Durham climate — normals and trends
Durham (United Kingdom) has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 9.2 °C and it receives 667 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 July (15.5 °C on average) and the coldest is January (3.7 °C). Rainfall peaks in August.
Durham averages 36 frost days, 0 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 140 rainy days per year.
Durham has warmed by +1.5 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.17 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The number of frost days there went from about 54 to 18 per year over the period.
The hottest day of the period reached 35.7 °C (on 19 July 2022) and the coldest -17.2 °C (on 16 February 1940).
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
DurhamEngland
- coords
- 54.78°, -1.58°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
9.2°C
Average daily high
12.2°C
Average daily low
6.3°C
Annual rainfall
667mm
Sunshine / day
7.6h
Mean relative humidity
80%
Average peak wind
22.8km/h
Seasonal range
11.8°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
36 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
0 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
140 d/yr
Annual snowfall
28.3 cm
Average feels-like high
9.0 °C
Average feels-like low
2.9 °C
Average peak gust
42.5 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
0 d/yr
Solar radiation
9.8 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.5 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.40 · 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
35.7 °C
19 July 2022
Coldest day
-17.2 °C
16 February 1940
Wettest day
53 mm
26 August 1986
Windiest day
68.8 km/h
8 January 2005
Strongest gust
128.2 km/h
8 January 2005
Hottest feels-like
33.7 °C
19 July 2022
Coldest feels-like
-22.1 °C
16 February 1940
Snowiest day
15.3 cm
13 March 1969
Sunniest day
16.3 h
19 June 1944
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 | 5.5 °C | -0.3 °C | 68 mm | +12 mm |
| Feb | 7.3 °C | +0.9 °C | 30 mm | -17 mm |
| Mar | 11.3 °C | +2.8 °C | 24 mm | -26 mm |
| Apr | 14.2 °C | +3.2 °C | 5 mm | -46 mm |
| May | 16.1 °C | +2.1 °C | 27 mm | -26 mm |
| Jun | 20.1 °C | +3.0 °C | 49 mm | -6 mm |
| Jul | 20.7 °C | +1.7 °C | 68 mm | +7 mm |
| Aug | 21.0 °C | +2.2 °C | 27 mm | -40 mm |
| Sep | 17.2 °C | +0.7 °C | 84 mm | +31 mm |
| Oct | 13.4 °C | +0.4 °C | 63 mm | +8 mm |
| Nov | 9.8 °C | +0.9 °C | 114 mm | +53 mm |
| Dec | 8.7 °C | +1.9 °C | 85 mm | +27 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 Durham?
Durham has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 9.2 °C and it receives 667 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Durham?
The hottest day measured in Durham between 1940 and 2025 was 19 July 2022, reaching 35.7 °C.
What is the coldest day in Durham?
The coldest day measured in Durham between 1940 and 2025 was 16 February 1940, at -17.2 °C.
Does it snow in Durham?
Yes. Durham gets on average 28.3 cm of snow per year and has around 36 frost days.
Has the climate of Durham warmed?
Yes: Durham warmed by +1.5 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Durham?
The wettest day measured in Durham between 1940 and 2025 was 26 August 1986, with 53 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Durham?
The windiest day measured in Durham between 1940 and 2025 was 8 January 2005, with winds reaching 68.8 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Durham?
The warmest month in Durham is July (15.5 °C on average); the coldest is January (3.7 °C).
How much does it rain in Durham?
Durham receives on average 667 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 140 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Durham?
Durham gets on average 7.6 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 2,774 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Durham?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Durham between 1940 and 2025 was 13 March 1969, with 15.3 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Durham?
Almost never: tropical nights (temperature staying above 20 °C) are virtually non-existent in Durham.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Durham?
In Durham, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 33.7 °C on 19 July 2022, and the lowest was -22.1 °C on 16 February 1940.
Compare Durham with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Durham