York weather in October

In October, York sees average daytime highs of 13°C and overnight lows near 7°C, with 61 mm of rain across 11.5 wet days and about 10.2 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 15°C in the first days to 12°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 18 min at the start of October to 9 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is York's 12th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see York's year-round climate.

Daytime high
13°
6th warmest
Overnight low
8th coldest
Rainfall
61 mm
11.5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 12 min
6:43 AM – 4:56 PM
Cloud cover
73%
12th clearest
Wind
16 km/h
6th windiest
Solar energy
1.63 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.6
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 October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 15°C in the first days to 12°C by the end.

A typical October day in York reaches about 13°C in the afternoon and slips back to 7°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 10°C and 17°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 4°C cooler than September and about 4°C warmer than November.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1169
2159
3159
4158
5158
6158
7158
8158
9148
10148
11148
12148
13148
14147
15147
16137
17137
18137
19137
20137
21137
22137
23137
24127
25126
26126
27126
28126
29126
30126
31126

How October really feels in York

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October 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

October 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 October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 4th-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 October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 11% of the time in October, the cloudiest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 73%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
12674
22773
32773
42773
52773
62575
72575
82575
92575
102575
112575
122575
132575
142575
152674
162872
172872
182872
192872
202872
212872
222971
232971
242971
253070
263070
272971
282971
292971
303070
313070

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

York gets around 61 mm of rain over 11.5 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 37% and peaks near 37% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%50%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
137
237
337
437
537
637
737
837
937
1037
1137
1236
1336
1436
1537
1637
1737
1837
1937
2037
2137
2237
2337
2437
2537
2637
2737
2836
2936
3036
3136

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 96% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1928
2937
3937
4937
5946
6946
7946
8946
9955
10955
11955
12964
13964
14964
15964
16973
17973
18973
19982
20982
21982
22982
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in October

Winds average 16 km/h in October.

Across October, 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
1315light breeze
1415light breeze
1515light breeze
1615light 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 October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 18 min at the start of October to 9 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 126 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:14 AM to 7:12 AM, and sunset from 5:33 PM to 4:24 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.36:145:33
211.26:165:30
311.26:185:28
411.16:195:25
511.06:215:23
611.06:235:20
710.96:255:18
810.86:275:15
910.76:295:13
1010.76:315:10
1110.66:335:08
1210.56:355:06
1310.46:375:03
1410.46:395:01
1510.36:414:59
1610.26:434:56
1710.26:454:54
1810.16:464:52
1910.06:484:49
209.96:504:47
219.96:524:45
229.86:544:43
239.76:564:40
249.76:584:38
259.67:004:36
269.57:024:34
279.57:044:32
289.47:064:30
299.37:084:28
309.37:104:26
319.27:124:24

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 1.63 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 — October's 1.63 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.2Moderate
22.1Moderate
32.1Moderate
42.0Moderate
52.0Moderate
62.0Dim
71.9Dim
81.9Dim
91.8Dim
101.8Dim
111.8Dim
121.7Dim
131.7Dim
141.7Dim
151.6Dim
161.6Dim
171.6Dim
181.5Dim
191.5Dim
201.5Dim
211.5Dim
221.4Dim
231.4Dim
241.4Dim
251.3Dim
261.3Dim
271.3Dim
281.3Dim
291.2Dim
301.2Dim
311.2Dim
Planning a trip in October

Is October a good time to visit York?

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

3.6
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

October is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in York.

What to pack for York in October

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

In October, York sees daytime highs around 13°C and nights near 7°C. Worth packing: a warm layer and rain gear. About 12 days see rain.

a warm layerrain gear

Sea temperature near York in October

The nearest coast averages about 13°C in October — 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 October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 2. 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
October 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).