Winter nights in Durham are colder than in 90% of UK towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 20.1°C (68°F). Only about 5 days a year reach 25°C, fewer than in 75% of UK towns. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 19°C. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to April, when means dip under 10°C.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Durham at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Durham feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 705 mm of rain a year
November is the wettest month and March the driest. About 17 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. 30th wettest of 52 County Durham towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
A frosty town: 50 air frosts and 5 days of 25°C a year
On about 50 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about under 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 5 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 1.1 miles south-west of Durham, 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 Durham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | 20.1°C | 1.1°C | 705 mm |
| High Shincliffe 2.2 mi | 20.4°C about the same | 0.9°C about the same | 682 mm |
| Sherburn 2.5 mi | 19.8°C about the same | 0.9°C about the same | 702 mm |
| Ushaw Moor and Bearpark 2.7 mi | 20.2°C about the same | 1.1°C about the same | 699 mm |
| Brandon 3.1 mi | 20.4°C about the same | 1.1°C about the same | 696 mm |
| High Pittington 3.3 mi | 19.3°C 0.8°C cooler | 1.1°C about the same | 729 mm |
| New Brancepeth 3.3 mi | 20.2°C about the same | 1.1°C about the same | 699 mm |
Durham 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 | 1.1°C 34°F | 3.9°C | 54 mm 2.1 in |
| February | 7.7°C 46°F | 1.3°C 34°F | 4.5°C | 48 mm 1.9 in |
| March | 9.9°C 50°F | 2.4°C 36°F | 6.1°C | 43 mm 1.7 in |
| April | 12.3°C 54°F | 4.0°C 39°F | 8.2°C | 52 mm 2.1 in |
| May | 15.4°C 60°F | 6.3°C 43°F | 10.9°C | 47 mm 1.9 in |
| June | 17.9°C 64°F | 9.2°C 49°F | 13.5°C | 65 mm 2.6 in |
| July | 20.1°C 68°F | 11.1°C 52°F | 15.7°C | 62 mm 2.4 in |
| August | 19.8°C 68°F | 11.2°C 52°F | 15.5°C | 69 mm 2.7 in |
| September | 17.2°C 63°F | 9.2°C 48°F | 13.3°C | 58 mm 2.3 in |
| October | 13.5°C 56°F | 6.5°C 44°F | 10.0°C | 66 mm 2.6 in |
| November | 9.7°C 49°F | 3.5°C 38°F | 6.6°C | 76 mm 3.0 in |
| December | 7.0°C 45°F | 1.3°C 34°F | 4.2°C | 64 mm 2.5 in |
| Year | 13.1°C | 5.6°C | 9.4°C | 705 mm |
Where Durham’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Mean temperature, rain and day counts: HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the 4 Met Office 2 km grid squares whose centre lies inside Durham’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, 1.1 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 Durham’s climate
How warm does Durham get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 20.1°C (68°F). About 5 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 75% of UK towns.
How cold does Durham get in winter?
January nights average 1.1°C (34°F). The air drops below freezing on about 50 nights a year, and about under 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Durham get?
About 705 mm (28 in) a year, less than 64% of UK towns. November is the wettest month (76 mm) and March the driest (43 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 Durham. 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 Durham →
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