Glasgow Observatory (Glasgow) väder (2023)

FAQs

Where does the wind come from in Glasgow? ›

Glasgow has prevailing winds from the southwest for most of the year, with the exception of the spring, when winds shift to having greater frequency from the northeast.

Rainfall in Glasgow is typical, totalling 1079 mm in a typical year. Precipitation is distributed evenly, falling over about 167 days per year.

Winds. Scotland is the windiest country in Europe due to eastward moving Atlantic depressions that bring strong winds and clouds continuously throughout the year. In common with the rest of the United Kingdom, wind prevails from the south-west.

The summit of Cairngorm mountain in Scotland recorded an incredible gust of 173 mph on 20 March 1986 - the strongest ever confirmed in the UK. Indeed, a look at the 1981 - 2010 data from the Met Office shows that the summit of Cairngorm records an average annual wind speed of 28.81 knots (33.15 mph).

July is the hottest month in Glasgow with an average temperature of 15°C (59°F) and the coldest is January at 3°C (37°F) with the most daily sunshine hours at 6 in May. The wettest month is January with an average of 130mm of rain..

If the weather is truly the deciding factor that will tip the scales between Edinburgh and Glasgow, you should know that Edinburgh is also slightly warmer than Glasgow!

London generally has warmer weather than Glasgow City. The average mean temperature in London is 12.17°C (53.91°F) while Glasgow City's temperature is 9.0°C (48.2°F) and the difference is 3.17°C (37.71°F).

Bergen, Norway

Topping the data table for being both the city with the highest average rain days per month (12.7) as well as the highest average daily rainfall (8.8mm), Bergen is the outright rainiest city in Europe.

Glasgow, along with other towns in the region like Clydebank and Cumbernauld see some of the wettest weather in Scotland with an average of 170.3 days rain per year. Paisley and the nearby town of Newton Mearnes are wetter than average for the UK, with around 167.0 days of rain per year.

What is the wettest city in Scotland? ›

It was no surprise that the west coast of Scotland topped the list of wettest locations and more specifically Glen Etive. This historic Glen receives on average 3300mm of rain per year, dry days here are far outnumbered by rainy ones. In fact, Glen Etive ranks as one of the wettest locations in the whole of Europe.

The more northerly latitudes of Scotland reflect a colder winter than Ireland's. The average temperatures in January and February (usually the coldest months) in Scotland are 41*F (5*C) to 45*F (7*C).

Scotland is the coldest part of the UK throughout the year, and has average minimum temperatures of just -0.2^oC during the winter.

Isle of Skye

If ever a unicorn would prance, it would be on this mist-shrouded, mountainous island. Skye is undoubtedly one of the most magical places to visit in Scotland.

The best time to visit Glasgow is between March and August, when temperatures reach their peak and daylight hours are long. On the flip side, the winters are characterized by bitter cold and short days.

Glasgow also lies in the path of a prevailing south-westerly wind and is sheltered by the surrounding Clyde Valley hills. All of this acts to keep the city fairly humid throughout the year. As a result, Glasgow enjoys a very stable climate with relatively warm summers and quite mild winters.

It comes as no surprise that the Scottish west coast gets the worst of it, and rain gets trapped between the ocean and the high mountains of the Highlands. The logical consequence is that the east of Scotland is much drier than the west.

Generally speaking, Edinburgh is a good choice for those interested in historic sites, traditional Scottish culture and Harry Potter fans. On the other hand, Glasgow is a great option for those after a modern, big-city vibe with great nightlife and live music.

Which city is safer Glasgow or Edinburgh? ›

According to the data, Edinburgh saw 9.73 road accidents per 10,000 people in 2021, compared with Glasgow's figure of 9.22 per 10,000 people.

Dalwhinnie holds the UK low temperature records for the months of June, September and October. In addition, it also holds Scotland's record for the lowest April daytime maximum temperature of −1.0 °C (30.2 °F) in 1975, and the record lowest October temperature for the United Kingdom of −11.7 °C (10.9 °F).

From street vendors to high-end stores, you can get everything in Glasgow. It has also been named the world's 2nd most affordable city (Time Out 2022). If you are planning to move here, you must keep track of the full-fledged cost of living in Glasgow.

The snow season generally starts in November and ends in April but, while temperatures can get pretty low in winter, snow is not always expected. In fact, it's pretty unlikely for Glasgow to receive snow at all, and when it does, for it to stick around long enough to enjoy it.

On average, Scotland receives the highest annual volume of rain in the United Kingdom. This is mostly due to its mountainous landscape in the north. Whilst it rains all year round in Scotland, the wettest periods are autumn and winter.

As Atlantic depressions pass the UK the wind typically starts to blow from the south or south west, but later comes from the west or north-west as the depression moves away.

The prevailing winds are generally from west to south. Winds of force 5 or greater are reported around 70% of the time in the west during winter months, and around 60% of the time in the east.

In the UK the most common winds (known as the prevailing winds) are from the west or south-west. These winds arrive in Britain after crossing the Atlantic Ocean, from which they pick up moisture. The air rises as it reaches higher ground, cools and falls as rain. The map below shows the location of hills and mountains.

Dalwhinnie holds the UK low temperature records for the months of June, September and October. In addition, it also holds Scotland's record for the lowest April daytime maximum temperature of −1.0 °C (30.2 °F) in 1975, and the record lowest October temperature for the United Kingdom of −11.7 °C (10.9 °F).

Why is it so cold in Scotland? ›

Scotland is surrounded on most sides by sea, and by fat sweaty Englishmen on another. This leads to high humidity that makes sweating (the body's primary cooling mechanism) less effective, and leads to dew points forming inside clothing layers.

This is because the prevailing west to southwesterly winds across the UK lead to northern and western areas being typically more exposed than the south and east. There are also a lot of localised effects with most hills, mountains and coasts being windier than low-lying inland areas.

Generally, prevailing winds blow east-west rather than north-south. This happens because Earth's rotation generates what is known as the Coriolis effect. The Coriolis effect makes wind systems twist counter-clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

The jet stream influence and La Niña

Part of the reason why the UK has had such persistent wet weather recently is down to the strength of the jet stream.

The Helm Wind (the only named wind in the UK) is a strong north-easterly wind hitting the southwest slopes of Cross Fell in Cumbria.

Northern Ireland is warmer than Scotland throughout the year and has milder winters than England or Wales. Northern Ireland is generally drier than both Scotland and Wales, but wetter than most of England.

While it's Scotland's largest urban area, Glasgow also has Scotland's first national park, Loch Lomond, right on its doorstep. This perfect combination of inner-city living and picturesque Scottish landscapes makes it a hugely enjoyable and rewarding place to live.

Glasgow snow

Average temperatures in winter are around 3°C but that can reach as freezing as -8°C at night during the coldest month of the year (December).

July is the hottest month in Glasgow with an average temperature of 15°C (59°F) and the coldest is January at 3°C (37°F) with the most daily sunshine hours at 6 in May. The wettest month is January with an average of 130mm of rain..