Photo: M J Richardson · CC BY-SA 2.0Bedford sits near the bottom of UK towns for rain, with 571 mm (22 in) a year
Winter’s chill peaks in January, at about 1.7°C (35°F) after dark. Rain peaks in October and eases off in March. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 95% of UK towns. From June to September, highs of 20–23°C make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Bedford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Bedford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 571 mm of rain a year
October is the wettest month and March the driest. About 11 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. 27th wettest of 33 Bedfordshire towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
44 air frosts and 21 days of 25°C a year
On about 44 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 21 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 Cambridge NIAB
Cambridge NIAB is 25 miles east of Bedford, 26 m (85 ft) above sea level. It is the nearest of the 37 long-running stations the Met Office publishes in full; at that distance read it for sunshine and the station’s own record, not as the town’s figures.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Air frosts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.7°C | 1.9°C | 49 mm | 9.0 |
| February | 8.3°C | 1.8°C | 36 mm | 8.7 |
| March | 11.0°C | 3.1°C | 33 mm | 5.2 |
| April | 14.1°C | 4.7°C | 38 mm | 2.6 |
| May | 17.4°C | 7.4°C | 43 mm | 0.6 |
| June | 20.4°C | 10.5°C | 49 mm | 0.0 |
| July | 23.1°C | 12.6°C | 48 mm | 0.0 |
| August | 22.9°C | 12.6°C | 56 mm | 0.0 |
| September | 19.6°C | 10.5°C | 51 mm | 0.0 |
| October | 15.1°C | 7.9°C | 59 mm | 0.7 |
| November | 10.7°C | 4.5°C | 53 mm | 3.7 |
| December | 8.0°C | 2.2°C | 50 mm | 9.2 |
| Year | 14.9°C | 6.6°C | 563 mm | 40 |
Met Office historic station data, Cambridge NIAB, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Bedford 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 Bedfordshire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | 23.1°C | 1.7°C | 571 mm |
| Kempston 2.2 mi | 22.9°C about the same | 1.8°C about the same | 581 mm |
| Shortstown 2.2 mi | 23.2°C about the same | 1.7°C about the same | 553 mm |
| Great Denham 2.3 mi | 22.9°C about the same | 1.8°C about the same | 581 mm |
| Clapham 2.5 mi | 22.6°C about the same | 1.6°C about the same | 637 mm |
| Bromham 3.2 mi | 22.9°C about the same | 1.8°C about the same | 586 mm |
| Oakley 3.5 mi | 22.6°C about the same | 1.7°C about the same | 635 mm |
Bedford 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 | 7.8°C 46°F | 1.7°C 35°F | 4.8°C | 47 mm 1.8 in |
| February | 8.5°C 47°F | 1.6°C 35°F | 5.0°C | 37 mm 1.4 in |
| March | 11.3°C 52°F | 2.8°C 37°F | 7.0°C | 33 mm 1.3 in |
| April | 14.4°C 58°F | 4.4°C 40°F | 9.4°C | 40 mm 1.6 in |
| May | 17.6°C 64°F | 7.0°C 45°F | 12.3°C | 46 mm 1.8 in |
| June | 20.6°C 69°F | 9.9°C 50°F | 15.2°C | 48 mm 1.9 in |
| July | 23.1°C 74°F | 12.0°C 54°F | 17.6°C | 48 mm 1.9 in |
| August | 22.9°C 73°F | 12.0°C 54°F | 17.4°C | 53 mm 2.1 in |
| September | 19.7°C 67°F | 9.8°C 50°F | 14.8°C | 54 mm 2.1 in |
| October | 15.3°C 59°F | 7.2°C 45°F | 11.3°C | 59 mm 2.3 in |
| November | 10.8°C 51°F | 4.1°C 39°F | 7.4°C | 57 mm 2.2 in |
| December | 8.1°C 47°F | 1.8°C 35°F | 4.9°C | 50 mm 2.0 in |
| Year | 15.0°C | 6.2°C | 10.6°C | 571 mm |
Where Bedford’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Mean temperature, rain and day counts: HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the 7 Met Office 2 km grid squares whose centre lies inside Bedford’s built-up area.
- 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 Cambridge NIAB, 25 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 Bedford’s climate
How warm does Bedford get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 23.1°C (74°F). About 21 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), more than 93% of UK towns.
How cold does Bedford get in winter?
February nights average 1.6°C (35°F). The air drops below freezing on about 44 nights a year, and about 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Bedford get?
About 571 mm (22 in) a year, less than 97% of UK towns. October is the wettest month (59 mm) and March the driest (33 mm).
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 Bedford. 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 Bedford →
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