Barnstaple weather in August

In August, Barnstaple sees average daytime highs of 19°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 71 mm of rain across 12.8 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 19°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 13% of the time in August, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 15 h 12 min at the start of August to 13 h 24 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Barnstaple's 5th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Barnstaple's year-round climate.

Daytime high
19°
1st warmest
Overnight low
13°
12th coldest
Rainfall
71 mm
12.8 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
5:09 AM – 7:31 PM
Cloud cover
71%
5th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
4.27 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.5
out of 10

Barnstaple is town and civil parish in Devon, England.

Air quality
Good
PM2.5 8.1 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
3,638/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 19°C through the month.

A typical August day in Barnstaple reaches about 19°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 22°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and about 2°C warmer than September.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11913
21913
31913
41913
51913
61913
71913
81913
91913
101913
111913
121913
131913
141913
151913
161913
171913
181913
191913
201813
211813
221813
231813
241813
251813
261813
271813
281812
291812
301812
311812

How August really feels in Barnstaple

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

August sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Barnstaple weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 1st-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 7914.50.88.21.1
Feb / 6511.80.79.61.2
Mar / 6312.80.511.51.8
Apr12° / 6311.90.113.52.9
May14° / 6312.2015.33.9
Jun17° / 11°6511.9016.25.0
Jul19° / 13°6712.6015.95.6
Aug19° / 13°7112.8014.45.5
Sep17° / 11°6111.1012.45.0
Oct14° / 8414.2010.43.5
Nov11° / 8815.208.72.1
Dec / 9514.60.37.81.3

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 13% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 70%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13268
23268
33268
43268
53169
63169
73169
83169
93070
103070
113070
122971
133070
142971
152872
162872
172872
182872
192872
202773
212773
222872
232971
242872
252971
262971
273070
283070
292971
303070
313169

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Barnstaple gets around 71 mm of rain over 12.8 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 42% and peaks near 46% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
140
241
341
441
541
641
741
841
942
1042
1143
1243
1344
1445
1545
1646
1746
1846
1946
2045
2145
2244
2343
2442
2540
2639
2738
2838
2937
3036
3135

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the dry band about 46% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13653110
23751111
33750121
43849121
53948121
64047121
74146121
84245121
94344121
104343121
114443121
124542121
134542121
144542121
154542111
164643111
174643111
184643101
194644101
20464490
21474490
22484480
23494380
24494370
25504370
26524260
27524260
28534250
29544150
30564040
31564040

Wind in August

Winds average 16 km/h in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 15 km/h on the calmest days to 16 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
115light breeze
215light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1115light breeze
1215light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2316light breeze
2416light breeze
2516light breeze
2616light breeze
2716light breeze
2816light breeze
2916light breeze
3016light breeze
3116light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 15 h 12 min at the start of August to 13 h 24 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 108 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 4:46 AM to 5:33 AM, and sunset from 7:59 PM to 6:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
115.24:467:59
215.24:477:57
315.14:497:55
415.14:507:54
515.04:527:52
614.94:547:50
714.94:557:49
814.84:577:47
914.84:587:45
1014.75:007:43
1114.75:017:41
1214.65:037:39
1314.55:047:37
1414.55:067:35
1514.45:087:33
1614.45:097:31
1714.35:117:29
1814.35:127:27
1914.25:147:25
2014.15:167:23
2114.15:177:21
2214.05:197:19
2313.95:207:17
2413.95:227:15
2513.85:247:13
2613.85:257:10
2713.75:277:08
2813.65:287:06
2913.65:307:04
3013.55:327:02
3113.45:336:59

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 4.27 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.67 kWh/m² to a high of 5.43 kWh/m² in June across the year — August's 4.27 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.7Bright
24.7Bright
34.7Bright
44.6Bright
54.6Bright
64.6Bright
74.6Bright
84.5Bright
94.5Bright
104.5Bright
114.4Bright
124.4Bright
134.4Bright
144.3Bright
154.3Bright
164.3Bright
174.2Bright
184.2Bright
194.2Bright
204.1Bright
214.1Bright
224.0Bright
234.0Bright
244.0Moderate
254.0Moderate
263.9Moderate
273.9Moderate
283.9Moderate
293.8Moderate
303.8Moderate
313.8Moderate
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit Barnstaple?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.5
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
2.1
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit Barnstaple for sightseeing.

What to pack for Barnstaple in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Barnstaple sees daytime highs around 19°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

rain gear

Sea temperature near Barnstaple in August

The nearest coast averages about 17°C in August — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 23 km away) is warmest in August at about 17°C and coldest in February near 8°C.

The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.

10°15°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan9Bracing
Feb8Bracing
Mar8Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May11Bracing
Jun14Bracing
Jul16Cool
Aug17Cool
Sep17Cool
Oct15Cool
Nov13Bracing
Dec11Bracing

UV index in Barnstaple in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Barnstaple peaks around August 13 at about 7 (high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowAug 13UV 7Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr4Moderate
May6High
Jun6High
Jul6High
Aug7High
Sep4Moderate
Oct2Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Barnstaple?

Barnstaple sits at 51.1°N, 4.1°W, 12 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Bideford, 13 km away.

Topography around Barnstaple

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Barnstaple.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Barnstaple has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 156 m around an average of 44 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 475 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 652 m.

The land around Barnstaple is covered by grassland (47%) and trees (24%) within 3 km, grassland (60%) within 16 km, and water (42%) and grassland (38%) within 80 km.

3 km
156 m
16 km
475 m
80 km
652 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
August weather nearby: Bideford 13 km · Tiverton 44 km · Porthcawl 51 km · Exeter 54 km · Heavitree 56 km · Bridgend 58 km · Coity 60 km · Swansea 61 km

United Kingdom travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 2
Exercise Increased Caution
Power plugs
Type D / G / M
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 89% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$57,602
2025
Happiness
6.7 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
100%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.1
per 100k, 2021
Road deaths
3.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Christian 60%none 26%Muslim 4%other 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Barnstaple (51.0802°, -4.0581°, elevation 12 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).