Thetford is among the frostiest of UK towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 22.6°C (73°F). Of all months, October brings the most rain and April the least. About 21 days a year reach 25°C, more than in 94% 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 Thetford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Thetford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 658 mm of rain a year
October is the wettest month and April the driest. About 15 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more. 23rd wettest of 52 Norfolk towns of 2,500+.
Rain by month
Millimetres
A frosty town: 62 air frosts and 21 days of 25°C a year
On about 62 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about under 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 21 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 Cambridge NIAB
Cambridge NIAB is 30 miles south-west of Thetford, 26 m (85 ft) above sea level. It is the nearest of the 37 long-running stations the Met Office publishes in full; at that distance read it for sunshine and the station’s own record, not as the town’s figures.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Air frosts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7.7°C | 1.9°C | 49 mm | 9.0 |
| February | 8.3°C | 1.8°C | 36 mm | 8.7 |
| March | 11.0°C | 3.1°C | 33 mm | 5.2 |
| April | 14.1°C | 4.7°C | 38 mm | 2.6 |
| May | 17.4°C | 7.4°C | 43 mm | 0.6 |
| June | 20.4°C | 10.5°C | 49 mm | 0.0 |
| July | 23.1°C | 12.6°C | 48 mm | 0.0 |
| August | 22.9°C | 12.6°C | 56 mm | 0.0 |
| September | 19.6°C | 10.5°C | 51 mm | 0.0 |
| October | 15.1°C | 7.9°C | 59 mm | 0.7 |
| November | 10.7°C | 4.5°C | 53 mm | 3.7 |
| December | 8.0°C | 2.2°C | 50 mm | 9.2 |
| Year | 14.9°C | 6.6°C | 563 mm | 40 |
Met Office historic station data, Cambridge NIAB, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Thetford 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 Norfolk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thetford | 22.6°C | 1.2°C | 658 mm |
| Brandon 5.7 mi | 22.7°C about the same | 1.2°C about the same | 630 mm |
| Weeting 6.7 mi | 23.0°C about the same | 1.0°C about the same | 628 mm |
| Mundford 7.7 mi | 22.8°C about the same | 0.9°C about the same | 637 mm |
| East Harling 8.0 mi | 22.7°C about the same | 1.5°C about the same | 656 mm |
| Stanton 8.4 mi | 22.5°C about the same | 1.6°C about the same | 629 mm |
| Ixworth 8.8 mi | 22.6°C about the same | 1.7°C about the same | 619 mm |
Thetford 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 | 7.5°C 46°F | 1.2°C 34°F | 4.2°C | 53 mm 2.1 in |
| February | 8.1°C 47°F | 0.8°C 33°F | 4.4°C | 45 mm 1.8 in |
| March | 10.7°C 51°F | 1.9°C 35°F | 6.3°C | 44 mm 1.7 in |
| April | 13.9°C 57°F | 3.5°C 38°F | 8.7°C | 40 mm 1.6 in |
| May | 17.2°C 63°F | 6.3°C 43°F | 11.8°C | 47 mm 1.8 in |
| June | 20.1°C 68°F | 9.4°C 49°F | 14.7°C | 62 mm 2.4 in |
| July | 22.6°C 73°F | 11.5°C 53°F | 17.0°C | 57 mm 2.2 in |
| August | 22.3°C 72°F | 11.4°C 53°F | 16.8°C | 65 mm 2.6 in |
| September | 19.1°C 66°F | 9.0°C 48°F | 14.0°C | 55 mm 2.2 in |
| October | 14.8°C 59°F | 6.4°C 44°F | 10.6°C | 65 mm 2.6 in |
| November | 10.5°C 51°F | 3.3°C 38°F | 6.9°C | 64 mm 2.5 in |
| December | 7.6°C 46°F | 1.2°C 34°F | 4.4°C | 61 mm 2.4 in |
| Year | 14.5°C | 5.5°C | 10.0°C | 658 mm |
Where Thetford’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 Thetford’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 Cambridge NIAB, 30 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 Thetford’s climate
How warm does Thetford get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 22.6°C (73°F). About 21 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), more than 94% of UK towns.
How cold does Thetford get in winter?
February nights average 0.8°C (33°F). The air drops below freezing on about 62 nights a year, and about under 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Thetford get?
About 658 mm (26 in) a year, less than 77% of UK towns. October is the wettest month (65 mm) and April the driest (40 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 Thetford. 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 Thetford →
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