Wet weather: 1,173 mm (46 in) a year falls on South Molton, more than on 88% of UK towns
In January the night’s low is typically 2.4°C (36°F). Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 82% of UK towns. December is the wettest month, May the driest. Central heating does most of its work from November to April, in months below 10°C on average.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in South Molton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in South Molton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 1,173 mm of rain a year
December is the wettest month and May the driest. About 36 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. 10th wettest of 47 Devon towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
32 air frosts and 6 days of 25°C a year
On about 32 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about under 1 days it stays below freezing all day. 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 14 miles west of South Molton, 6 m (20 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 | 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 South Molton 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 Devon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Molton | 20.3°C | 2.4°C | 1,173 mm |
| Chulmleigh 7.2 mi | 20.9°C 0.6°C warmer | 2.7°C about the same | 1,060 mm |
| Landkey 7.9 mi | 20.7°C about the same | 2.7°C about the same | 1,107 mm |
| Witheridge 9.1 mi | 20.4°C about the same | 2.3°C about the same | 1,051 mm |
| Barnstaple 10.5 mi | 20.5°C about the same | 3.4°C 1.0°C milder | 1,093 mm |
| Morchard Bishop 11.8 mi | 20.8°C 0.5°C warmer | 2.4°C about the same | 998 mm |
South Molton 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 | 8.0°C 46°F | 2.4°C 36°F | 5.2°C | 125 mm 4.9 in |
| February | 8.3°C 47°F | 2.3°C 36°F | 5.3°C | 95 mm 3.7 in |
| March | 10.4°C 51°F | 3.3°C 38°F | 6.8°C | 78 mm 3.1 in |
| April | 13.1°C 56°F | 4.8°C 41°F | 8.9°C | 69 mm 2.7 in |
| May | 16.1°C 61°F | 7.4°C 45°F | 11.8°C | 66 mm 2.6 in |
| June | 18.6°C 65°F | 10.0°C 50°F | 14.3°C | 72 mm 2.8 in |
| July | 20.3°C 69°F | 11.8°C 53°F | 16.1°C | 83 mm 3.3 in |
| August | 20.0°C 68°F | 11.8°C 53°F | 15.9°C | 94 mm 3.7 in |
| September | 17.9°C 64°F | 10.1°C 50°F | 14.0°C | 86 mm 3.4 in |
| October | 14.3°C 58°F | 7.7°C 46°F | 11.0°C | 125 mm 4.9 in |
| November | 10.9°C 52°F | 4.9°C 41°F | 7.8°C | 137 mm 5.4 in |
| December | 8.5°C 47°F | 2.9°C 37°F | 5.7°C | 143 mm 5.6 in |
| Year | 13.9°C | 6.6°C | 10.2°C | 1,173 mm |
Where South Molton’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 South Molton’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, 14 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 South Molton’s climate
How warm does South Molton get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 20.3°C (69°F). About 6 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 74% of UK towns.
How cold does South Molton get in winter?
February nights average 2.3°C (36°F). The air drops below freezing on about 32 nights a year, and about under 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does South Molton get?
About 1,173 mm (46 in) a year, more than 88% of UK towns. December is the wettest month (143 mm) and May the driest (66 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 South Molton. 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 South Molton →
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.