Few UK towns have cooler summers than Buxton
In January the night’s low is typically 0.7°C (33°F). Of the 59 Derbyshire towns, it has the coldest January nights. Temperatures cover 18°C across the year, low to high. Radiators earn their keep from October to May, the months that average under 10°C.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Buxton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Buxton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 1,395 mm of rain a year
December is the wettest month and May the driest. About 44 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. The wettest of 59 Derbyshire towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
Sunshine by month
Hours of bright sunshine at Sheffield
A frosty town: 56 air frosts and 5 days of 25°C a year
On about 56 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about 5 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 Sheffield
Sheffield is 20 miles north-east of Buxton, 131 m (430 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 | Sun (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.0°C | 2.2°C | 76 mm | 7.2 | 49 |
| February | 7.7°C | 2.2°C | 67 mm | 7.0 | 75 |
| March | 10.1°C | 3.4°C | 60 mm | 3.6 | 119 |
| April | 13.1°C | 5.2°C | 59 mm | 1.1 | 150 |
| May | 16.4°C | 7.8°C | 55 mm | 0.1 | 193 |
| June | 19.2°C | 10.8°C | 78 mm | 0.0 | 175 |
| July | 21.3°C | 12.8°C | 62 mm | 0.0 | 194 |
| August | 20.8°C | 12.6°C | 65 mm | 0.0 | 179 |
| September | 17.8°C | 10.5°C | 63 mm | 0.0 | 135 |
| October | 13.7°C | 7.8°C | 79 mm | 0.4 | 95 |
| November | 9.8°C | 4.8°C | 85 mm | 2.4 | 59 |
| December | 7.3°C | 2.6°C | 87 mm | 6.5 | 48 |
| Year | 13.7°C | 6.9°C | 834 mm | 28 | 1,469 |
Met Office historic station data, Sheffield, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Kipp & Zonen recorder.
How Buxton 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 Derbyshire 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buxton | 18.4°C | 0.7°C | 1,395 mm |
| Harpur Hill 1.4 mi | 18.8°C about the same | 0.4°C about the same | 1,332 mm |
| Dove Holes 3.3 mi | 18.1°C about the same | 0.5°C about the same | 1,424 mm |
| Chapel-en-le-Frith 4.6 mi | 19.7°C 1.3°C warmer | 1.4°C 0.8°C milder | 1,156 mm |
| Tideswell 5.9 mi | 19.2°C 0.8°C warmer | 0.6°C about the same | 1,140 mm |
| Chinley 5.9 mi | 19.7°C 1.3°C warmer | 1.5°C 0.9°C milder | 1,152 mm |
| Whaley Bridge 6.0 mi | 19.7°C 1.3°C warmer | 1.6°C 0.9°C milder | 1,150 mm |
Buxton 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 | 5.4°C 42°F | 0.7°C 33°F | 3.1°C | 127 mm 5.0 in |
| February | 5.4°C 42°F | 0.0°C 32°F | 2.7°C | 121 mm 4.8 in |
| March | 7.5°C 46°F | 1.0°C 34°F | 4.3°C | 101 mm 4.0 in |
| April | 10.5°C 51°F | 2.9°C 37°F | 6.7°C | 89 mm 3.5 in |
| May | 13.9°C 57°F | 5.5°C 42°F | 9.6°C | 85 mm 3.3 in |
| June | 16.6°C 62°F | 8.4°C 47°F | 12.4°C | 99 mm 3.9 in |
| July | 18.4°C 65°F | 10.5°C 51°F | 14.4°C | 108 mm 4.2 in |
| August | 18.2°C 65°F | 10.3°C 51°F | 14.2°C | 108 mm 4.3 in |
| September | 15.3°C 60°F | 8.3°C 47°F | 11.8°C | 114 mm 4.5 in |
| October | 11.3°C 52°F | 5.6°C 42°F | 8.4°C | 146 mm 5.7 in |
| November | 7.9°C 46°F | 2.8°C 37°F | 5.3°C | 140 mm 5.5 in |
| December | 5.5°C 42°F | 0.4°C 33°F | 3.0°C | 158 mm 6.2 in |
| Year | 11.3°C | 4.7°C | 8.0°C | 1,395 mm |
Where Buxton’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Mean temperature, rain and day counts: HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the 3 Met Office 2 km grid squares whose centre lies inside Buxton’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 Sheffield, 20 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 Buxton’s climate
How warm does Buxton get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 18.4°C (65°F). About 5 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 78% of UK towns.
How cold does Buxton get in winter?
February nights average 0.0°C (32°F). The air drops below freezing on about 56 nights a year, and about 5 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Buxton get?
About 1,395 mm (55 in) a year, more than 95% of UK towns. December is the wettest month (158 mm) and May the driest (85 mm).
How sunny is it?
The nearest Met Office station with a sunshine record, Sheffield (20 miles away), averages 1,469 hours of bright sunshine a year. Sunshine isn’t on the town grid, so this is the station’s figure.
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 Buxton. 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 Buxton →
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.