Rainfall in Launceston tops that of 92% of UK towns: 1,269 mm (50 in) a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 2.7°C (37°F). Of all months, January brings the most rain and May the least. In January, nights here are milder than in 90% of UK towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to April, which average under 10°C.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Launceston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Launceston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 1,269 mm of rain a year
January is the wettest month and May the driest. About 41 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. 8th wettest of 35 Cornwall towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
31 air frosts and 6 days of 25°C a year
On about 31 nights a year the air drops below freezing; days that stay below freezing are rare. About 6 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 Chivenor
Chivenor is 33 miles north of Launceston, 6 m (20 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 | 9.1°C | 3.6°C | 91 mm | 5.4 |
| February | 9.4°C | 3.4°C | 70 mm | 5.0 |
| March | 11.2°C | 4.5°C | 60 mm | 2.6 |
| April | 13.7°C | 5.9°C | 56 mm | 0.9 |
| May | 16.5°C | 8.6°C | 55 mm | 0.0 |
| June | 19.0°C | 11.4°C | 68 mm | 0.0 |
| July | 20.7°C | 13.3°C | 74 mm | 0.0 |
| August | 20.5°C | 13.4°C | 77 mm | 0.0 |
| September | 18.8°C | 11.5°C | 70 mm | 0.0 |
| October | 15.4°C | 9.1°C | 107 mm | 0.4 |
| November | 12.1°C | 6.2°C | 106 mm | 1.8 |
| December | 9.9°C | 4.3°C | 107 mm | 4.6 |
| Year | 14.7°C | 7.9°C | 941 mm | 21 |
Met Office historic station data, Chivenor, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Launceston 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 Cornwall 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Launceston | 20.4°C | 2.7°C | 1,269 mm |
| Withnoe 0.9 mi | 20.8°C about the same | 3.0°C about the same | 1,154 mm |
| Kelly Bray 8.4 mi | 20.3°C about the same | 2.3°C about the same | 1,446 mm |
| Callington 9.4 mi | 20.7°C about the same | 2.4°C about the same | 1,308 mm |
| Pensilva 9.5 mi | 19.7°C 0.7°C cooler | 2.3°C about the same | 1,538 mm |
| Gunnislake and St Ann's Chapel 9.9 mi | 20.9°C 0.5°C warmer | 2.8°C about the same | 1,323 mm |
| St Cleer 11.3 mi | 19.6°C 0.8°C cooler | 2.6°C about the same | 1,577 mm |
Launceston 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 | 8.5°C 47°F | 2.7°C 37°F | 5.6°C | 161 mm 6.4 in |
| February | 9.0°C 48°F | 2.7°C 37°F | 5.8°C | 113 mm 4.5 in |
| March | 10.6°C 51°F | 3.4°C 38°F | 7.1°C | 83 mm 3.3 in |
| April | 13.1°C 56°F | 4.8°C 41°F | 9.0°C | 75 mm 2.9 in |
| May | 15.9°C 61°F | 7.2°C 45°F | 11.6°C | 68 mm 2.7 in |
| June | 18.6°C 66°F | 10.1°C 50°F | 14.4°C | 69 mm 2.7 in |
| July | 20.4°C 69°F | 11.8°C 53°F | 16.2°C | 81 mm 3.2 in |
| August | 20.2°C 68°F | 11.8°C 53°F | 16.0°C | 87 mm 3.4 in |
| September | 18.3°C 65°F | 9.9°C 50°F | 14.1°C | 82 mm 3.2 in |
| October | 14.7°C 59°F | 7.7°C 46°F | 11.3°C | 139 mm 5.5 in |
| November | 11.4°C 52°F | 5.1°C 41°F | 8.3°C | 153 mm 6.0 in |
| December | 9.2°C 48°F | 3.1°C 38°F | 6.2°C | 158 mm 6.2 in |
| Year | 14.1°C | 6.7°C | 10.4°C | 1,269 mm |
Where Launceston’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 Launceston’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 Chivenor, 33 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 Launceston’s climate
How warm does Launceston get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 20.4°C (69°F). About 6 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 73% of UK towns.
How cold does Launceston get in winter?
February nights average 2.7°C (37°F). The air drops below freezing on about 31 nights a year, and about under 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Launceston get?
About 1,269 mm (50 in) a year, more than 92% of UK towns. January is the wettest month (161 mm) and May the driest (68 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 Launceston. 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 Launceston →
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