, with cold, rainy winters and cool, cloudy summers. The wind blows frequently, though less than in northern Scotland, and can be stormy, especially in autumn and winter.
The city is the capital of Scotland and overlooks the North Sea coast, in the Firth of Forth, a bay that is also the estuary (firth) of the River Forth.
Precipitation is frequent but not abundant because of the location of the city on the eastern side of Scotland (in fact, a part of the rains fall on the western side).
, from December to February, is quite cold: temperatures are not so low, but wind and humidity can increase the sensation of cold. The sky is often cloudy, and rainfall is frequent. Sometimes, intense Atlantic depressions can cause wind storms.
are quite rare, and generally not abundant. However, the season in which snow can fall is long, and runs from November to April.
, but generally they don't last long. On the coldest nights of the year, the temperature typically drops to -8/-9 °C (16/17 °F), but can sometimes drop even lower. At the airport, the temperature dropped to -18 °C (0 °F) in January 1982.
, from March to May, the temperature slowly rises, and Atlantic fronts become a bit less frequent. In May, it is often still quite cold.
, from June to August, is cool, with quite frequent rains.
However, quite rarely, there may be periods, usually short, with sunny weather and pleasantly warm temperatures. On the warmest days of the year, the temperature can exceed 25 °C (77 °F), and sometimes it can reach around 30 °C (86 °F). In August 1975 and in July 2022, it reached 31 °C (88 °F).
, from September to November, is gray, cloudy and rainy, and with each passing week, it gets progressively colder. In November, the wind is often moderate or strong.
On the shortest day of the year, December 21st, the sun rises at 8:40 am and sets at 3:40 pm. A month later, on January 20, it rises at 8:25 am and sets at 4:20 pm. In mid-February, it rises at 7:40 am and sets at 5:15 pm.
In spring, the days become longer: already in April, the sun sets after 8 pm, and approximately from June 2 to July 10, the "white nights" occur, that is, it never becomes completely dark. On June 21, the longest day of the year, the sun rises at 4:26 am and sets at 10:02 pm.
In autumn, the days rapidly shorten: the sun sets at about 7:30 pm in mid-September, at about 6 and a quarter in mid-October, and at about 4 pm in mid-November.
to visit Edinburgh is the summer, from June to August. Those who are sensitive to cold may prefer July and August, which are the mildest months; in any case, it's better to bring some warm clothes, like a jacket, a sweatshirt or sweater, as well as a raincoat or an umbrella.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4 °C, with a minimum of
1.1 °C and a maximum of
6.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-6 °C. However, it dropped to
-11 °C in January 2010.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
12 °C. However, it reached
14.2 °C in January 1998.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 7 hours and 40 minutes. So the days are short.
There are on average 2 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 23% of the time.
The average humidity is 85%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
17.5 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
8.2 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
February is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4.3 °C, with a minimum of
1.1 °C and a maximum of
7.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-5.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-9 °C in February 2019.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
12 °C. However, it reached
16 °C in February 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
55 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 3 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 30% of the time.
The average humidity is 82%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
17.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
7.1 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
March is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
5.6 °C, with a minimum of
2 °C and a maximum of
9.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-10 °C in March 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
14.5 °C. However, it reached
21 °C in March 2012.
Precipitation amounts to
50 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 32% of the time.
The average humidity is 79%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
17.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
6.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
April is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
7.6 °C, with a minimum of
3.5 °C and a maximum of
11.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-5 °C in April 2008.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
17.5 °C. However, it reached
22 °C in April 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
40 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 37% of the time.
The average humidity is 77%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
16.1 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
7.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
May is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
10.3 °C, with a minimum of
6 °C and a maximum of
14.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-0.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-3 °C in May 2012.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
21.5 °C. However, it reached
29 °C in May 1992.
Precipitation amounts to
50 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 16 hours and 25 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 38% of the time.
The average humidity is 76%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
15.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
9.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
June is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
13.1 °C, with a minimum of
9 °C and a maximum of
17.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
4 °C. However, it dropped to
0.7 °C in June 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
23.5 °C. However, it reached
26 °C in June 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 17 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are very long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 31% of the time.
The average humidity is 78%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
14.5 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
12 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
July, the warmest month of the year, is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
14.8 °C, with a minimum of
10.6 °C and a maximum of
19.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
5.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-1.1 °C in July 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
24.5 °C. However, it reached
29 °C in July 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
70 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 16 hours and 55 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 32% of the time.
The average humidity is 79%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
13.6 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
13.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
August is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
14.7 °C, with a minimum of
10.5 °C and a maximum of
18.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
5 °C. However, it dropped to
1 °C in August 2014.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
23.5 °C. However, it reached
30.6 °C in August 1995.
Precipitation amounts to
70 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 55 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 35% of the time.
The average humidity is 80%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
13.5 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
14.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
September is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
12.6 °C, with a minimum of
8.6 °C and a maximum of
16.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2 °C. However, it dropped to
-3 °C in September 2020.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
22 °C. However, it reached
26.2 °C in September 1999.
Precipitation amounts to
55 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 34% of the time.
The average humidity is 81%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
14.5 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
14.2 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
October is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
9.4 °C, with a minimum of
5.8 °C and a maximum of
13.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-1 °C. However, it dropped to
-7 °C in October 2018.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
18 °C. However, it reached
21 °C in October 2005.
Precipitation amounts to
75 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 3 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 31% of the time.
The average humidity is 83%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
14.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
13.2 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
November is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
6.2 °C, with a minimum of
3 °C and a maximum of
9.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4 °C. However, it dropped to
-8.5 °C in November 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
14.5 °C. However, it reached
17 °C in November 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 8 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 2.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 29% of the time.
The average humidity is 85%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
15.1 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
11.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.
December, the coldest month of the year, is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
3.9 °C, with a minimum of
0.9 °C and a maximum of
6.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-7 °C. However, it dropped to
-16 °C in December 2010.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
12.5 °C. However, it reached
15 °C in December 1998.
Precipitation amounts to
65 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 7 hours and 5 minutes. So the days are short. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 1.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 22% of the time.
The average humidity is 86%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
15.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
9.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cold for swimming.