Belfast weather in March

In March, Belfast sees average daytime highs of 9°C and overnight lows near 4°C, with 62 mm of precipitation across 13.4 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 9th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 8°C in the first days to 10°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time in March, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 10 h 18 min at the start of March to 12 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, March is Belfast's 8th-clearest and 5th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Belfast's year-round climate.

Daytime high
9th warmest
Overnight low
4th coldest
Precipitation
62 mm
13.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:50 AM – 6:17 PM
Cloud cover
77%
8th clearest
Wind
17 km/h
5th windiest
Solar energy
2.4 kWh/m²
Travel score
1.6
out of 10

Belfast is capital city of Northern Ireland.

Air quality
Moderate
PM2.5 10.6 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
3,026/km²
people per km²

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

Temperature in March

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 8°C in the first days to 10°C by the end.

A typical March day in Belfast reaches about 9°C in the afternoon and slips back to 4°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 6°C and 12°C. Set against its neighbours, March runs about 1°C warmer than February and about 2°C cooler than April.

10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
184
284
384
484
584
684
794
894
994
1094
1194
1294
1394
1494
1594
1695
1795
1895
1995
2095
2195
22105
23105
24105
25105
26105
27105
28105
29105
30105
31105

How March really feels in Belfast

Once humidity and wind are folded in, March averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 8 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
8
wind chill below the day's low

The story in March is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Belfast weather by month

How March compares with the rest of the year at a glance. March is the 9th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 7714.20.87.61.0
Feb / 6212.10.99.31.1
Mar / 6213.40.611.51.6
Apr11° / 65130.213.72.5
May14° / 7014.10.115.83.5
Jun16° / 11°7513.2016.94.4
Jul18° / 12°8114.6016.44.9
Aug18° / 12°8114.2014.74.9
Sep16° / 11°7012.5012.54.4
Oct13° / 8713.5010.23.1
Nov10° / 85140.28.21.9
Dec / 8213.50.57.11.2

Cloud cover in March

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 9% of the time in March.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 15% of March, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 76%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12674
22674
32674
42674
52674
62674
72575
82575
92575
102476
112476
122476
132377
142377
152377
162278
172278
182278
192278
202278
212278
222278
232278
242377
252377
262377
272377
282377
292278
302377
312377

Chance of precipitation in March

Any precipitationSnow

Belfast gets around 62 mm of rain and snow over 13.4 wet days in March. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 43% and peaks near 47% on the wettest days, and about 1 day brings snow.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1463
2473
3473
4473
5473
6473
7472
8472
9462
10462
11452
12452
13442
14442
15432
16422
17412
18412
19402
20402
21402
22402
23402
24402
25412
26412
27422
28422
29432
30432
31432

Humidity in March

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, March lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in March

Winds average 17 km/h in March.

Across March, daily wind ranges from about 17 km/h on the calmest days to 18 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0510152025151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
118light breeze
218light breeze
318light breeze
418light breeze
518light breeze
618light breeze
718light breeze
818light breeze
918light breeze
1018light breeze
1118light breeze
1218light breeze
1318light breeze
1418light breeze
1518light breeze
1618light breeze
1718light breeze
1818light breeze
1917light breeze
2017light breeze
2117light breeze
2217light breeze
2317light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2617light breeze
2717light breeze
2817light breeze
2917light breeze
3017light breeze
3117light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in March

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 10 h 18 min at the start of March to 12 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 138 minutes over March. Sunrise moves from 7:27 AM to 6:11 AM, and sunset from 5:47 PM to 6:46 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
110.37:275:47
210.47:255:49
310.57:225:51
410.67:205:53
510.67:175:55
610.77:155:57
710.87:125:59
810.97:106:01
910.97:076:03
1011.07:056:05
1111.17:026:07
1211.27:006:09
1311.26:576:11
1411.36:556:13
1511.46:526:15
1611.56:506:17
1711.56:476:19
1811.66:456:21
1911.76:426:23
2011.86:406:25
2111.86:376:27
2211.96:346:29
2312.06:326:31
2412.16:296:33
2512.16:276:35
2612.26:246:37
2712.36:216:38
2812.46:196:40
2912.46:166:42
3012.56:146:44
3112.66:116:46

Solar energy in March

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in March, about 2.4 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.47 kWh/m² to a high of 4.95 kWh/m² in May across the year — March's 2.4 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.8Dim
21.9Dim
31.9Dim
41.9Dim
52.0Dim
62.0Dim
72.0Moderate
82.1Moderate
92.1Moderate
102.1Moderate
112.2Moderate
122.2Moderate
132.2Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.4Moderate
172.4Moderate
182.5Moderate
192.5Moderate
202.5Moderate
212.6Moderate
222.6Moderate
232.7Moderate
242.8Moderate
252.8Moderate
262.9Moderate
272.9Moderate
283.0Moderate
293.0Moderate
303.1Moderate
313.1Moderate
Planning a trip in March

Is March a good time to visit Belfast?

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

1.6
Sightseeing
9th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
7th-best month of the year

March is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Belfast.

What to pack for Belfast in March

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

In March, Belfast sees daytime highs around 9°C and nights near 4°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear. About 13 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near Belfast in March

The nearest coast averages about 8°C in March — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 31 km away) is warmest in September at about 14°C and coldest in March near 8°C.

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

6°8°10°12°14°16°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan9Bracing
Feb8Bracing
Mar8Bracing
Apr8Bracing
May9Bracing
Jun11Bracing
Jul12Bracing
Aug13Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct14Bracing
Nov12Bracing
Dec11Bracing

UV index in Belfast in March

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in March peaks around 2. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Belfast peaks around July 24 at about 5 (high) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near January 1 at about 0 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 5 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowJul 24UV 5Jan 1UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan0Low
Feb1Low
Mar2Moderate
Apr3Moderate
May5High
Jun5High
Jul5High
Aug5High
Sep3Moderate
Oct2Low
Nov1Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is Belfast?

Belfast sits at 54.6°N, 5.9°W, 7 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Castlereagh, 4.0 km away.

Topography around Belfast

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Belfast has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 76 m around an average of 15 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 495 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 860 m.

The land around Belfast is covered by artificial surfaces (72%) within 3 km, grassland (58%) within 16 km, and grassland (47%) and water (45%) within 80 km.

3 km
76 m
16 km
495 m
80 km
860 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
March weather nearby: Castlereagh 4.0 km · Newtownabbey 7.0 km · Lisburn 11 km · Newtownards 15 km · Carrickfergus 15 km · Bangor 18 km · Antrim 23 km · Larne 29 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 Belfast (54.5968°, -5.9254°, elevation 7 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).