C
- 4 h of sun a day
- 34 rainy days in all
Lerwick in autumn
Sep – Nov
Poor
- 9–13 °C by day
- Sea 11 °C
- 2 h of sun a day
- 57 rainy days in all
Lerwick in winter
Dec – Feb
Poor
- 7–8 °C by day
- Sea 8 °C
- 1 h of sun a day
- 61 rainy days in all
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Lerwick for you.
Your best months: April – June
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Compare two months in Lerwick
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 Lerwick: score 21 against 0. In May, days are 2 °C cooler than in October. The sea is 3 °C cooler in May. May has 9 fewer rainy days. The sun shines 4 hours longer a day in May.
| Month | October | May |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 0 | 21better |
| Day high | 11° | 9° |
| Night low | 9° | 7° |
| Sea | 11.2° | 8.6° |
| Sunshine | 2.4 h | 6.2 hbetter |
| Rainy days | 20 | 11better |
| Rainfall | 116 mm | 46 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
Aug – Apr
12 or more rainy days
Lerwick month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
0January7° · Sea 8° · 1 h
In January, Lerwick is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C, and nights cool down to about 5 °C. The sea averages 8.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 1 hours a day. It rains often – on about 21 days, adding up to 120 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 51 km/h. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in January0February7° · Sea 8° · 2 h
In February, Lerwick is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. The sea averages 7.5 °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 96 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 49 km/h. All in all, February is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in February2March7° · Sea 7° · 3 h
In March, Lerwick is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C, and nights cool down to about 5 °C. The sea averages 7.3 °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 84 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 45 km/h. All in all, March is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in March14April8° · Sea 8° · 5 h
In April, Lerwick is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 6 °C. The sea averages 7.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 51 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 39 km/h. All in all, April is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in April21May9° · Sea 9° · 6 h
In May, Lerwick is cold: daytime highs average 9 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 8.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 46 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 34 km/h. All in all, May is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in May17June11° · Sea 10° · 5 h
In June, Lerwick is cool: daytime highs average 11 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 10.3 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 53 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 33 km/h. All in all, June is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in June14July13° · Sea 12° · 4 h
In July, Lerwick is cool: daytime highs average 13 °C, and nights cool down to about 12 °C. The sea averages 12.2 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 59 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 30 km/h. All in all, July is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in July13August14° · Sea 13° · 4 h
In August, Lerwick is cool: daytime highs average 14 °C, and nights cool down to about 12 °C. The sea averages 13.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 73 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 33 km/h. All in all, August is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in August6September13° · Sea 12° · 3 h
In September, Lerwick is cool: daytime highs average 13 °C, and nights cool down to about 11 °C. The sea averages 12.3 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. It rains often – on about 15 days, adding up to 85 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 39 km/h. All in all, September is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in September0October11° · Sea 11° · 2 h
In October, Lerwick is cool: daytime highs average 11 °C, and nights cool down to about 9 °C. The sea averages 11.2 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 20 days, adding up to 116 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 45 km/h. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in October0November9° · Sea 10° · 1 h
In November, Lerwick is cold: daytime highs average 9 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 10.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 1 hours a day. It rains often – on about 22 days, adding up to 125 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 48 km/h. All in all, November is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in November0December8° · Sea 9° · 1 h
In December, Lerwick is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 5 °C. The sea averages 9.0 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 1 hours a day. It rains often – on about 21 days, adding up to 122 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 49 km/h. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Lerwick.
Lerwick in DecemberLerwick compared
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Lerwick vs. Kirkwall
In October the holiday weather in Lerwick and Kirkwall is about equally good (score 0 vs. 0). During the day it is about as warm in Kirkwall as in Lerwick. The sea in Kirkwall is 1 °C warmer. Kirkwall gets one more hour of sunshine a day.
| in October | Lerwick | Kirkwall |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday score | 0 | 0 |
| Daytime high | 11° | 11° |
| Sea | 11° | 12° |
| Sunshine | 2 h | 3 h |
| Rainy days | 20 | 21 |
| Best time | May – Jun | May – Jun |
Through the year
United Kingdom in October: the best places
In October, Lerwick ranks 25 among the 31 nearest destinations in this country.
- York14°42
- 2Leeds13°39
- 3Sunderland13°12°38
- 4Durham13°37
- 5Newcastle upon Tyne13°35
- 6Belfast13°14°31
- 7Edinburgh12°12°29
- 8Carlisle12°29
- 25LerwickThis page11°11°0
Planning a trip to Lerwick
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
Lerwick 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.
Lerwick has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 20) and its weakest during October half-term (score 0).
- 10
Easter holidays
Mar – Apr
Poor
- 7 °C by day
- Sea 8 °C
- 4.3 h of sun a day
- 14 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 20
May half-term
May – Jun
PoorBest holidays
- 10 °C by day
- Sea 9 °C
- 5.9 h of sun a day
- 11 rainy days a month
- 13
Summer holidays
Jul – Aug
Poor
- 14 °C by day
- Sea 13 °C
- 4.2 h of sun a day
- 12 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 0
October half-term
Oct
Poor
- 11 °C by day
- Sea 11 °C
- 2.4 h of sun a day
- 20 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 0
Christmas holidays
Dec – Jan
Poor
- 7 °C by day
- Sea 9 °C
- 0.8 h of sun a day
- 21 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- about 1 h 40 min
- Distance
- 970 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 Lerwick
When is the best time to visit Lerwick?
The best time to visit Lerwick is from May to June. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
How warm is the sea in Lerwick?
The sea temperature in Lerwick ranges from 7.3 °C in March to 13.0 °C in August. Even at its warmest the sea stays below 20 °C, so swimming is bracing at best.
Can you swim in Lerwick in October?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in October the sea averages just 11.2 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
What is the warmest month in Lerwick?
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 14 °C and nights around 12 °C. February is the coolest month at 7 °C.
When does it rain most in Lerwick?
Rain is most frequent from August to April; the wettest month is November with 125 mm. The driest month is May with 46 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Lerwick get?
Lerwick gets around 1,160 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is May with 6.2 hours a day; in December there are 0.7 hours a day.
What time zone is Lerwick in?
Lerwick uses the time zone Europe/London: UTC+0 in January and UTC+1 in July.
How long is the flight from London to Lerwick?
A nonstop flight from London to Lerwick takes about 1 h 40 min, for a straight-line distance of about 970 km.
Which school holidays are best for Lerwick?
Lerwick has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 20) and its weakest during October half-term (score 0). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 10, May half-term 20, Summer holidays 13, October half-term 0, Christmas holidays 0.
Near Lerwick
Other destinations close by.
Places with a climate like Lerwick
Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to Lerwick's – good alternatives.