York weather in August

In August, York sees average daytime highs of 20°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 72 mm of rain across 11.5 wet days and about 14.6 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 1st-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 12% of the time in August, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 15 h 36 min at the start of August to 13 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is York's 2nd-clearest and 10th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see York's year-round climate.

Daytime high
20°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
12°
11th coldest
Rainfall
72 mm
11.5 wet days
Daylight
14 h 36 min
4:49 AM – 7:28 PM
Cloud cover
70%
2nd clearest
Wind
14 km/h
10th windiest
Solar energy
4.06 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.9
out of 10

York is city in North Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom.

Air quality
Moderate
PM2.5 11.1 µg/m³ · 2019
Density
574/km²
people per km²
Founded
~71 CE

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 York reaches about 20°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 17°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°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12113
22113
32113
42113
52113
62113
72113
82113
92113
102012
112012
122012
132012
142012
152012
162012
172012
182012
192012
202012
212012
222012
232012
241912
251911
261911
271911
281911
291911
301911
311911

How August really feels in York

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.

York weather by month

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

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 5411.81.37.70.7
Feb / 46101.89.41.0
Mar10° / 4610.8111.52.0
Apr12° / 5811.50.413.73.1
May15° / 5511.5015.74.3
Jun18° / 10°7112.2016.85.3
Jul20° / 12°6611.9016.35.9
Aug20° / 12°7211.5014.65.9
Sep17° / 10°5710012.55.3
Oct13° / 6111.5010.23.6
Nov10° / 5911.30.48.31.9
Dec / 5811.11.17.20.8

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 20% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 68%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13268
23367
33367
43367
53268
63367
73268
83268
93367
103367
113268
123367
133367
143367
153367
163367
173268
183268
193268
203268
213268
223268
233169
243268
253268
263268
273169
283169
293169
303268
313268

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

York gets around 72 mm of rain over 11.5 wet days in August, the wettest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 38% and peaks near 41% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
138
238
339
439
539
639
739
839
939
1039
1139
1240
1340
1440
1540
1641
1740
1840
1940
2039
2139
2238
2337
2436
2535
2634
2734
2833
2932
3032
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 68% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
160319
261309
361309
462299
5612910
6622810
7632710
8632710
9632710
10642610
11642610
1265269
1365269
1465269
1565278
1665278
1766277
1867276
1967276
2069265
2169265
2271254
2371254
2473243
2574233
2674233
2776222
2876222
2977212
3077212
3179201

Wind in August

Winds average 14 km/h in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 13 km/h on the calmest days to 14 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
113light breeze
213light breeze
313light breeze
413light breeze
513light breeze
614light breeze
714light breeze
814light breeze
914light breeze
1014light breeze
1114light breeze
1214light breeze
1314light breeze
1414light breeze
1514light breeze
1614light breeze
1714light breeze
1814light breeze
1914light breeze
2014light breeze
2114light breeze
2214light breeze
2314light breeze
2414light breeze
2514light breeze
2614light breeze
2714light breeze
2814light breeze
2914light breeze
3014light breeze
3114light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 15 h 36 min at the start of August to 13 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 120 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 4:23 AM to 5:17 AM, and sunset from 7:58 PM to 6:52 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
115.64:237:58
215.54:247:56
315.54:267:54
415.44:287:52
515.44:307:51
615.34:317:49
715.24:337:47
815.24:357:45
915.14:377:43
1015.04:387:41
1115.04:407:39
1214.94:427:36
1314.84:447:34
1414.84:467:32
1514.74:477:30
1614.64:497:28
1714.64:517:25
1814.54:537:23
1914.44:557:21
2014.44:567:19
2114.34:587:16
2214.25:007:14
2314.25:027:12
2414.15:047:09
2514.05:067:07
2614.05:077:04
2713.95:097:02
2813.85:117:00
2913.75:136:57
3013.75:156:55
3113.65:176:52

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 4.06 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.52 kWh/m² to a high of 5 kWh/m² in June across the year — August's 4.06 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.6Bright
24.6Bright
34.5Bright
44.5Bright
54.5Bright
64.4Bright
74.4Bright
84.3Bright
94.3Bright
104.3Bright
114.3Bright
124.2Bright
134.2Bright
144.2Bright
154.1Bright
164.1Bright
174.0Bright
184.0Bright
194.0Moderate
203.9Moderate
213.9Moderate
223.9Moderate
233.8Moderate
243.8Moderate
253.7Moderate
263.7Moderate
273.6Moderate
283.6Moderate
293.6Moderate
303.5Moderate
313.5Moderate
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit York?

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

5.9
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
3.1
Beach & pool
2nd-best month of the year

August is a reasonable time to visit York for sightseeing.

What to pack for York in August

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

In August, York sees daytime highs around 20°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: rain gear. About 12 days see rain.

rain gear

Sea temperature near York in August

The nearest coast averages about 15°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 63 km away) is warmest in August at about 15°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°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcool
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan7Bracing
Feb6Bracing
Mar6Bracing
Apr7Bracing
May9Bracing
Jun11Bracing
Jul14Bracing
Aug15Bracing
Sep14Bracing
Oct13Bracing
Nov11Bracing
Dec9Bracing

UV index in York 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 York peaks around August 11 at about 6 (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 6 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighModerateLowAug 11UV 6Dec 20UV 0
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr3Moderate
May5High
Jun5High
Jul6High
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct2Low
Nov1Low
Dec0Low
Location & terrain

Where is York?

York sits at 54.0°N, 1.1°W, 17 m above sea level, in United Kingdom. The nearest listed city is Selby, 19 km away.

Topography around York

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around York has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 36 m around an average of 14 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 80 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 711 m.

The land around York is covered by artificial surfaces (48%), grassland (25%) and trees (23%) within 3 km, cropland (51%) and grassland (32%) within 16 km, and grassland (37%) and cropland (34%) within 80 km.

3 km
36 m
16 km
80 m
80 km
711 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
August weather nearby: Selby 19 km · Kippax 28 km · Harrogate 30 km · Goole 31 km · Castleford 32 km · Chapel Allerton 33 km · Pontefract 33 km · Ripon 35 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 York (53.9576°, -1.0827°, elevation 17 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).