Photo: Charlesdrakew · Public domainMidwinter lows in Small Dole stay above those of 81% of UK towns
Sunny July days climb to about 22.2°C (72°F). Warm days come often: about 15 a year reach 25°C, more than in 74% of UK towns. Only 20°C separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to April, which average under 10°C.
Met Office 1991–2020 averages for the town itself.
A year in Small Dole at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, in °C.
What a year in Small Dole feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from the Met Office’s 1991–2020 averages.
About 863 mm of rain a year
November is the wettest month and April the driest. About 27 days a year bring 10 mm (0.4 in) or more.
Rain by month
Millimetres
Sunshine by month
Hours of bright sunshine at Eastbourne
41 air frosts and 15 days of 25°C a year
On about 41 nights a year the air drops below freezing, and on about under 1 days it stays below freezing all day. About 15 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 Eastbourne
Eastbourne is 26 miles east of Small Dole, 7 m (23 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 | Sun (hours) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.5°C | 3.9°C | 83 mm | 4.5 | 70 |
| February | 8.6°C | 3.6°C | 58 mm | 3.8 | 90 |
| March | 10.5°C | 4.9°C | 48 mm | 1.1 | 134 |
| April | 13.3°C | 6.7°C | 45 mm | 0.2 | 203 |
| May | 16.3°C | 9.6°C | 46 mm | 0.0 | 236 |
| June | 18.9°C | 12.5°C | 47 mm | 0.0 | 239 |
| July | 21.0°C | 14.7°C | 54 mm | 0.0 | 252 |
| August | 21.3°C | 14.9°C | 60 mm | 0.0 | 233 |
| September | 19.2°C | 12.6°C | 60 mm | 0.0 | 172 |
| October | 15.7°C | 9.9°C | 93 mm | 0.0 | 121 |
| November | 11.9°C | 6.9°C | 98 mm | 0.6 | 78 |
| December | 9.3°C | 4.5°C | 100 mm | 3.8 | 62 |
| Year | 14.5°C | 8.7°C | 792 mm | 14 | 1,889 |
Met Office historic station data, Eastbourne, 1991–2020 months averaged (a month needs 20 of the 30 years; estimated values counted, missing months left out). Sunshine: Campbell-Stokes recorder.
How Small Dole 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 West Sussex 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small Dole | 22.2°C | 2.4°C | 863 mm |
| Upper Beeding 1.9 mi | 22.2°C about the same | 2.5°C about the same | 878 mm |
| Henfield 2.0 mi | 22.2°C about the same | 2.2°C about the same | 860 mm |
| Steyning 2.6 mi | 22.2°C about the same | 2.2°C about the same | 876 mm |
| Partridge Green 4.1 mi | 22.2°C about the same | 2.2°C about the same | 817 mm |
| Shoreham-by-Sea 4.8 mi | 22.1°C about the same | 2.8°C about the same | 838 mm |
| Southwick 4.9 mi | 21.9°C about the same | 2.8°C about the same | 881 mm |
Small Dole 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 | 8.4°C 47°F | 2.4°C 36°F | 5.3°C | 100 mm 3.9 in |
| February | 8.5°C 47°F | 1.9°C 35°F | 5.2°C | 66 mm 2.6 in |
| March | 11.1°C 52°F | 3.5°C 38°F | 7.3°C | 54 mm 2.1 in |
| April | 14.1°C 57°F | 5.0°C 41°F | 9.5°C | 52 mm 2.0 in |
| May | 17.3°C 63°F | 7.9°C 46°F | 12.7°C | 52 mm 2.1 in |
| June | 20.2°C 68°F | 10.8°C 51°F | 15.6°C | 52 mm 2.1 in |
| July | 22.2°C 72°F | 12.8°C 55°F | 17.5°C | 55 mm 2.1 in |
| August | 22.3°C 72°F | 12.8°C 55°F | 17.5°C | 65 mm 2.6 in |
| September | 19.6°C 67°F | 10.5°C 51°F | 15.0°C | 64 mm 2.5 in |
| October | 15.7°C 60°F | 8.0°C 46°F | 11.9°C | 98 mm 3.9 in |
| November | 11.4°C 52°F | 4.8°C 41°F | 8.1°C | 104 mm 4.1 in |
| December | 8.7°C 48°F | 2.6°C 37°F | 5.6°C | 103 mm 4.1 in |
| Year | 15.0°C | 6.9°C | 10.9°C | 863 mm |
Where Small Dole’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 Small Dole’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 Eastbourne, 26 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 Small Dole’s climate
How warm does Small Dole get in summer?
August is the warmest month, with average highs of 22.3°C (72°F). About 15 days a year reach 25°C (77°F), more than 74% of UK towns.
How cold does Small Dole get in winter?
February nights average 1.9°C (35°F). The air drops below freezing on about 41 nights a year, and about under 1 days a year stay below freezing all day.
How much rain does Small Dole get?
About 863 mm (34 in) a year, more than 64% of UK towns. November is the wettest month (104 mm) and April the driest (52 mm).
How sunny is it?
The nearest Met Office station with a sunshine record, Eastbourne (26 miles away), averages 1,889 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 Small Dole. 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 Small Dole →
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.