Helensburgh sits near the top of UK towns for rain, with 1,711 mm (67 in) a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 1.8°C (35°F) on average. Wet weather is most frequent in December and least in May. Its July afternoons are the coolest among its 6 nearest neighbours. For walks and days out, July and August bring highs of 18°C.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Helensburgh at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Helensburgh feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 1,711 mm of rain a year
December is the wettest month and May the driest. About 51 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. 3rd wettest of 5 Argyll and Bute towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
Sunshine by month
Hours of bright sunshine at Paisley
38 air frosts and 2 days of 25°C a year
On about 38 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about under 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 2 days a year reach 25°C (77°F).
Day counts are 1991–2020 averages from the Met Office’s 2 km grid. The Met Office calls a day of 25°C or more a summer day and a night below 0°C an air frost; ground frosts, on grass, come more often.
The Met Office station at Paisley
Paisley is 16 miles south-east of Helensburgh, 32 m (105 ft) above sea level. It is the nearest of the 37 long-running stations the Met Office publishes in full.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Air frosts | Sun (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.1°C | 1.9°C | 147 mm | 8.5 | 39 |
| February | 7.8°C | 2.1°C | 111 mm | 7.3 | 69 |
| March | 9.9°C | 3.2°C | 100 mm | 4.3 | 103 |
| April | 12.9°C | 5.1°C | 72 mm | 0.9 | 133 |
| May | 16.1°C | 7.4°C | 63 mm | 0.1 | 184 |
| June | 18.3°C | 10.2°C | 67 mm | 0.0 | 161 |
| July | 19.7°C | 12.1°C | 76 mm | 0.0 | 149 |
| August | 19.5°C | 11.9°C | 90 mm | 0.0 | 151 |
| September | 16.7°C | 9.9°C | 99 mm | 0.0 | 116 |
| October | 12.9°C | 6.8°C | 134 mm | 0.9 | 89 |
| November | 9.6°C | 4.3°C | 133 mm | 3.6 | 54 |
| December | 6.8°C | 1.5°C | 136 mm | 9.7 | 36 |
| Year | 13.1°C | 6.4°C | 1,229 mm | 35 | 1,282 |
Met Office historic station data, Paisley, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Helensburgh compares
Against the 2,537 towns and cities of 2,500 or more across the UK, each with its own Met Office averages, and its place among Argyll and Bute towns that size.
Nearby towns’ climate
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 12 miles: a hill, a valley or the sea can make a real difference over a few miles.
| Town | July high | January low | Rain a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Helensburgh | 18.3°C | 1.8°C | 1,711 mm |
| Greenock 4.6 mi | 19.6°C 1.3°C warmer | 2.3°C about the same | 1,606 mm |
| Gourock 5.4 mi | 18.9°C 0.7°C warmer | 2.4°C 0.6°C milder | 1,955 mm |
| Alexandria 5.5 mi | 19.2°C 0.9°C warmer | 2.0°C about the same | 1,497 mm |
| Port Glasgow 5.8 mi | 18.8°C 0.6°C warmer | 1.7°C about the same | 1,701 mm |
| Balloch and Haldane 5.9 mi | 19.4°C 1.1°C warmer | 2.1°C about the same | 1,482 mm |
| Bonhill 6.4 mi | 19.4°C 1.1°C warmer | 1.5°C about the same | 1,506 mm |
Helensburgh weather by month
Average daily high and low, mean temperature and rain, 1991–2020, for the town itself (the Met Office’s HadUK-Grid).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.7°C 44°F | 1.8°C 35°F | 4.3°C | 171 mm 6.7 in |
| February | 6.6°C 44°F | 1.3°C 34°F | 4.0°C | 158 mm 6.2 in |
| March | 8.4°C 47°F | 2.1°C 36°F | 5.2°C | 139 mm 5.5 in |
| April | 11.3°C 52°F | 3.8°C 39°F | 7.5°C | 94 mm 3.7 in |
| May | 14.4°C 58°F | 6.1°C 43°F | 10.3°C | 91 mm 3.6 in |
| June | 16.8°C 62°F | 9.1°C 48°F | 12.9°C | 106 mm 4.2 in |
| July | 18.3°C 65°F | 10.8°C 51°F | 14.4°C | 118 mm 4.7 in |
| August | 17.9°C 64°F | 10.7°C 51°F | 14.3°C | 136 mm 5.4 in |
| September | 15.5°C 60°F | 9.0°C 48°F | 12.2°C | 139 mm 5.5 in |
| October | 11.9°C 53°F | 6.2°C 43°F | 9.1°C | 186 mm 7.3 in |
| November | 8.6°C 47°F | 3.5°C 38°F | 6.1°C | 179 mm 7.1 in |
| December | 6.5°C 44°F | 1.4°C 35°F | 4.0°C | 192 mm 7.6 in |
| Year | 11.9°C | 5.5°C | 8.7°C | 1,711 mm |
Where Helensburgh’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Mean temperature, rain and day counts: HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the 1 Met Office 2 km grid square whose centre lies inside Helensburgh’s locality.
- Highs and lows: the Met Office publishes average daily maxima and minima on its 12 km grid; each is moved by the difference between the town’s 2 km mean temperature and the 12 km square’s, which carries the town’s own height and setting over.
- Weather station and sunshine: Met Office historic station data for Paisley, 16 miles away, months of 1991–2020 averaged.
- Comparisons: every town and city of 2,500 or more across the UK, all four nations, read the same way.
Met Office HadUK-Grid · Met Office Climate Data Portal · Historic station data. Open Government Licence v3.0.
Questions about Helensburgh’s climate
How warm does Helensburgh get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 18.3°C (65°F). About 2 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 91% of UK towns.
How cold does Helensburgh get in winter?
February nights average 1.3°C (34°F). The air drops below freezing on about 38 nights a year, and about under 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Helensburgh get?
About 1,711 mm (67 in) a year, more than 98% of UK towns. December is the wettest month (192 mm) and May the driest (91 mm).
How sunny is it?
The nearest Met Office station with a sunshine record, Paisley (16 miles away), averages 1,282 hours of bright sunshine a year. Sunshine isn’t on the town grid, so this is the station’s figure.
Where do these figures come from?
The Met Office’s HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages, which turn thousands of weather stations into a map of the UK in 2 km squares; the page reads the squares inside Helensburgh. They are 30-year averages, not a forecast.
Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0. HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages via the Met Office Climate Data Portal; station averages from Met Office historic station data. Today’s forecast for Helensburgh →
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.