Climate and average weather in Kirkcaldy
In Kirkcaldy, the summers are mild, showery, and mostly cloudy and the winters are cold, snowy, and mostly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Kirkcaldy typically varies from 2°C to 18°C, and is rarely below -3°C or above 22°C. July is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Kirkcaldy for warm-weather activities is from early June to late September.
- Hottest
- Jul
- 18°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 3°
- Wettest
- Oct
- 80 mm
- Driest
- Apr
- 54 mm
- Rain / yr
- 797 mm
- 154 wet days
- Daylight
- 6.6–17.4 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 39 m
- 56.1°N
- Clearest
- Nov
- 71% cloud
Kirkcaldy is town and former royal burgh in Fife, Scotland, UK.
- Density
- 2,798/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Kirkcaldy weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around early June to late September.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Kirkcaldy, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.6 months, from June 3 to September 19, with daily high temperatures above 16°C. The hottest month of the year in Kirkcaldy is July, with an average high of 18°C and low of 12°C.
The cool season lasts 3.8 months, from November 19 to March 14, with daily high temperatures below 9°C. The coldest month of the year in Kirkcaldy is January, with an average low of 3°C and high of 7°C.
Days typically run about 6°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 7 |
| Avg low (°C) | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 3 |
| Feb | 7 | 2 |
| Mar | 9 | 3 |
| Apr | 11 | 5 |
| May | 14 | 7 |
| Jun | 16 | 10 |
| Jul | 18 | 12 |
| Aug | 18 | 12 |
| Sep | 16 | 10 |
| Oct | 12 | 7 |
| Nov | 9 | 5 |
| Dec | 7 | 3 |
How hot and cold Kirkcaldy really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the coldest nights, wind chill pulls the feels-like down to about -2°C (around December 26), with roughly 121 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 0°C), worst in December.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 6 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 7 |
| Air high (°C) | 7 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 18 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 7 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | -2 | -2 | -1 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 1 | -2 |
| Air low (°C) | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | 7 | -2 | 3 |
| Feb | 7 | 7 | -2 | 2 |
| Mar | 9 | 9 | -1 | 3 |
| Apr | 11 | 11 | 1 | 5 |
| May | 14 | 14 | 4 | 7 |
| Jun | 16 | 16 | 9 | 10 |
| Jul | 18 | 18 | 12 | 12 |
| Aug | 18 | 18 | 12 | 12 |
| Sep | 16 | 16 | 8 | 10 |
| Oct | 12 | 12 | 4 | 7 |
| Nov | 9 | 9 | 1 | 5 |
| Dec | 7 | 7 | -2 | 3 |
Average hourly temperature in Kirkcaldy
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on July afternoons, near 18°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 3°C.
Kirkcaldy weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7° / 3° | 74 | 14 | 2.4 | 7.3 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 7° / 2° | 61 | 11.8 | 2.5 | 9.1 | 0.8 |
| Mar | 9° / 3° | 59 | 12.5 | 1.7 | 11.4 | 1.5 |
| Apr | 11° / 5° | 54 | 11.6 | 0.7 | 13.8 | 2.5 |
| May | 14° / 7° | 56 | 12.6 | 0.1 | 16 | 3.6 |
| Jun | 16° / 10° | 64 | 13.1 | 0 | 17.2 | 4.5 |
| Jul | 18° / 12° | 71 | 13.6 | 0 | 16.7 | 5.2 |
| Aug | 18° / 12° | 75 | 13.2 | 0 | 14.9 | 5.2 |
| Sep | 16° / 10° | 59 | 11.1 | 0 | 12.5 | 4.5 |
| Oct | 12° / 7° | 80 | 13 | 0 | 10.1 | 3.1 |
| Nov | 9° / 5° | 71 | 13.6 | 0.5 | 7.9 | 1.6 |
| Dec | 7° / 3° | 76 | 13.4 | 1.9 | 6.8 | 0.7 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Kirkcaldy gets about 797 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is often wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 1.3 months, from around Dec 16 to Jan 25, peaking in January at about 47% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Apr 11.
October is the wettest month by volume, with 80 mm over about 13 wet days; April is the driest, with 54 mm. Some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 45 | 42 | 40 | 38 | 41 | 43 | 44 | 43 | 38 | 41 | 46 | 44 |
| Rain days | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 14 |
| Feb | 42 | 12 |
| Mar | 40 | 13 |
| Apr | 38 | 12 |
| May | 41 | 13 |
| Jun | 43 | 13 |
| Jul | 44 | 14 |
| Aug | 43 | 13 |
| Sep | 38 | 11 |
| Oct | 41 | 13 |
| Nov | 46 | 14 |
| Dec | 44 | 13 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Kirkcaldy collects about 797 mm of rain across 154 wet days — roughly 66 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. October is the wettest month with 80 mm, while April is the driest at just 54 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 29% of the year’s total, and some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 74 | 61 | 59 | 54 | 56 | 64 | 71 | 75 | 59 | 80 | 71 | 76 |
| Rain days | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 |
| Snow days | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | Snow days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74 | 14 | 2 |
| Feb | 61 | 12 | 3 |
| Mar | 59 | 13 | 2 |
| Apr | 54 | 12 | 1 |
| May | 56 | 13 | 0 |
| Jun | 64 | 13 | 0 |
| Jul | 71 | 14 | 0 |
| Aug | 75 | 13 | 0 |
| Sep | 59 | 11 | 0 |
| Oct | 80 | 13 | 0 |
| Nov | 71 | 14 | 1 |
| Dec | 76 | 13 | 2 |
Snow in Kirkcaldy
Average snowy days through the year, the snow-season span, and estimated snowfall — for ski trips and the perennial 'will there be snow at Christmas?' question.
Kirkcaldy averages about 10 snowy days a year. Snow season runs roughly Nov 18 to Apr 16 — about 4.9 months.
February is snowiest, with roughly 3 days of snow and an estimated 8 cm of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 32 cm of snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow days | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Snowfall (cm) | 8 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 |
| Snow days | Snowfall (cm) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | 8 |
| Feb | 3 | 8 |
| Mar | 2 | 7 |
| Apr | 1 | 2 |
| May | 0 | 1 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 1 | 2 |
| Dec | 2 | 6 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Kirkcaldy, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around October 11 and lasts for 4.9 months, ending around March 8. The clearest month is November, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 32% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around May 27 and lasts for 4.5 months, ending around October 10. The cloudiest month is June, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 80% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 27 | 28 | 25 | 26 | 28 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 23 | 27 | 32 | 29 |
| Cloudier (%) | 73 | 72 | 75 | 74 | 72 | 80 | 80 | 77 | 77 | 73 | 68 | 71 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | 73 |
| Feb | 28 | 72 |
| Mar | 25 | 75 |
| Apr | 26 | 74 |
| May | 28 | 72 |
| Jun | 20 | 80 |
| Jul | 20 | 80 |
| Aug | 23 | 77 |
| Sep | 23 | 77 |
| Oct | 27 | 73 |
| Nov | 32 | 68 |
| Dec | 29 | 71 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 20, brings about 17 h 24 min of light; the shortest, around December 19, only 6 h 36 min — a swing of roughly 10 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 7.3 | 9.1 | 11.4 | 13.8 | 16.0 | 17.2 | 16.7 | 14.9 | 12.5 | 10.1 | 7.9 | 6.8 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 8:44 | 7:52 | 6:40 | 5:16 | 4:08 | 3:33 | 3:54 | 4:51 | 5:53 | 6:55 | 8:02 | 8:48 |
| Sunset (PM) | 4:00 | 5:02 | 6:05 | 7:09 | 8:10 | 8:52 | 8:42 | 7:43 | 6:21 | 5:00 | 3:54 | 3:29 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.3 | 8:44 | 4:00 |
| Feb | 9.1 | 7:52 | 5:02 |
| Mar | 11.4 | 6:40 | 6:05 |
| Apr | 13.8 | 5:16 | 7:09 |
| May | 16.0 | 4:08 | 8:10 |
| Jun | 17.2 | 3:33 | 8:52 |
| Jul | 16.7 | 3:54 | 8:42 |
| Aug | 14.9 | 4:51 | 7:43 |
| Sep | 12.5 | 5:53 | 6:21 |
| Oct | 10.1 | 6:55 | 5:00 |
| Nov | 7.9 | 8:02 | 3:54 |
| Dec | 6.8 | 8:48 | 3:29 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Kirkcaldy averages about 3 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 2 and 5 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.6 months, from around Oct 5 to Mar 24. The sunniest month is November, with roughly 5 sunny days (gloomy).
The greyest month is August, down near 2 sunny days — about 62% fewer than the November peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 4 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 3 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 3 | Gloomy |
| May | 3 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 2 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 2 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 2 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 3 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 4 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 5 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 5 | Gloomy |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Kirkcaldy, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in August, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 3% of the time — humidity is not something you need to plan around here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 93 | 75 | 74 | 90 | 98 | 100 | 100 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 22 | 22 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 99 | 1 | 0 |
| Jun | 93 | 7 | 0 |
| Jul | 75 | 22 | 3 |
| Aug | 74 | 22 | 3 |
| Sep | 90 | 10 | 0 |
| Oct | 98 | 2 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Kirkcaldy is typically light breeze, near 16 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 5.7 months, from around Oct 19 to Apr 9. The windiest month is January, averaging about 18 km/h (light breeze).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Apr 10 to Oct 18, with July the calmest month at about 13 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 18 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 17 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | light breeze |
| Feb | 18 | light breeze |
| Mar | 17 | light breeze |
| Apr | 15 | light breeze |
| May | 14 | light breeze |
| Jun | 14 | light breeze |
| Jul | 13 | light breeze |
| Aug | 13 | light breeze |
| Sep | 15 | light breeze |
| Oct | 16 | light breeze |
| Nov | 16 | light breeze |
| Dec | 17 | light breeze |
Best time to visit Kirkcaldy
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Kirkcaldy throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid September, Kirkcaldy is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Kirkcaldy for general outdoor tourist activities is from early June to late September, with a peak score in the third week of July.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.5 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 1.6 | 0.7 |
| Rating | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair | fair | fair | fair | fair | poor | poor | poor |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.6 | poor |
| Feb | 0.8 | poor |
| Mar | 1.5 | poor |
| Apr | 2.6 | poor |
| May | 3.6 | fair |
| Jun | 4.5 | fair |
| Jul | 5.2 | fair |
| Aug | 5.2 | fair |
| Sep | 4.5 | fair |
| Oct | 3.1 | poor |
| Nov | 1.6 | poor |
| Dec | 0.7 | poor |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Kirkcaldy for hot-weather activities is from early July to late August, with a peak score in the last week of July.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Kirkcaldy, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around July (highs near 18°C), the essentials are rain gear. In the cold season around January (highs near 7°C), pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and rain gear.
In July, Kirkcaldy sees daytime highs around 18°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: rain gear. About 14 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Kirkcaldy
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 14°C and coldest in February near 6°C.
The water stays below 20°C all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Bracing |
| Feb | 6 | Bracing |
| Mar | 6 | Bracing |
| Apr | 7 | Bracing |
| May | 10 | Bracing |
| Jun | 12 | Bracing |
| Jul | 14 | Bracing |
| Aug | 14 | Bracing |
| Sep | 13 | Bracing |
| Oct | 12 | Bracing |
| Nov | 10 | Bracing |
| Dec | 8 | Bracing |
UV index (midday) in Kirkcaldy by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kirkcaldy peaks around June 20 at about 5 (high) — a little sun protection helps at midday. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 0 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 5 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Level | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | High | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | Low |
| Feb | 1 | Low |
| Mar | 2 | Moderate |
| Apr | 3 | Moderate |
| May | 5 | Moderate |
| Jun | 5 | High |
| Jul | 5 | High |
| Aug | 5 | Moderate |
| Sep | 3 | Moderate |
| Oct | 2 | Low |
| Nov | 1 | Low |
| Dec | 0 | Low |
Average hourly UV index in Kirkcaldy
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in June the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 7 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended). Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 7 | 6.5 | 6 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 0 | 0 |
| May | 6 | 0 |
| Jun | 7 | 0 |
| Jul | 6.5 | 0 |
| Aug | 6 | 0 |
| Sep | 1.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Growing season
Kirkcaldy is mild enough that a frost-free day stays more likely than not even in midwinter. Nights are reliably above freezing from about March 20 to November 16 (242 days); outside that window a hard frost is an occasional risk.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 79 | 80 | 88 | 97 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 91 | 77 |
| Frost nights | 31 | 28 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 31 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79 | 31 |
| Feb | 80 | 28 |
| Mar | 88 | 14 |
| Apr | 97 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 99 | 0 |
| Nov | 91 | 15 |
| Dec | 77 | 31 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Kirkcaldy banks about 509 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 94 | 154 | 148 | 84 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 0 |
| May | 20 |
| Jun | 94 |
| Jul | 154 |
| Aug | 148 |
| Sep | 84 |
| Oct | 10 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 0 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Kirkcaldy receives about 2.5 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — moderate — with a clear seasonal swing between 0.4 and 4.8 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 5.8 months, from around Mar 23 to Sep 16. The brightest month is May, averaging about 4.7 kWh/m² (bright).
The dimmest month is December, down near 0.4 kWh/m² — roughly 91% less than the May peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 0.5 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Level | Dim | Dim | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Dim | Dim | Dim |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.5 | Dim |
| Feb | 1.2 | Dim |
| Mar | 2.3 | Moderate |
| Apr | 3.6 | Moderate |
| May | 4.7 | Bright |
| Jun | 4.6 | Bright |
| Jul | 4.4 | Bright |
| Aug | 3.6 | Moderate |
| Sep | 2.5 | Moderate |
| Oct | 1.4 | Dim |
| Nov | 0.7 | Dim |
| Dec | 0.4 | Dim |
Where is Kirkcaldy?
Kirkcaldy sits at 56.1°N, 3.2°W, 39 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Glenrothes, 9.0 km away.
Topography around Kirkcaldy
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Kirkcaldy.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Kirkcaldy has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 159 m around an average of 47 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 453 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,039 m.
The land around Kirkcaldy is covered by artificial surfaces (29%), water (28%) and trees (20%) within 3 km, water (47%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and grassland (47%) and water (20%) within 80 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
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 Kirkcaldy (56.1168°, -3.16°, elevation 39 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).