Photo: G1MFG at English Wikipedia · Public domainShortstown sits near the bottom of UK towns for rain, with 553 mm (22 in) a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 1.7°C (35°F). Of the 33 Bedfordshire towns, it has the warmest July afternoons. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 22°C. Frost greets about 45 mornings a year, so leave time to clear the car.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Shortstown at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Shortstown feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 553 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. 33rd wettest of 33 Bedfordshire towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
45 air frosts and 22 days of 25°C a year
On about 45 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about under 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 22 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 24 miles north-east of Shortstown, 26 m (85 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Shortstown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shortstown | 23.2°C | 1.7°C | 553 mm |
| Bedford 2.2 mi | 23.1°C about the same | 1.7°C about the same | 571 mm |
| Wilstead 2.3 mi | 22.6°C 0.7°C cooler | 1.5°C about the same | 603 mm |
| Wixams 2.4 mi | 23.1°C about the same | 1.6°C about the same | 558 mm |
| Kempston 2.8 mi | 22.9°C about the same | 1.8°C about the same | 581 mm |
| Great Denham 3.5 mi | 22.9°C about the same | 1.8°C about the same | 581 mm |
| Houghton Conquest 3.8 mi | 22.7°C 0.5°C cooler | 1.6°C about the same | 621 mm |
Shortstown 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 | 7.9°C 46°F | 1.7°C 35°F | 4.8°C | 46 mm 1.8 in |
| February | 8.6°C 47°F | 1.7°C 35°F | 5.2°C | 34 mm 1.4 in |
| March | 11.3°C 52°F | 2.9°C 37°F | 7.1°C | 33 mm 1.3 in |
| April | 14.5°C 58°F | 4.5°C 40°F | 9.5°C | 37 mm 1.5 in |
| May | 17.7°C 64°F | 7.1°C 45°F | 12.4°C | 49 mm 1.9 in |
| June | 20.6°C 69°F | 10.0°C 50°F | 15.3°C | 48 mm 1.9 in |
| July | 23.2°C 74°F | 12.1°C 54°F | 17.7°C | 46 mm 1.8 in |
| August | 22.9°C 73°F | 12.1°C 54°F | 17.5°C | 49 mm 1.9 in |
| September | 19.7°C 68°F | 9.9°C 50°F | 14.8°C | 51 mm 2.0 in |
| October | 15.3°C 60°F | 7.3°C 45°F | 11.3°C | 57 mm 2.2 in |
| November | 10.9°C 52°F | 4.2°C 39°F | 7.5°C | 55 mm 2.2 in |
| December | 8.1°C 47°F | 1.9°C 35°F | 5.0°C | 48 mm 1.9 in |
| Year | 15.1°C | 6.3°C | 10.7°C | 553 mm |
Where Shortstown’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Mean temperature, rain and day counts: HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the Met Office 2 km grid square nearest Shortstown’s centre (the town is smaller than one square).
- 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, 24 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 Shortstown’s climate
How warm does Shortstown get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 23.2°C (74°F). About 22 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), more than 95% of UK towns.
How cold does Shortstown get in winter?
February nights average 1.7°C (35°F). The air drops below freezing on about 45 nights a year, and about under 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Shortstown get?
About 553 mm (22 in) a year, less than almost every UK town. October is the wettest month (57 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 Shortstown. 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 Shortstown →
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