January in Darlington bites harder than in 89% of UK towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 20.9°C (70°F). It is a dry place: less rain falls here than on 75% of UK towns. Seasons differ by 20°C, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Expect about 47 frosty starts a year, nights when the air falls below freezing.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Darlington at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Darlington feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 666 mm of rain a year
August is the wettest month and March the driest. About 15 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. 41st wettest of 52 County Durham towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
47 air frosts and 7 days of 25°C a year
On about 47 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about under 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 7 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 Durham
Durham is 16 miles north of Darlington, 102 m (335 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 | 6.9°C | 1.3°C | 53 mm | 10.3 |
| February | 7.8°C | 1.4°C | 46 mm | 9.8 |
| March | 9.9°C | 2.5°C | 41 mm | 6.5 |
| April | 12.5°C | 4.1°C | 51 mm | 3.2 |
| May | 15.4°C | 6.5°C | 45 mm | 0.8 |
| June | 18.0°C | 9.3°C | 61 mm | 0.0 |
| July | 20.2°C | 11.3°C | 61 mm | 0.0 |
| August | 19.9°C | 11.3°C | 67 mm | 0.0 |
| September | 17.4°C | 9.2°C | 57 mm | 0.0 |
| October | 13.5°C | 6.5°C | 63 mm | 1.2 |
| November | 9.7°C | 3.6°C | 76 mm | 4.6 |
| December | 7.1°C | 1.4°C | 61 mm | 10.4 |
| Year | 13.2°C | 5.7°C | 681 mm | 47 |
Met Office historic station data, Durham, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Darlington 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 County Durham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darlington | 20.9°C | 1.1°C | 666 mm |
| Hurworth-on-Tees 3.3 mi | 20.9°C about the same | 1.1°C about the same | 626 mm |
| Middleton St George 3.8 mi | 20.6°C about the same | 1.1°C about the same | 614 mm |
| Heighington 5.0 mi | 20.3°C 0.6°C cooler | 0.8°C about the same | 706 mm |
| School Aycliffe 5.5 mi | 20.3°C 0.6°C cooler | 0.9°C about the same | 706 mm |
| Newton Aycliffe 6.4 mi | 20.3°C 0.5°C cooler | 1.0°C about the same | 691 mm |
| Gainford 7.4 mi | 20.1°C 0.8°C cooler | 1.0°C about the same | 723 mm |
Darlington 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 | 7.1°C 45°F | 1.1°C 34°F | 4.1°C | 50 mm 2.0 in |
| February | 7.8°C 46°F | 1.3°C 34°F | 4.6°C | 45 mm 1.8 in |
| March | 10.1°C 50°F | 2.4°C 36°F | 6.2°C | 41 mm 1.6 in |
| April | 12.9°C 55°F | 3.9°C 39°F | 8.3°C | 48 mm 1.9 in |
| May | 15.9°C 61°F | 6.3°C 43°F | 11.0°C | 43 mm 1.7 in |
| June | 18.6°C 65°F | 9.0°C 48°F | 13.8°C | 62 mm 2.4 in |
| July | 20.9°C 70°F | 11.1°C 52°F | 15.9°C | 65 mm 2.6 in |
| August | 20.4°C 69°F | 11.1°C 52°F | 15.7°C | 67 mm 2.7 in |
| September | 17.8°C 64°F | 9.1°C 48°F | 13.4°C | 58 mm 2.3 in |
| October | 13.9°C 57°F | 6.4°C 44°F | 10.1°C | 61 mm 2.4 in |
| November | 9.9°C 50°F | 3.5°C 38°F | 6.7°C | 65 mm 2.6 in |
| December | 7.4°C 45°F | 1.2°C 34°F | 4.2°C | 60 mm 2.3 in |
| Year | 13.5°C | 5.5°C | 9.5°C | 666 mm |
Where Darlington’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Mean temperature, rain and day counts: HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the 8 Met Office 2 km grid squares whose centre lies inside Darlington’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 Durham, 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 Darlington’s climate
How warm does Darlington get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 20.9°C (70°F). About 7 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 68% of UK towns.
How cold does Darlington get in winter?
January nights average 1.1°C (34°F). The air drops below freezing on about 47 nights a year, and about under 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Darlington get?
About 666 mm (26 in) a year, less than 75% of UK towns. August is the wettest month (67 mm) and March the driest (41 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 Darlington. 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 Darlington →
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