Warm afternoons come to Sturminster Marshall more often than to 74% of UK towns
Nights in January average 2.1°C (36°F). The rainiest month is November; the driest is July. By rainfall alone, it ranks wetter than 73% of UK towns. 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 Sturminster Marshall at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Sturminster Marshall feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 927 mm of rain a year
November is the wettest month and July the driest. About 29 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more.
Rain by month
Millimetres
Sunshine by month
Hours of bright sunshine at Hurn (Bournemouth Airport)
45 air frosts and 16 days of 25°C a year
On about 45 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about under 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 16 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 Hurn (Bournemouth Airport)
Hurn (Bournemouth Airport) is 11 miles east of Sturminster Marshall, 10 m (33 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 | 8.8°C | 1.8°C | 96 mm | 11.1 | 65 |
| February | 9.1°C | 1.6°C | 67 mm | 10.9 | 80 |
| March | 11.4°C | 2.8°C | 62 mm | 8.3 | 122 |
| April | 14.2°C | 4.3°C | 58 mm | 4.7 | 178 |
| May | 17.4°C | 7.3°C | 49 mm | 0.6 | 211 |
| June | 20.1°C | 10.2°C | 54 mm | 0.0 | 217 |
| July | 22.3°C | 12.2°C | 50 mm | 0.0 | 221 |
| August | 22.0°C | 12.0°C | 60 mm | 0.0 | 198 |
| September | 19.6°C | 9.6°C | 69 mm | 0.0 | 156 |
| October | 15.6°C | 7.4°C | 101 mm | 2.2 | 108 |
| November | 11.8°C | 4.1°C | 108 mm | 6.9 | 76 |
| December | 9.2°C | 2.0°C | 104 mm | 11.6 | 59 |
| Year | 15.1°C | 6.3°C | 877 mm | 56 | 1,690 |
Met Office historic station data, Hurn, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Kipp & Zonen recorder.
How Sturminster Marshall 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sturminster Marshall | 22.1°C | 2.1°C | 927 mm |
| Lytchett Matravers 2.7 mi | 22.2°C about the same | 2.0°C about the same | 918 mm |
| Corfe Mullen 3.1 mi | 22.5°C about the same | 2.2°C about the same | 945 mm |
| Charlton Marshall 4.0 mi | 22.0°C about the same | 2.0°C about the same | 957 mm |
| Wimborne Minster 4.7 mi | 22.4°C about the same | 2.1°C about the same | 912 mm |
| Upton 4.7 mi | 22.0°C about the same | 2.9°C 0.8°C milder | 875 mm |
| Merley 4.9 mi | 22.5°C about the same | 2.3°C about the same | 938 mm |
Sturminster Marshall 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 | 8.5°C 47°F | 2.1°C 36°F | 5.3°C | 105 mm 4.1 in |
| February | 8.9°C 48°F | 2.2°C 36°F | 5.4°C | 72 mm 2.8 in |
| March | 11.5°C 53°F | 3.1°C 38°F | 7.3°C | 65 mm 2.5 in |
| April | 14.3°C 58°F | 3.9°C 39°F | 9.3°C | 62 mm 2.4 in |
| May | 17.5°C 63°F | 7.3°C 45°F | 12.4°C | 52 mm 2.0 in |
| June | 20.1°C 68°F | 10.1°C 50°F | 15.1°C | 53 mm 2.1 in |
| July | 22.1°C 72°F | 11.9°C 53°F | 17.1°C | 51 mm 2.0 in |
| August | 21.9°C 71°F | 11.9°C 53°F | 16.9°C | 65 mm 2.6 in |
| September | 19.4°C 67°F | 9.9°C 50°F | 14.6°C | 70 mm 2.8 in |
| October | 15.5°C 60°F | 7.5°C 46°F | 11.5°C | 107 mm 4.2 in |
| November | 11.6°C 53°F | 4.5°C 40°F | 8.0°C | 116 mm 4.6 in |
| December | 9.0°C 48°F | 2.5°C 36°F | 5.7°C | 111 mm 4.4 in |
| Year | 15.0°C | 6.4°C | 10.7°C | 927 mm |
Where Sturminster Marshall’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 Sturminster Marshall’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 Hurn, 11 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 Sturminster Marshall’s climate
How warm does Sturminster Marshall get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 22.1°C (72°F). About 16 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), more than 74% of UK towns.
How cold does Sturminster Marshall get in winter?
January nights average 2.1°C (36°F). The air drops below freezing on about 45 nights a year, and about under 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Sturminster Marshall get?
About 927 mm (36 in) a year, more than 73% of UK towns. November is the wettest month (116 mm) and July the driest (51 mm).
How sunny is it?
The nearest Met Office station with a sunshine record, Hurn (Bournemouth Airport) (11 miles away), averages 1,690 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 Sturminster Marshall. 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 Sturminster Marshall →
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.