Rainfall in Dorchester tops that of 84% of UK towns: 1,089 mm (43 in) a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 21.7°C (71°F). By January nights alone, it runs milder than 81% of UK towns. Expect the heaviest rain in November and the lightest in July. Garden chairs stay out from June to September, the months with highs of 19–22°C.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Dorchester at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Dorchester feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 1,089 mm of rain a year
November is the wettest month and July the driest. About 37 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. 2nd wettest of 32 Dorset towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
Sunshine by month
Hours of bright sunshine at Yeovilton
39 air frosts and 11 days of 25°C a year
On about 39 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 11 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 Yeovilton
Yeovilton is 22 miles north of Dorchester, 20 m (66 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 | 8.6°C | 2.0°C | 70 mm | 10.0 | 58 |
| February | 9.0°C | 1.8°C | 51 mm | 9.7 | 77 |
| March | 11.2°C | 3.0°C | 49 mm | 7.6 | 114 |
| April | 13.9°C | 4.5°C | 52 mm | 3.8 | 163 |
| May | 17.1°C | 7.4°C | 47 mm | 0.5 | 191 |
| June | 19.9°C | 10.3°C | 58 mm | 0.0 | 188 |
| July | 21.9°C | 12.2°C | 50 mm | 0.0 | 192 |
| August | 21.6°C | 12.2°C | 61 mm | 0.0 | 175 |
| September | 19.2°C | 10.0°C | 53 mm | 0.0 | 142 |
| October | 15.3°C | 7.6°C | 81 mm | 1.8 | 104 |
| November | 11.5°C | 4.4°C | 80 mm | 5.5 | 69 |
| December | 9.0°C | 2.3°C | 77 mm | 10.3 | 52 |
| Year | 14.9°C | 6.5°C | 728 mm | 49 | 1,524 |
Met Office historic station data, Yeovilton, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Kipp & Zonen recorder.
How Dorchester 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 Dorset 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dorchester | 21.7°C | 2.4°C | 1,089 mm |
| Charminster 1.8 mi | 21.3°C about the same | 2.3°C about the same | 1,131 mm |
| Charlton Down 3.0 mi | 21.3°C about the same | 2.2°C about the same | 1,137 mm |
| Puddletown 5.1 mi | 21.6°C about the same | 2.2°C about the same | 1,058 mm |
| Crossways 5.1 mi | 21.8°C about the same | 2.5°C about the same | 968 mm |
| Weymouth 6.4 mi | 22.2°C 0.6°C warmer | 3.5°C 1.1°C milder | 855 mm |
| Chickerell 6.6 mi | 21.7°C about the same | 3.5°C 1.1°C milder | 784 mm |
Dorchester 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 | 8.2°C 47°F | 2.4°C 36°F | 5.2°C | 124 mm 4.9 in |
| February | 8.6°C 47°F | 2.2°C 36°F | 5.3°C | 89 mm 3.5 in |
| March | 10.9°C 52°F | 3.4°C 38°F | 7.1°C | 75 mm 3.0 in |
| April | 13.8°C 57°F | 4.8°C 41°F | 9.3°C | 72 mm 2.8 in |
| May | 17.0°C 63°F | 7.6°C 46°F | 12.2°C | 61 mm 2.4 in |
| June | 19.7°C 67°F | 10.4°C 51°F | 14.9°C | 61 mm 2.4 in |
| July | 21.7°C 71°F | 12.4°C 54°F | 17.0°C | 57 mm 2.3 in |
| August | 21.4°C 71°F | 12.3°C 54°F | 16.8°C | 81 mm 3.2 in |
| September | 19.0°C 66°F | 10.3°C 51°F | 14.6°C | 80 mm 3.2 in |
| October | 15.2°C 59°F | 7.9°C 46°F | 11.5°C | 126 mm 5.0 in |
| November | 11.3°C 52°F | 4.8°C 41°F | 8.0°C | 134 mm 5.3 in |
| December | 8.8°C 48°F | 2.8°C 37°F | 5.7°C | 129 mm 5.1 in |
| Year | 14.6°C | 6.8°C | 10.6°C | 1,089 mm |
Where Dorchester’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 Dorchester’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 Yeovilton, 22 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 Dorchester’s climate
How warm does Dorchester get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 21.7°C (71°F). About 11 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), more than 53% of UK towns.
How cold does Dorchester get in winter?
February nights average 2.2°C (36°F). The air drops below freezing on about 39 nights a year, and about 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Dorchester get?
About 1,089 mm (43 in) a year, more than 84% of UK towns. November is the wettest month (134 mm) and July the driest (57 mm).
How sunny is it?
The nearest Met Office station with a sunshine record, Yeovilton (22 miles away), averages 1,524 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 Dorchester. 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 Dorchester →
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