More rain falls on Downside than on 77% of UK towns: 985 mm (39 in) a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 1.9°C (35°F). Of all months, November brings the most rain and April the least. Only about 7 days a year reach 25°C, fewer than in 68% of UK towns. Frost greets about 40 mornings a year, so leave time to clear the car.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Downside at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Downside feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 985 mm of rain a year
November is the wettest month and April the driest. About 32 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more.
Rain by month
Millimetres
40 air frosts and 7 days of 25°C a year
On about 40 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about 2 days it stays below freezing all day. About 7 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 Cardiff Bute Park
Cardiff Bute Park is 22 miles west of Downside, 9 m (30 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 | 8.6°C | 2.5°C | 127 mm | 8.1 |
| February | 9.1°C | 2.5°C | 93 mm | 7.5 |
| March | 11.3°C | 3.9°C | 85 mm | 3.9 |
| April | 14.4°C | 5.7°C | 72 mm | 1.4 |
| May | 17.4°C | 8.5°C | 78 mm | 0.0 |
| June | 20.1°C | 11.3°C | 73 mm | 0.0 |
| July | 21.8°C | 13.1°C | 84 mm | 0.0 |
| August | 21.4°C | 12.9°C | 105 mm | 0.0 |
| September | 19.1°C | 10.7°C | 87 mm | 0.0 |
| October | 15.2°C | 8.0°C | 128 mm | 1.0 |
| November | 11.6°C | 4.9°C | 131 mm | 3.7 |
| December | 9.1°C | 2.9°C | 140 mm | 8.3 |
| Year | 14.9°C | 7.2°C | 1,201 mm | 34 |
Met Office historic station data, Cardiff Bute Park, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Downside 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 Somerset 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downside | 20.9°C | 1.9°C | 985 mm |
| Backwell 2.4 mi | 20.7°C about the same | 2.5°C 0.5°C milder | 985 mm |
| Wrington 3.2 mi | 21.8°C 0.8°C warmer | 2.4°C 0.5°C milder | 910 mm |
| Long Ashton 3.3 mi | 21.5°C 0.5°C warmer | 2.6°C 0.6°C milder | 909 mm |
| Nailsea 3.8 mi | 20.9°C about the same | 2.9°C 1.0°C milder | 965 mm |
| Chew Magna 4.2 mi | 20.8°C about the same | 2.3°C about the same | 1,018 mm |
| Blagdon 4.3 mi | 20.0°C 0.9°C cooler | 1.7°C about the same | 1,243 mm |
Downside 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 | 7.6°C 46°F | 1.9°C 35°F | 4.7°C | 96 mm 3.8 in |
| February | 8.1°C 47°F | 2.0°C 36°F | 5.1°C | 69 mm 2.7 in |
| March | 10.3°C 51°F | 3.2°C 38°F | 6.8°C | 65 mm 2.6 in |
| April | 13.3°C 56°F | 4.7°C 40°F | 9.0°C | 64 mm 2.5 in |
| May | 16.5°C 62°F | 7.4°C 45°F | 11.9°C | 65 mm 2.6 in |
| June | 19.1°C 66°F | 10.3°C 51°F | 14.7°C | 66 mm 2.6 in |
| July | 20.9°C 70°F | 12.2°C 54°F | 16.6°C | 78 mm 3.1 in |
| August | 20.6°C 69°F | 12.1°C 54°F | 16.4°C | 90 mm 3.5 in |
| September | 18.3°C 65°F | 10.1°C 50°F | 14.3°C | 76 mm 3.0 in |
| October | 14.5°C 58°F | 7.5°C 46°F | 11.0°C | 100 mm 3.9 in |
| November | 10.7°C 51°F | 4.6°C 40°F | 7.7°C | 108 mm 4.3 in |
| December | 8.2°C 47°F | 2.5°C 36°F | 5.4°C | 107 mm 4.2 in |
| Year | 14.0°C | 6.5°C | 10.3°C | 985 mm |
Where Downside’s numbers come from
Averages over 30 years, not a forecast.
- Mean temperature, rain and day counts: HadUK-Grid 1991–2020 averages for the Met Office 2 km grid square nearest Downside’s centre (the town is smaller than one square).
- 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 Cardiff Bute Park, 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 Downside’s climate
How warm does Downside get in summer?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 20.9°C (70°F). About 7 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), fewer than 68% of UK towns.
How cold does Downside get in winter?
January nights average 1.9°C (35°F). The air drops below freezing on about 40 nights a year, and about 2 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Downside get?
About 985 mm (39 in) a year, more than 77% of UK towns. November is the wettest month (108 mm) and April the driest (64 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 Downside. 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 Downside →
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