AI-generatedWhitby at a glance
- Best time
- Apr – Aug
- Warmest month
- Aug · 18°
- Warmest sea
- Aug · 15.4°
- Sunshine a year
- 1,680 h
- Rain a year
- 802 mm
- Climate
- Maritime
- Time zone
- UTC+0 / UTC+1
- Elevation
- 14 m
Climate in Whitby
Whitby has a maritime climate with moderate summers and cool, often grey winters. August is the warmest month with average highs of 18 °C, while January is the coolest at 7 °C. With around 1,680 hours of sunshine a year, Whitby is moderately sunny; May is the sunniest month with 7.1 hours a day.
Holiday weather through the year
Weather in October
Holiday weather in October
Poor
Best time to visit: April – August
Keep in mindFrequent rain
A typical day in October
- Morning, 08:00: about 10°
- Midday, 13:00: about 13°
- Afternoon, 16:00: about 13°
- Evening, 20:00: about 11°
- Night, 23:00: about 11°
07:2918:07
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 07:07–08:18 · evening 17:18–18:29
- Blue hour
- Morning 06:53–07:07 · evening 18:29–18:43
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 Whitby in October?
In October, Whitby is cool: daytime highs average 13 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 12.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 4 hours a day. It rains often – on about 14 days, adding up to 80 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 30 km/h. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
More details for October
- Daylight
- 10 h 38 min07:29 – 18:07
- UV index
- 1 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 30 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 70 %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 %10 %
- Few rainy daysweight 20 %29 %
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 Whitby
Monthly sea surface temperature with the range of cooler and warmer years.
8 in 10 years: 11.6 – 12.5 °C
Swimming season: Never above 20 °C
- cold
- fresh
- refreshing
- pleasant
- warm
- very warm
The sea temperature in Whitby ranges from 6.8 °C in March to 15.4 °C in August. Even at its warmest the sea stays below 20 °C, so swimming is bracing at best.
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 14.6 and 16.2 °C.
| Month | Average | Cool year | Warm year | Feels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JanuaryJan | 7.7° | 7.2° | 8.3° | cold |
| FebruaryFeb | 6.9° | 6.5° | 7.4° | cold |
| MarchMar | 6.8° | 6.1° | 7.4° | cold |
| AprilApr | 7.6° | 6.9° | 8.4° | cold |
| MayMay | 9.8° | 8.8° | 10.5° | cold |
| JuneJun | 12.6° | 11.5° | 13.6° | cold |
| JulyJul | 14.7° | 13.7° | 16.0° | cold |
| AugustAug | 15.4° | 14.6° | 16.2° | cold |
| SeptemberSep | 13.9° | 13.2° | 14.8° | cold |
| OctoberOct | 12.1° | 11.6° | 12.5° | cold |
| NovemberNov | 10.5° | 9.8° | 11.1° | cold |
| DecemberDec | 9.0° | 8.4° | 9.6° | cold |
Sunshine hours in Whitby
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 3.6 of 10.6 hours of daylight in Whitby, 34 % 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 Whitby
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 7).
Minutes until sunburn in October
- Very fair skin
- about 90 min
- Fair skin
- about 110 min
- 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 Whitby: 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, Whitby has about 14 rainy days with 80 mm of rain in total.
Wind and clouds in Whitby
How breezy and how cloudy Whitby 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 Whitby typically peaks at 30 km/h during the day: Beaufort 5, fresh breeze.
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 70 % of the sky over Whitby: mostly cloudy, with about 3.6 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 Whitby
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 10°. A duvet at night and a jumper for the evening.
The coolest nights are in January (4°), the warmest in August (14°). Nights fall below 8 °C on average from November to April, 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 | 6 | 7° | 4° | 7.7° | 1.9 h | 14 | 69 |
| FebruaryFeb | 8 | 7° | 4° | 6.9° | 3.0 h | 12 | 58 |
| MarchMar | 13 | 8° | 4° | 6.8° | 4.3 h | 12 | 54 |
| AprilApr | 20 | 10° | 6° | 7.6° | 6.0 h | 11 | 52 |
| MayMay | 24 | 13° | 8° | 9.8° | 7.1 h | 11 | 54 |
| JuneJun | 21 | 16° | 11° | 12.6° | 6.6 h | 12 | 71 |
| JulyJul | 20 | 18° | 13° | 14.7° | 6.8 h | 13 | 70 |
| AugustAug | 19 | 18° | 14° | 15.4° | 6.5 h | 13 | 71 |
| SeptemberSep | 17 | 16° | 12° | 13.9° | 5.1 h | 11 | 63 |
| OctoberOct | 8 | 13° | 10° | 12.1° | 3.6 h | 14 | 80 |
| NovemberNov | 5 | 10° | 7° | 10.5° | 2.3 h | 15 | 84 |
| DecemberDec | 6 | 8° | 5° | 9.0° | 1.8 h | 14 | 77 |
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
54.49° N, 0.61° W · 14 m · Europe/London
Best time to visit Whitby
The best time to visit Whitby is from April to August. The sea stays too cool for a classic beach holiday: even in August it only reaches 15.4 °C. For sightseeing, day trips and hiking, conditions are most comfortable in June and in September. Rain is most frequent from July to August and from October to February; the wettest month is November with 84 mm.
Whitby through the seasons
How the weather changes over the seasons, with averages for each.
Whitby in spring
Mar – May
Poor
- 8–13 °C by day
- Sea 8 °C
- 6 h of sun a day
- 34 rainy days in all
Whitby in summer
Jun – Aug
Poor
- 16–18 °C by day
- Sea 14 °C
- 7 h of sun a day
- 37 rainy days in all
Whitby in autumn
Sep – Nov
Poor
- 10–16 °C by day
- Sea 12 °C
- 4 h of sun a day
- 40 rainy days in all
Whitby in winter
Dec – Feb
Poor
- 7–8 °C by day
- Sea 8 °C
- 2 h of sun a day
- 41 rainy days in all
Find your perfect month
Tell us what you like and we rate every month in Whitby for you.
Your best months: April – June
Based on the climate averages; tap a month to see its details.
Compare two months in Whitby
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 Whitby: score 24 against 8. Daytime highs are about the same. The sea is 2 °C cooler in May. May has 3 fewer rainy days. The sun shines 3 hours longer a day in May.
| Month | October | May |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 8 | 24better |
| Day high | 13° | 13° |
| Night low | 10° | 8° |
| Sea | 12.1° | 9.8° |
| Sunshine | 3.6 h | 7.1 hbetter |
| Rainy days | 14 | 11better |
| Rainfall | 80 mm | 54 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
Jun, Sep
15–28 °C and not too much rain
Rainy months
Jul – Aug, Oct – Feb
12 or more rainy days
Whitby month by month
The typical weather for every month at a glance.
6January7° · Sea 8° · 2 h
In January, Whitby is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. The sea averages 7.7 °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 69 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 32 km/h. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in January8February7° · Sea 7° · 3 h
In February, Whitby is cold: daytime highs average 7 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. The sea averages 6.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 58 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 32 km/h. All in all, February is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in February13March8° · Sea 7° · 4 h
In March, Whitby is cold: daytime highs average 8 °C, and nights cool down to about 4 °C. The sea averages 6.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 4 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 54 mm in total. It is often windy, with gusts of around 29 km/h. All in all, March is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in March20April10° · Sea 8° · 6 h
In April, Whitby is cool: daytime highs average 10 °C, and nights cool down to about 6 °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 11 rainy days and 52 mm in total. All in all, April is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in April24May13° · Sea 10° · 7 h
In May, Whitby is cool: daytime highs average 13 °C, and nights cool down to about 8 °C. The sea averages 9.8 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 54 mm in total. All in all, May is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in May21June16° · Sea 13° · 7 h
In June, Whitby is cool: daytime highs average 16 °C, and nights cool down to about 11 °C. The sea averages 12.6 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 12 rainy days and 71 mm in total. All in all, June is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in June20July18° · Sea 15° · 7 h
In July, Whitby is mild: daytime highs average 18 °C, and nights cool down to about 13 °C. The sea averages 14.7 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 70 mm in total. All in all, July is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in July19August18° · Sea 15° · 7 h
In August, Whitby is mild: daytime highs average 18 °C, and nights cool down to about 14 °C. The sea averages 15.4 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun shines for around 7 hours a day. Rain is frequent, with about 13 rainy days and 71 mm in total. All in all, August is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in August17September16° · Sea 14° · 5 h
In September, Whitby is mild: daytime highs average 16 °C, and nights cool down to about 12 °C. The sea averages 13.9 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. Expect around 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is frequent, with about 11 rainy days and 63 mm in total. All in all, September is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in September8October13° · Sea 12° · 4 h
In October, Whitby is cool: daytime highs average 13 °C, and nights cool down to about 10 °C. The sea averages 12.1 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 4 hours a day. It rains often – on about 14 days, adding up to 80 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 30 km/h. All in all, October is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in October5November10° · Sea 11° · 2 h
In November, Whitby is cold: daytime highs average 10 °C, and nights cool down to about 7 °C. The sea averages 10.5 °C – swimming is only for the hardy. The sun is scarce, with only about 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 15 days, adding up to 84 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 31 km/h. All in all, November is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in November6December8° · Sea 9° · 2 h
In December, Whitby 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 2 hours a day. It rains often – on about 14 days, adding up to 77 mm. It is often windy, with gusts of around 32 km/h. All in all, December is not an ideal month for a holiday in Whitby.
Whitby in DecemberWhitby compared
Put Whitby side by side with another destination.
No destination found
Whitby vs. Scarborough
In October the holiday weather in Whitby and Scarborough is about equally good (score 8 vs. 8). During the day it is about as warm in Scarborough as in Whitby. The sea is about equally warm.
| in October | Whitby | Scarborough |
|---|---|---|
| Holiday score | 8 | 8 |
| Daytime high | 13° | 13° |
| Sea | 12° | 12° |
| Sunshine | 4 h | 4 h |
| Rainy days | 14 | 14 |
| Best time | Apr – Aug | Apr – Aug |
Through the year
United Kingdom in October: the best places
In October, Whitby ranks 25 among the 31 nearest destinations in this country.
- Lincoln14°47
- 2Nottingham14°45
- 3Leicester14°45
- 4Derby14°44
- 5Kingston upon Hull14°13°43
- 6York14°42
- 7Sheffield14°41
- 8Leeds13°39
- 25WhitbyThis page13°12°8
Planning a trip to Whitby
Weather for your travel dates
Pick your arrival and length of stay, and we sum up the weather to expect.
Whitby 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.
Whitby has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 23) and its weakest during the Christmas holidays (score 6).
- 18
Easter holidays
Mar – Apr
Poor
- 9 °C by day
- Sea 7 °C
- 5.5 h of sun a day
- 11 rainy days a month
- 23
May half-term
May – Jun
PoorBest holidays
- 13 °C by day
- Sea 10 °C
- 7.0 h of sun a day
- 11 rainy days a month
- 19
Summer holidays
Jul – Aug
Poor
- 18 °C by day
- Sea 15 °C
- 6.6 h of sun a day
- 13 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 8
October half-term
Oct
Poor
- 13 °C by day
- Sea 12 °C
- 3.6 h of sun a day
- 14 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
- 6
Christmas holidays
Dec – Jan
Poor
- 7 °C by day
- Sea 8 °C
- 1.9 h of sun a day
- 14 rainy days a month
Keep in mind: Frequent rain
Based on the climate averages 1996–2025.
Getting there
Flying from
- Nonstop flight
- Short trip – train or car is often quicker
- Distance
- 340 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 Whitby
When is the best time to visit Whitby?
The best time to visit Whitby is from April to August. That is when the holiday weather score, which combines temperature, sea, sunshine and rain, is highest.
How warm is the sea in Whitby?
The sea temperature in Whitby ranges from 6.8 °C in March to 15.4 °C in August. Even at its warmest the sea stays below 20 °C, so swimming is bracing at best.
Can you swim in Whitby in October?
Only if you don't mind cold water: in October the sea averages just 12.1 °C. Comfortable swimming temperatures are not reached at any time of year.
What is the warmest month in Whitby?
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 18 °C and nights around 14 °C. January is the coolest month at 7 °C.
When does it rain most in Whitby?
Rain is most frequent from July to August and from October to February; the wettest month is November with 84 mm. The driest month is April with 52 mm.
How many hours of sunshine does Whitby get?
Whitby gets around 1,680 hours of sunshine a year. The sunniest month is May with 7.1 hours a day; in December there are 1.8 hours a day.
What time zone is Whitby in?
Whitby uses the time zone Europe/London: UTC+0 in January and UTC+1 in July.
Which school holidays are best for Whitby?
Whitby has its best school-holiday weather during May half-term (score 23) and its weakest during the Christmas holidays (score 6). Holiday ratings (0–100): Easter holidays 18, May half-term 23, Summer holidays 19, October half-term 8, Christmas holidays 6.
Near Whitby
Other destinations close by.
Places with a climate like Whitby
Destinations whose weather through the year is closest to Whitby's – good alternatives.