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

Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Wales United Kingdom

In Wales, 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 35°F to 70°F and is rarely below 26°F or above 79°F.

Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Wales for warm-weather activities is from late June to late August.

Climate in Wales

very coldcoldcoolcomfortablecoolcoldJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow56%56%30%30%overcastclearprecipitation: 2.0 inprecipitation: 2.0 in1.2 in1.2 inmuggy: 1%muggy: 1%0%0%drydrytourism score: 6.6tourism score: 6.60.10.1
Wales weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The warm season lasts for 2.9 months, from June 11 to September 9, with an average daily high temperature above 65°F. The hottest month of the year in Wales is July, with an average high of 69°F and low of 54°F.

The cool season lasts for 4.0 months, from November 15 to March 14, with an average daily high temperature below 49°F. The coldest month of the year in Wales is January, with an average low of 35°F and high of 44°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in Wales

Average High and Low Temperature in WaleswarmcoolcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F10°F10°F20°F20°F30°F30°F40°F40°F50°F50°F60°F60°F70°F70°F80°F80°F90°F90°F100°F100°FFeb 545°FFeb 545°FJul 2670°FJul 2670°F35°F35°F54°F54°FJun 1165°FJun 1165°FSep 965°FSep 965°FNov 1549°FNov 1549°FMar 1449°FMar 1449°F50°F50°F51°F51°F39°F39°F37°F37°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 44°F45°F49°F54°F60°F65°F69°F69°F63°F56°F49°F45°F
Temp. 40°F40°F43°F47°F53°F58°F62°F61°F57°F51°F44°F41°F
Low 35°F35°F37°F40°F45°F50°F54°F53°F50°F45°F39°F36°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 in Wales

Average Hourly Temperature in WalesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 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.

Port Angeles East, Washington, United States (4,657 miles away) is the far-away foreign place with temperatures most similar to Wales (view comparison).

Map
Marker
© OpenStreetMap contributors

Compare Wales to another city:

Map

In Wales, 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 in Wales begins around April 26 and lasts for 5.3 months, ending around October 3.

The clearest month of the year in Wales is July, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 55% of the time.

The cloudier part of the year begins around October 3 and lasts for 6.7 months, ending around April 26.

The cloudiest month of the year in Wales is December, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 70% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories in Wales

Cloud Cover Categories in WalesclearercloudiercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Jul 2056%Jul 2056%Dec 2230%Dec 2230%Apr 2643%Apr 2643%Oct 343%Oct 343%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 69%65%64%59%54%51%45%48%53%61%68%70%
Clearer 31%35%36%41%46%49%55%52%47%39%32%30%

Wales does not experience significant seasonal variation in the frequency of wet days (i.e., those with greater than 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation). The frequency ranges from 21% to 31%, with an average value of 26%.

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 in Wales is November, with an average of 8.6 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is rain alone, with a peak probability of 31% on October 29.

Daily Chance of Precipitation in Wales

Daily Chance of Precipitation in WalesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Oct 2931%Oct 2931%Mar 121%Mar 121%May 2026%May 2026%Feb 326%Feb 326%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 8.1d6.7d7.0d6.8d7.9d8.0d7.6d8.0d7.4d8.8d8.6d8.4d
Mixed 0.4d0.3d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d0.2d
Any 8.5d6.9d7.2d6.8d7.9d8.0d7.6d8.0d7.4d8.8d8.8d8.7d

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. Wales experiences some seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

Rain falls throughout the year in Wales. The month with the most rain in Wales is October, with an average rainfall of 2.0 inches.

The month with the least rain in Wales is February, with an average rainfall of 1.2 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall in Wales

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 1.5″1.2″1.2″1.3″1.6″1.8″1.7″1.8″1.7″2.0″1.9″1.7″

The length of the day in Wales varies extremely over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is December 21, with 7 hours, 30 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 20, with 17 hours, 0 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Wales

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in WalesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 8 minMar 2012 hr, 8 minMar 2017 hr, 0 minJun 2017 hr, 0 minJun 2012 hr, 11 minSep 2212 hr, 11 minSep 227 hr, 30 minDec 217 hr, 30 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 8.2h9.9h11.9h14.1h15.9h16.9h16.4h14.7h12.6h10.5h8.6h7.6h

The earliest sunrise is at 4:36 AM on June 17, and the latest sunrise is 3 hours, 44 minutes later at 8:20 AM on December 29. The earliest sunset is at 3:46 PM on December 13, and the latest sunset is 5 hours, 51 minutes later at 9:37 PM on June 24.

Daylight saving time (DST) is observed in Wales 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 in Wales

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in WalesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AMJun 174:36 AMJun 174:36 AM9:37 PMJun 249:37 PMJun 24Dec 133:46 PMDec 133:46 PM8:20 AMDec 298:20 AMDec 29Mar 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 in Wales

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in WalesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 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 AM00001010102020303040405000010101010202030304040501360NowNow
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 in Wales

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 in Wales, 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 in Wales

Humidity Comfort Levels in WalesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Jan 250%Jan 250%Aug 21%Aug 21%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 in Wales experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 5.7 months, from October 12 to April 1, with average wind speeds of more than 11.7 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in Wales is January, with an average hourly wind speed of 13.5 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 6.3 months, from April 1 to October 12. The calmest month of the year in Wales is July, with an average hourly wind speed of 9.8 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in Wales

Average Wind Speed in WaleswindywindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph2 mph2 mph4 mph4 mph6 mph6 mph8 mph8 mph10 mph10 mph12 mph12 mph14 mph14 mph16 mph16 mph18 mph18 mph20 mph20 mph22 mph22 mphJan 2513.7 mphJan 2513.7 mphJul 279.7 mphJul 279.7 mphOct 1211.7 mphOct 1211.7 mphApr 111.7 mphApr 111.7 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) 13.513.012.511.010.59.99.810.010.811.712.112.7

The predominant average hourly wind direction in Wales is from the west throughout the year.

Wind Direction in Wales

Wind Direction in WalesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%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).

Wales 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 3.1 months, from July 4 to October 7, with an average temperature above 55°F. The month of the year in Wales with the warmest water is August, with an average temperature of 59°F.

The time of year with cooler water lasts for 3.8 months, from December 25 to April 17, with an average temperature below 45°F. The month of the year in Wales with the coolest water is February, with an average temperature of 42°F.

Average Water Temperature in Wales

The daily average water temperature (purple line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
WaterJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Temperature 43°F42°F43°F45°F49°F53°F57°F59°F57°F54°F50°F46°F

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Wales 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 Wales for general outdoor tourist activities is from late June to late August, with a peak score in the third week of July.

Tourism Score in Wales

Tourism Score in Walesbest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810106.66.60.10.1NowNowtemperaturetemperature 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 Wales for hot-weather activities is from mid July to mid August, with a peak score in the last week of July.

Beach/Pool Score in Wales

Beach/Pool Score in WalesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810102.32.30.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitation
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 in Wales typically lasts for 6.7 months (205 days), from around April 15 to around November 6, rarely starting before March 25 or after May 10, and rarely ending before October 15 or after December 2.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Wales

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Walesgrowing seasonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%50%Apr 1550%Apr 1550%Nov 650%Nov 690%May 1090%May 1090%Oct 1590%Oct 1510%Mar 2510%Mar 2510%Dec 210%Dec 20%Feb 20%Feb 2Jul 26100%Jul 26100%very coldcoldcoolcomfortablefreezingwarm
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 in Wales should appear around May 3, only rarely appearing before April 20 or after May 19.

Growing Degree Days in Wales

Growing Degree Days in WalesJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F200°F200°F400°F400°F600°F600°F800°F800°F1,000°F1,000°F1,200°F1,200°F1,400°F1,400°F1,600°F1,600°FMay 390°FMay 390°FAug 5900°FAug 5900°FDec 311,529°FDec 311,529°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 3.6 months, from April 30 to August 16, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 5.1 kWh. The brightest month of the year in Wales is June, with an average of 6.0 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 3.9 months, from October 23 to February 20, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 1.6 kWh. The darkest month of the year in Wales is December, with an average of 0.5 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in Wales

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in WalesbrightdarkdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWh9 kWh9 kWhJun 306.2 kWhJun 306.2 kWhDec 250.5 kWhDec 250.5 kWhApr 305.1 kWhApr 305.1 kWhAug 165.1 kWhAug 165.1 kWhOct 231.6 kWhOct 231.6 kWhFeb 201.6 kWhFeb 201.6 kWh
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) 0.71.52.74.35.66.06.05.03.52.00.90.5

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Wales are 53.341 deg latitude, -1.282 deg longitude, and 361 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Wales contains only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 348 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 309 feet. Within 10 miles contains only modest variations in elevation (915 feet). Within 50 miles contains very significant variations in elevation (2,247 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Wales is covered by cropland (63%) and artificial surfaces (26%), within 10 miles by cropland (54%) and artificial surfaces (34%), and within 50 miles by cropland (49%) and grassland (25%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Wales, 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

There are 4 weather stations near enough to contribute to our estimation of the temperature and dew point in Wales.

For each station, the records are corrected for the elevation difference between that station and Wales according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

The estimated value at Wales is computed as the weighted average of the individual contributions from each station, with weights proportional to the inverse of the distance between Wales and a given station.

The stations contributing to this reconstruction are:

To get a sense of how much these sources agree with each other, you can view a comparison of Wales and the stations that contribute to our estimates of its temperature history and climate. Please note that each source's contribution is adjusted for elevation and the relative change present in the MERRA-2 data.

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.