1. WeatherSpark.com
  2. United Kingdom
  3. England

Climate and Average Weather Year Round at London Heathrow Airport United Kingdom

At London Heathrow Airport, the summers are short, comfortable, and partly cloudy and the winters are long, very cold, windy, and mostly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 36°F to 74°F and is rarely below 28°F or above 84°F.

Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit London Heathrow Airport for warm-weather activities is from late June to early September.

Climate at London Heathrow Airport

coldcoolcomfortablecoolcoldJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow58%58%26%26%overcastclearprecipitation: 2.2 inprecipitation: 2.2 in1.3 in1.3 inmuggy: 1%muggy: 1%0%0%drydrytourism score: 7.1tourism score: 7.10.20.2
London Heathrow Airport weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The warm season lasts for 2.9 months, from June 13 to September 8, with an average daily high temperature above 68°F. The hottest month of the year at London Heathrow Airport is July, with an average high of 73°F and low of 57°F.

The cool season lasts for 4.0 months, from November 15 to March 15, with an average daily high temperature below 52°F. The coldest month of the year at London Heathrow Airport is January, with an average low of 37°F and high of 46°F.

Average High and Low Temperature at London Heathrow Airport

Average High and Low Temperature at London Heathrow AirportwarmcoolcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F10°F10°F20°F20°F30°F30°F40°F40°F50°F50°F60°F60°F70°F70°F80°F80°F90°F90°F100°F100°FFeb 746°FFeb 746°FJul 2774°FJul 2774°F36°F36°F58°F58°FJun 1368°FJun 1368°FSep 868°FSep 868°FNov 1552°FNov 1552°FMar 1552°FMar 1552°F53°F53°F54°F54°F42°F42°F39°F39°FNowNow
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.
AverageJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High 46°F47°F52°F57°F63°F69°F73°F72°F67°F59°F52°F47°F
Temp. 42°F42°F45°F50°F56°F61°F65°F64°F60°F53°F47°F43°F
Low 37°F37°F39°F42°F48°F53°F57°F57°F52°F47°F42°F38°F

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature at London Heathrow Airport

Average Hourly Temperature at London Heathrow AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNowNowvery coldvery coldcoldcoldcoolcomfortable
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

Lake Stickney, Washington, United States (4,766 miles away) is the far-away foreign place with temperatures most similar to London Heathrow Airport (view comparison).

Map
Marker
© OpenStreetMap contributors

Compare London Heathrow Airport to another city:

Map

At London Heathrow Airport, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year at London Heathrow Airport begins around April 2 and lasts for 6.5 months, ending around October 18.

The clearest month of the year at London Heathrow Airport is July, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 57% of the time.

The cloudier part of the year begins around October 18 and lasts for 5.5 months, ending around April 2.

The cloudiest month of the year at London Heathrow Airport is December, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 73% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories at London Heathrow Airport

Cloud Cover Categories at London Heathrow AirportclearercloudiercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Jul 1458%Jul 1458%Dec 2626%Dec 2626%Apr 242%Apr 242%Oct 1842%Oct 1842%NowNowclearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercast
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.
FractionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Cloudier 71%65%64%56%54%50%43%46%50%58%68%73%
Clearer 29%35%36%44%46%50%57%54%50%42%32%27%

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days at London Heathrow Airport varies throughout the year.

The wetter season lasts 8.3 months, from May 26 to February 5, with a greater than 26% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days at London Heathrow Airport is November, with an average of 9.2 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 3.6 months, from February 5 to May 26. The month with the fewest wet days at London Heathrow Airport is August, with an average of 6.7 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. The month with the most days of rain alone at London Heathrow Airport is November, with an average of 9.2 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is rain alone, with a peak probability of 32% on December 29.

Daily Chance of Precipitation at London Heathrow Airport

Daily Chance of Precipitation at London Heathrow AirportwetwetdryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Dec 2933%Dec 2933%Apr 2520%Apr 2520%Feb 526%Feb 526%NowNowrain
The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).
Days ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rain 9.0d7.0d7.0d6.5d7.3d7.8d6.7d6.7d6.9d9.3d9.2d9.4d
Mixed 0.1d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d
Snow 0.1d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d
Any 9.2d7.1d7.1d6.6d7.3d7.8d6.7d6.7d6.9d9.3d9.2d9.5d

To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. London Heathrow Airport experiences some seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

Rain falls throughout the year at London Heathrow Airport. The month with the most rain at London Heathrow Airport is October, with an average rainfall of 2.2 inches.

The month with the least rain at London Heathrow Airport is April, with an average rainfall of 1.3 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall at London Heathrow Airport

The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rainfall 1.9″1.4″1.3″1.3″1.5″1.6″1.4″1.5″1.6″2.2″2.1″2.1″

The length of the day at London Heathrow Airport varies extremely over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is December 21, with 7 hours, 50 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 20, with 16 hours, 38 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight at London Heathrow Airport

Hours of Daylight and Twilight at London Heathrow AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 8 minMar 2012 hr, 8 minMar 2016 hr, 38 minJun 2016 hr, 38 minJun 2012 hr, 11 minSep 2212 hr, 11 minSep 227 hr, 50 minDec 217 hr, 50 minDec 21nightnightdayNowNow
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.
Hours ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight 8.4h10.0h11.9h13.9h15.7h16.6h16.1h14.5h12.6h10.6h8.9h7.9h

The earliest sunrise is at 4:44 AM on June 17, and the latest sunrise is 3 hours, 23 minutes later at 8:07 AM on December 30. The earliest sunset is at 3:52 PM on December 12, and the latest sunset is 5 hours, 30 minutes later at 9:23 PM on June 24.

Daylight saving time (DST) is observed at London Heathrow Airport during 2024, starting in the spring on March 31, lasting 6.9 months, and ending in the fall on October 27.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time at London Heathrow Airport

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time at London Heathrow AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AMJun 174:44 AMJun 174:44 AM9:23 PMJun 249:23 PMJun 24Dec 123:52 PMDec 123:52 PM8:07 AMDec 308:07 AMDec 30Mar 31DSTMar 31DSTDSTOct 27DSTOct 27daynightnightnightnightSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunset
The solar day over the course of the year 2024. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray. The transitions to and from daylight saving time are indicated by the 'DST' labels.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth at London Heathrow Airport

Solar Elevation and Azimuth at London Heathrow AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AM0000101010202030304040500001010101020203030404050601562NowNow
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of the year 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases at London Heathrow Airport

The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

The perceived humidity level at London Heathrow Airport, as measured by the percentage of time in which the humidity comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable, does not vary significantly over the course of the year, remaining a virtually constant 0% throughout.

Humidity Comfort Levels at London Heathrow Airport

Humidity Comfort Levels at London Heathrow AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Mar 130%Mar 130%Aug 101%Aug 101%NowNowcomfortablecomfortabledrydryhumidhumid
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Muggy days 0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed at London Heathrow Airport experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 5.6 months, from October 12 to March 31, with average wind speeds of more than 11.5 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year at London Heathrow Airport is January, with an average hourly wind speed of 13.1 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 6.4 months, from March 31 to October 12. The calmest month of the year at London Heathrow Airport is July, with an average hourly wind speed of 9.9 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed at London Heathrow Airport

Average Wind Speed at London Heathrow AirportwindywindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph2 mph2 mph4 mph4 mph6 mph6 mph8 mph8 mph10 mph10 mph12 mph12 mph14 mph14 mph16 mph16 mph18 mph18 mph20 mph20 mph22 mph22 mphJan 313.3 mphJan 313.3 mphAug 29.7 mphAug 29.7 mphOct 1211.5 mphOct 1211.5 mphMar 3111.5 mphMar 3111.5 mphNowNow
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wind Speed (mph) 13.112.612.010.910.59.99.99.910.611.511.812.5

The predominant average hourly wind direction at London Heathrow Airport varies throughout the year.

The wind is most often from the north for 3.9 weeks, from April 14 to May 11, with a peak percentage of 29% on April 18. The wind is most often from the west for 11 months, from May 11 to April 14, with a peak percentage of 40% on January 1.

Wind Direction at London Heathrow Airport

Wind Direction at London Heathrow AirportWNWJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NowNowwestsouthnortheast
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

London Heathrow Airport is located near a large body of water (e.g., ocean, sea, or large lake). This section reports on the wide-area average surface temperature of that water.

The average water temperature experiences some seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The time of year with warmer water lasts for 3.3 months, from July 8 to October 17, with an average temperature above 60°F. The month of the year at London Heathrow Airport with the warmest water is August, with an average temperature of 63°F.

The time of year with cooler water lasts for 3.7 months, from January 2 to April 25, with an average temperature below 49°F. The month of the year at London Heathrow Airport with the coolest water is March, with an average temperature of 46°F.

Average Water Temperature at London Heathrow Airport

Average Water Temperature at London Heathrow AirportwarmcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec40°F40°F45°F45°F50°F50°F55°F55°F60°F60°F65°F65°FAug 2563°FAug 2563°F46°FMar 246°FMar 2Jul 860°FJul 860°FOct 1760°FOct 1760°FJan 249°FJan 249°FApr 2549°FApr 2549°FNowNow
The daily average water temperature (purple line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
WaterJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Temperature 48°F46°F46°F48°F52°F56°F61°F63°F62°F60°F55°F51°F

To characterize how pleasant the weather is at London Heathrow Airport throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.

The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit London Heathrow Airport for general outdoor tourist activities is from late June to early September, with a peak score in the last week of July.

Tourism Score at London Heathrow Airport

Tourism Score at London Heathrow Airportbest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810107.17.10.20.2NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationtourism score
The tourism score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit London Heathrow Airport for hot-weather activities is from mid July to mid August, with a peak score in the last week of July.

Beach/Pool Score at London Heathrow Airport

Beach/Pool Score at London Heathrow AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810103.83.80.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationbeach/pool score
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Methodology

For each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed.

Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies.

Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.

Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter.

Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter.

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

The growing season at London Heathrow Airport typically lasts for 8.1 months (249 days), from around March 22 to around November 26, rarely starting before February 14 or after April 20, and rarely ending before November 1 or after December 21.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season at London Heathrow Airport

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season at London Heathrow Airportgrowing seasonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%50%Mar 2250%Mar 2250%Nov 2650%Nov 2690%Apr 2090%Apr 2090%Nov 190%Nov 110%Feb 1410%Feb 1410%Dec 2110%Dec 212%Jan 102%Jan 10Jul 25100%Jul 25100%very coldcoldcoolcomfortablewarm
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

Based on growing degree days alone, the first spring blooms at London Heathrow Airport should appear around April 18, only rarely appearing before April 1 or after May 5.

Growing Degree Days at London Heathrow Airport

Growing Degree Days at London Heathrow AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F500°F500°F1,000°F1,000°F1,500°F1,500°F2,000°F2,000°FApr 1890°FApr 1890°FJul 16900°FJul 16900°FSep 221,800°FSep 221,800°FDec 312,079°FDec 312,079°FNowNow
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of the year, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences extreme seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The brighter period of the year lasts for 3.5 months, from May 1 to August 17, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 5.3 kWh. The brightest month of the year at London Heathrow Airport is June, with an average of 6.3 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 3.8 months, from October 25 to February 19, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 1.8 kWh. The darkest month of the year at London Heathrow Airport is December, with an average of 0.7 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy at London Heathrow Airport

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy at London Heathrow AirportbrightdarkdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWh9 kWh9 kWhJun 276.4 kWhJun 276.4 kWhDec 250.6 kWhDec 250.6 kWhMay 15.3 kWhMay 15.3 kWhAug 175.3 kWhAug 175.3 kWhOct 251.8 kWhOct 251.8 kWhFeb 191.8 kWhFeb 191.8 kWhNowNow
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Solar Energy (kWh) 0.81.72.94.55.76.36.25.33.82.21.10.7

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of London Heathrow Airport are 51.471 deg latitude, -0.456 deg longitude, and 89 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of London Heathrow Airport contains only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 125 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 78 feet. Within 10 miles also contains only modest variations in elevation (407 feet). Within 50 miles contains only modest variations in elevation (1,027 feet).

The area within 2 miles of London Heathrow Airport is covered by artificial surfaces (75%) and grassland (14%), within 10 miles by artificial surfaces (68%) and grassland (16%), and within 50 miles by cropland (41%) and grassland (26%).

This report illustrates the typical weather at London Heathrow Airport, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

London Heathrow Airport has a weather station that reported reliably enough during the analysis period that we have included it in our network. When available, historical temperature and dew point measurements are taken directly from this weather station. These records are obtained from NOAA's Integrated Surface Hourly data set, falling back on ICAO METAR records as required.

In the case of missing or erroneous measurements from this station, we fall back on records from nearby stations, adjusted according to typical seasonal and diurnal intra-station differences. For a given day of the year and hour of the day, the fallback station is selected to minimize the prediction error over the years for which there are measurements for both stations.

The stations on which we may fall back include but are not limited to RAF Northolt, Bracknell / Beaufort Park, London Weather Centre, Farnborough Airport, Luton Airport, London Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, and RAF Odiham.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

Please review our full terms contained on our Terms of Service page.