Thurso climate — normals and trends
Thurso (United Kingdom) has a temperate oceanic climate (Cfb) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 8.5 °C and it receives 826 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 August (13.6 °C on average) and the coldest is January (4.2 °C). Rainfall peaks in October.
Thurso averages 23 frost days, 0 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 183 rainy days per year.
Thurso has warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.21 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The number of frost days there went from about 34 to 12 per year over the period.
The hottest day of the period reached 25.6 °C (on 21 August 1995) and the coldest -9.8 °C (on 9 March 1947).
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
ThursoScotland
- coords
- 58.59°, -3.53°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
8.5°C
Average daily high
10.8°C
Average daily low
6.2°C
Annual rainfall
826mm
Sunshine / day
7.5h
Mean relative humidity
81%
Average peak wind
26.5km/h
Seasonal range
9.4°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
23 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
0 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
183 d/yr
Annual snowfall
24.7 cm
Average feels-like high
7.3 °C
Average feels-like low
2.2 °C
Average peak gust
48.4 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
0 d/yr
Solar radiation
9.1 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.8 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.60 · 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
25.6 °C
21 August 1995
Coldest day
-9.8 °C
9 March 1947
Wettest day
49 mm
28 August 2011
Windiest day
82.2 km/h
13 February 1989
Strongest gust
150.8 km/h
13 February 1989
Hottest feels-like
27.0 °C
24 August 1955
Coldest feels-like
-14.7 °C
28 February 1947
Snowiest day
19.5 cm
28 January 1978
Sunniest day
17.5 h
17 June 2023
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 | 6.7 °C | +0.7 °C | 48 mm | -19 mm |
| Feb | 8.2 °C | +1.8 °C | 42 mm | -12 mm |
| Mar | 10.4 °C | +2.7 °C | 60 mm | -3 mm |
| Apr | 12.7 °C | +3.1 °C | 30 mm | -28 mm |
| May | 13.8 °C | +1.8 °C | 44 mm | -18 mm |
| Jun | 16.2 °C | +1.8 °C | 103 mm | +36 mm |
| Jul | 18.6 °C | +2.6 °C | 72 mm | -4 mm |
| Aug | 17.7 °C | +1.6 °C | 74 mm | -6 mm |
| Sep | 16.2 °C | +1.8 °C | 61 mm | -20 mm |
| Oct | 13.1 °C | +1.4 °C | 119 mm | +38 mm |
| Nov | 9.4 °C | +0.8 °C | 87 mm | +15 mm |
| Dec | 8.7 °C | +1.9 °C | 55 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 Thurso?
Thurso has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 8.5 °C and it receives 826 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Thurso?
The hottest day measured in Thurso between 1940 and 2025 was 21 August 1995, reaching 25.6 °C.
What is the coldest day in Thurso?
The coldest day measured in Thurso between 1940 and 2025 was 9 March 1947, at -9.8 °C.
Does it snow in Thurso?
Yes. Thurso gets on average 24.7 cm of snow per year and has around 23 frost days.
Has the climate of Thurso warmed?
Yes: Thurso warmed by +1.8 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Thurso?
The wettest day measured in Thurso between 1940 and 2025 was 28 August 2011, with 49 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Thurso?
The windiest day measured in Thurso between 1940 and 2025 was 13 February 1989, with winds reaching 82.2 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Thurso?
The warmest month in Thurso is August (13.6 °C on average); the coldest is January (4.2 °C).
How much does it rain in Thurso?
Thurso receives on average 826 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 183 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Thurso?
Thurso gets on average 7.5 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 2,738 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Thurso?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Thurso between 1940 and 2025 was 28 January 1978, with 19.5 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Thurso?
Almost never: tropical nights (temperature staying above 20 °C) are virtually non-existent in Thurso.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Thurso?
In Thurso, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 27.0 °C on 24 August 1955, and the lowest was -14.7 °C on 28 February 1947.
Compare Thurso with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Thurso