Orkney climate — normals and trends
Orkney (South Africa) has a humid subtropical, dry winter climate (Cwa) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 17.5 °C and it receives 644 mm of precipitation per year.
These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.
The warmest month is January (22.8 °C on average) and the coldest is June (9.8 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.
Orkney averages 12 frost days, 69 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 97 rainy days per year.
Orkney has warmed by +1.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.12 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 40.5 °C (on 6 January 2016) and the coldest -6.1 °C (on 19 July 1995).
Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.
Climate normals · ERA5
OrkneyNorth West
- coords
- -26.98°, 26.67°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
17.5°C
Average daily high
25.2°C
Average daily low
11.2°C
Annual rainfall
644mm
Sunshine / day
11.0h
Mean relative humidity
56%
Average peak wind
16.8km/h
Seasonal range
13.0°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
12 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
69 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
97 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
24.2 °C
Average feels-like low
9.2 °C
Average peak gust
34.5 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
6 d/yr
Solar radiation
20.6 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.0 °C
since 1940
+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.17 · p = < 0.001
Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).
A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.
Records for the period
Hottest day
40.5 °C
6 January 2016
Coldest day
-6.1 °C
19 July 1995
Wettest day
106 mm
21 January 1947
Windiest day
47.0 km/h
31 October 1985
Strongest gust
87.8 km/h
29 November 1995
Hottest feels-like
39.9 °C
6 January 2016
Coldest feels-like
-10.9 °C
19 July 1995
Snowiest day
1.8 cm
7 July 1996
Sunniest day
13.7 h
9 December 1940
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30.0 °C | +0.8 °C | 104 mm | -7 mm |
| Feb | 28.7 °C | +0.6 °C | 213 mm | +115 mm |
| Mar | 26.6 °C | -0.4 °C | 109 mm | +30 mm |
| Apr | 22.8 °C | -1.6 °C | 171 mm | +120 mm |
| May | 22.1 °C | +0.3 °C | 2 mm | -15 mm |
| Jun | 19.7 °C | +0.8 °C | 7 mm | -1 mm |
| Jul | 20.2 °C | +1.1 °C | 9 mm | +4 mm |
| Aug | 24.9 °C | +2.7 °C | 2 mm | -9 mm |
| Sep | 27.9 °C | +1.7 °C | 32 mm | +13 mm |
| Oct | 28.2 °C | +0.2 °C | 65 mm | +6 mm |
| Nov | 26.2 °C | -2.3 °C | 120 mm | +37 mm |
| Dec | 28.2 °C | -0.9 °C | 119 mm | +14 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of Orkney?
Orkney has a humid subtropical, dry winter climate (Köppen Cwa). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 17.5 °C and it receives 644 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Orkney?
The hottest day measured in Orkney between 1940 and 2025 was 6 January 2016, reaching 40.5 °C.
What is the coldest day in Orkney?
The coldest day measured in Orkney between 1940 and 2025 was 19 July 1995, at -6.1 °C.
Does it snow in Orkney?
Almost never: Orkney sees virtually no snow, with about 12 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Orkney warmed?
Yes: Orkney warmed by +1.0 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Orkney?
The wettest day measured in Orkney between 1940 and 2025 was 21 January 1947, with 106 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Orkney?
The windiest day measured in Orkney between 1940 and 2025 was 31 October 1985, with winds reaching 47.0 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Orkney?
The warmest month in Orkney is January (22.8 °C on average); the coldest is June (9.8 °C).
How much does it rain in Orkney?
Orkney receives on average 644 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 97 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Orkney?
Orkney gets on average 11.0 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,015 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Orkney?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Orkney between 1940 and 2025 was 7 July 1996, with 1.8 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Orkney?
Yes: Orkney has on average 6 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Orkney?
In Orkney, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 39.9 °C on 6 January 2016, and the lowest was -10.9 °C on 19 July 1995.
Compare Orkney with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Orkney