Colchester weather in August

In August, Colchester sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 14°C, with 64 mm of rain across 10.7 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 2nd-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 21°C in the first days to 19°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in August, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 15 h 18 min at the start of August to 13 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Colchester's 2nd-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Colchester's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
1st warmest
Overnight low
14°
12th coldest
Rainfall
64 mm
10.7 wet days
Daylight
14 h 24 min
4:47 AM – 7:14 PM
Cloud cover
65%
2nd clearest
Wind
16 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
4.46 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.2
out of 10

Colchester is city in Essex, England, UK.

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

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 21°C in the first days to 19°C by the end.

A typical August day in Colchester reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 14°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°C and 24°C. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and about 3°C warmer than September.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12115
22115
32115
42115
52115
62115
72115
82115
92115
102115
112115
122115
132115
142115
152115
162115
172114
182114
192014
202014
212014
222014
232014
242014
252014
262014
272014
282014
292014
301913
311913

How August really feels in Colchester

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.

Colchester weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 1st-warmest and 2nd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 5712.10.98.10.8
Feb / 469.71.19.60.9
Mar / 4310.20.611.51.9
Apr12° / 4510.4013.63.0
May15° / 5310015.44.4
Jun18° / 12°5710.9016.45.5
Jul20° / 14°5811.80166.1
Aug21° / 14°6410.7014.46.2
Sep18° / 12°5210.3012.45.6
Oct14° / 6411.4010.43.9
Nov10° / 6111.10.28.62.2
Dec / 6211.60.87.61.1

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 62%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14060
24060
34060
44060
54060
64060
74060
84060
94060
103961
114060
124060
133961
143961
153961
163862
173862
183763
193763
203763
213763
223763
233763
243763
253565
263565
273565
283664
293664
303664
313763

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Colchester gets around 64 mm of rain over 10.7 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 35% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
136
236
337
436
536
636
736
836
936
1036
1136
1237
1337
1437
1537
1637
1737
1837
1937
2036
2136
2235
2335
2434
2533
2633
2732
2832
2931
3031
3131

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 45% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
13745170
23745171
33744171
43844171
53843171
63943171
74042171
84041171
94140171
104140181
114239181
124239182
134239172
144339171
154339171
164339171
174439161
184439161
194539151
204638151
214738141
224838141
235037130
245236120
255236120
265435110
275535100
28563590
29573490
30583480
31593380

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
1016light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light 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 18 min at the start of August to 13 h 30 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 4:23 AM to 5:12 AM, and sunset from 7:42 PM to 6:41 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
115.34:237:42
215.34:257:40
315.24:267:38
415.14:287:37
515.14:297:35
615.04:317:33
715.04:337:31
814.94:347:30
914.94:367:28
1014.84:377:26
1114.74:397:24
1214.74:417:22
1314.64:427:20
1414.64:447:18
1514.54:467:16
1614.44:477:14
1714.44:497:12
1814.34:507:10
1914.34:527:08
2014.24:547:05
2114.14:557:03
2214.14:577:01
2314.04:596:59
2413.95:006:57
2513.95:026:54
2613.85:046:52
2713.75:056:50
2813.75:076:48
2913.65:096:45
3013.55:106:43
3113.55:126:41

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 4.46 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.63 kWh/m² to a high of 5.49 kWh/m² in June across the year — August's 4.46 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.0Bright
35.0Bright
44.9Bright
54.9Bright
64.9Bright
74.8Bright
84.8Bright
94.8Bright
104.7Bright
114.7Bright
124.6Bright
134.6Bright
144.5Bright
154.5Bright
164.5Bright
174.4Bright
184.4Bright
194.3Bright
204.3Bright
214.3Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.1Bright
254.1Bright
264.0Bright
274.0Moderate
283.9Moderate
293.9Moderate
303.9Moderate
313.8Moderate
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit Colchester?

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

6.2
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
3.5
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit Colchester for sightseeing.

What to pack for Colchester in August

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

In August, Colchester sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 14°C. Worth packing: rain gear. About 11 days see rain.

rain gear

Sea temperature near Colchester in August

The nearest coast averages about 18°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 32 km away) is warmest in August at about 18°C and coldest in February near 6°C.

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

5°10°15°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshing
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan7Bracing
Feb6Bracing
Mar7Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May12Bracing
Jun15Bracing
Jul17Cool
Aug18Cool
Sep17Cool
Oct15Bracing
Nov12Bracing
Dec9Bracing

UV index in Colchester in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Colchester peaks around June 23 at about 6 (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.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowJun 23UV 6Jan 1UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr3Moderate
May6High
Jun6High
Jul6High
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct2Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Colchester?

Colchester sits at 51.9°N, 0.9°E, 29 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Sudbury, 20 km away.

Topography around Colchester

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Colchester has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 59 m around an average of 29 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 100 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 249 m.

The land around Colchester is covered by artificial surfaces (41%), trees (33%) and grassland (22%) within 3 km, cropland (41%) and grassland (26%) within 16 km, and cropland (40%) and water (25%) within 80 km.

3 km
59 m
16 km
100 m
80 km
249 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswaterwetland
August weather nearby: Sudbury 20 km · Clacton-on-Sea 21 km · Witham 21 km · Maldon 24 km · Braintree 24 km · Frinton-on-Sea 24 km · Walton-on-the-Naze 25 km · Ipswich 26 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 Colchester (51.8892°, 0.9042°, elevation 29 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).