Portsmouth weather in August
In August, Portsmouth sees average daytime highs of 85°F and overnight lows near 71°F, with 4.7 in of rain across 12.9 wet days and about 13.4 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 85°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in August, and the air most often feels oppressive.
Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of August to 12 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Portsmouth's 8th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Portsmouth's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 85°
- 2nd warmest
- Overnight low
- 71°
- 11th coldest
- Rainfall
- 4.7 in
- 12.9 wet days
- Daylight
- 13 h 24 min
- 5:27 AM – 6:52 PM
- Cloud cover
- 58%
- 8th clearest
- Wind
- 6 mph
- 12th windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.52 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 5.0
- out of 10
Portsmouth is independent city in Virginia, United States.
- Density
- 796/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1752
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in August
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 85°F through the month.
A typical August day in Portsmouth reaches about 85°F in the afternoon and slips back to 71°F overnight — a 14°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 78°F and 91°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 2°F cooler than July and about 5°F warmer than September.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°F) | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 86 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 83 |
| Avg low (°F) | 73 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 | 70 |
| Avg high (°F) | Avg low (°F) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 86 | 73 |
| 2 | 86 | 73 |
| 3 | 86 | 73 |
| 4 | 86 | 72 |
| 5 | 86 | 72 |
| 6 | 86 | 72 |
| 7 | 85 | 72 |
| 8 | 85 | 72 |
| 9 | 85 | 72 |
| 10 | 85 | 72 |
| 11 | 85 | 72 |
| 12 | 85 | 72 |
| 13 | 85 | 72 |
| 14 | 85 | 72 |
| 15 | 85 | 71 |
| 16 | 85 | 71 |
| 17 | 85 | 71 |
| 18 | 85 | 71 |
| 19 | 85 | 71 |
| 20 | 85 | 71 |
| 21 | 84 | 71 |
| 22 | 84 | 71 |
| 23 | 84 | 71 |
| 24 | 84 | 71 |
| 25 | 84 | 71 |
| 26 | 84 | 70 |
| 27 | 84 | 70 |
| 28 | 84 | 70 |
| 29 | 83 | 70 |
| 30 | 83 | 70 |
| 31 | 83 | 70 |
How August really feels in Portsmouth
Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 11 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
The story in August is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Portsmouth weather by month
How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49° / 34° | 3.4 | 9.1 | 1.3 | 9.8 | 2.2 |
| Feb | 52° / 35° | 3.0 | 9 | 1.1 | 10.6 | 2.8 |
| Mar | 59° / 42° | 3.9 | 10.4 | 0.5 | 11.7 | 4.5 |
| Apr | 68° / 51° | 3.3 | 9.7 | 0 | 12.9 | 6.4 |
| May | 75° / 59° | 3.7 | 10.9 | 0 | 13.9 | 6.7 |
| Jun | 83° / 68° | 4.1 | 11.7 | 0 | 14.5 | 5.6 |
| Jul | 87° / 73° | 5.2 | 15.1 | 0 | 14.3 | 4.3 |
| Aug | 85° / 71° | 4.7 | 12.9 | 0 | 13.4 | 5.0 |
| Sep | 80° / 66° | 4.7 | 11.1 | 0 | 12.2 | 6.4 |
| Oct | 71° / 55° | 3.7 | 7.9 | 0 | 11 | 7.0 |
| Nov | 61° / 45° | 3.4 | 8.5 | 0.1 | 10 | 5.3 |
| Dec | 53° / 38° | 3.5 | 9.3 | 0.5 | 9.5 | 3.2 |
Cloud cover in August
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in August.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 47 | 47 | 48 | 48 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 50 |
| Cloudier (%) | 53 | 53 | 52 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 49 | 50 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 47 | 53 |
| 2 | 47 | 53 |
| 3 | 48 | 52 |
| 4 | 48 | 52 |
| 5 | 49 | 51 |
| 6 | 49 | 51 |
| 7 | 49 | 51 |
| 8 | 49 | 51 |
| 9 | 49 | 51 |
| 10 | 49 | 51 |
| 11 | 49 | 51 |
| 12 | 50 | 50 |
| 13 | 50 | 50 |
| 14 | 50 | 50 |
| 15 | 50 | 50 |
| 16 | 50 | 50 |
| 17 | 51 | 49 |
| 18 | 51 | 49 |
| 19 | 51 | 49 |
| 20 | 51 | 49 |
| 21 | 51 | 49 |
| 22 | 51 | 49 |
| 23 | 51 | 49 |
| 24 | 51 | 49 |
| 25 | 51 | 49 |
| 26 | 51 | 49 |
| 27 | 51 | 49 |
| 28 | 51 | 49 |
| 29 | 51 | 49 |
| 30 | 51 | 49 |
| 31 | 50 | 50 |
Chance of precipitation in August
Portsmouth gets around 4.7 in of rain over 12.9 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 43% and peaks near 45% on the wettest days.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 45 | 45 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 40 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 45 |
| 2 | 45 |
| 3 | 44 |
| 4 | 43 |
| 5 | 43 |
| 6 | 43 |
| 7 | 43 |
| 8 | 43 |
| 9 | 43 |
| 10 | 43 |
| 11 | 44 |
| 12 | 44 |
| 13 | 44 |
| 14 | 44 |
| 15 | 44 |
| 16 | 44 |
| 17 | 44 |
| 18 | 44 |
| 19 | 43 |
| 20 | 43 |
| 21 | 43 |
| 22 | 42 |
| 23 | 42 |
| 24 | 41 |
| 25 | 41 |
| 26 | 41 |
| 27 | 40 |
| 28 | 40 |
| 29 | 40 |
| 30 | 40 |
| 31 | 40 |
Humidity in August
Most of August feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, August lands in the oppressive band about 48% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 82% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Comfortable (%) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Humid (%) | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 21 |
| Muggy (%) | 21 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 34 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 29 |
| Oppressive (%) | 60 | 60 | 60 | 59 | 57 | 57 | 56 | 54 | 52 | 51 | 51 | 50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 45 | 44 | 44 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 41 |
| Miserable (%) | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 21 | 60 | 8 |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 21 | 60 | 7 |
| 3 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 21 | 60 | 7 |
| 4 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 22 | 59 | 6 |
| 5 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 23 | 57 | 6 |
| 6 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 23 | 57 | 6 |
| 7 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 24 | 56 | 6 |
| 8 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 25 | 54 | 6 |
| 9 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 26 | 52 | 7 |
| 10 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 27 | 51 | 7 |
| 11 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 27 | 51 | 7 |
| 12 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 28 | 50 | 7 |
| 13 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 29 | 49 | 7 |
| 14 | 0 | 3 | 12 | 29 | 48 | 7 |
| 15 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 30 | 47 | 7 |
| 16 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 31 | 46 | 7 |
| 17 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 31 | 45 | 7 |
| 18 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 32 | 45 | 6 |
| 19 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 33 | 44 | 6 |
| 20 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 33 | 44 | 5 |
| 21 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 33 | 44 | 5 |
| 22 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 34 | 43 | 5 |
| 23 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 33 | 43 | 4 |
| 24 | 0 | 4 | 15 | 33 | 43 | 4 |
| 25 | 0 | 4 | 16 | 33 | 43 | 4 |
| 26 | 0 | 4 | 17 | 32 | 43 | 3 |
| 27 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 32 | 42 | 3 |
| 28 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 31 | 42 | 3 |
| 29 | 1 | 5 | 20 | 30 | 42 | 2 |
| 30 | 1 | 5 | 21 | 30 | 42 | 2 |
| 31 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 29 | 41 | 2 |
Wind in August
Winds average 6 mph in August, the calmest month.
Across August, daily wind ranges from about 6 mph on the calmest days to 7 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (mph) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (mph) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | calm |
| 2 | 6 | calm |
| 3 | 6 | calm |
| 4 | 6 | calm |
| 5 | 6 | calm |
| 6 | 6 | calm |
| 7 | 6 | calm |
| 8 | 6 | calm |
| 9 | 6 | calm |
| 10 | 6 | calm |
| 11 | 6 | calm |
| 12 | 6 | calm |
| 13 | 6 | calm |
| 14 | 6 | calm |
| 15 | 6 | calm |
| 16 | 6 | calm |
| 17 | 6 | calm |
| 18 | 6 | calm |
| 19 | 6 | calm |
| 20 | 6 | calm |
| 21 | 6 | calm |
| 22 | 6 | calm |
| 23 | 6 | calm |
| 24 | 7 | calm |
| 25 | 7 | calm |
| 26 | 7 | calm |
| 27 | 7 | calm |
| 28 | 7 | calm |
| 29 | 7 | calm |
| 30 | 7 | calm |
| 31 | 7 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in August
Daylight runs from about 13 h 54 min at the start of August to 12 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days shrink by about 60 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 5:14 AM to 5:39 AM, and sunset from 7:08 PM to 6:31 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.9 | 13.9 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.8 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.6 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.3 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.1 | 13.0 | 13.0 | 12.9 | 12.9 | 12.9 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 5:14 | 5:15 | 5:16 | 5:17 | 5:17 | 5:18 | 5:19 | 5:20 | 5:21 | 5:22 | 5:22 | 5:23 | 5:24 | 5:25 | 5:26 | 5:27 | 5:28 | 5:28 | 5:29 | 5:30 | 5:31 | 5:32 | 5:33 | 5:33 | 5:34 | 5:35 | 5:36 | 5:37 | 5:38 | 5:38 | 5:39 |
| Sunset (PM) | 7:08 | 7:07 | 7:06 | 7:05 | 7:04 | 7:03 | 7:02 | 7:01 | 7:00 | 6:59 | 6:58 | 6:57 | 6:56 | 6:54 | 6:53 | 6:52 | 6:51 | 6:49 | 6:48 | 6:47 | 6:45 | 6:44 | 6:43 | 6:41 | 6:40 | 6:38 | 6:37 | 6:36 | 6:34 | 6:33 | 6:31 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.9 | 5:14 | 7:08 |
| 2 | 13.9 | 5:15 | 7:07 |
| 3 | 13.8 | 5:16 | 7:06 |
| 4 | 13.8 | 5:17 | 7:05 |
| 5 | 13.8 | 5:17 | 7:04 |
| 6 | 13.8 | 5:18 | 7:03 |
| 7 | 13.7 | 5:19 | 7:02 |
| 8 | 13.7 | 5:20 | 7:01 |
| 9 | 13.7 | 5:21 | 7:00 |
| 10 | 13.6 | 5:22 | 6:59 |
| 11 | 13.6 | 5:22 | 6:58 |
| 12 | 13.6 | 5:23 | 6:57 |
| 13 | 13.5 | 5:24 | 6:56 |
| 14 | 13.5 | 5:25 | 6:54 |
| 15 | 13.5 | 5:26 | 6:53 |
| 16 | 13.4 | 5:27 | 6:52 |
| 17 | 13.4 | 5:28 | 6:51 |
| 18 | 13.3 | 5:28 | 6:49 |
| 19 | 13.3 | 5:29 | 6:48 |
| 20 | 13.3 | 5:30 | 6:47 |
| 21 | 13.2 | 5:31 | 6:45 |
| 22 | 13.2 | 5:32 | 6:44 |
| 23 | 13.2 | 5:33 | 6:43 |
| 24 | 13.1 | 5:33 | 6:41 |
| 25 | 13.1 | 5:34 | 6:40 |
| 26 | 13.1 | 5:35 | 6:38 |
| 27 | 13.0 | 5:36 | 6:37 |
| 28 | 13.0 | 5:37 | 6:36 |
| 29 | 12.9 | 5:38 | 6:34 |
| 30 | 12.9 | 5:38 | 6:33 |
| 31 | 12.9 | 5:39 | 6:31 |
Solar energy in August
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.52 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.17 kWh/m² to a high of 6.42 kWh/m² in June across the year — August's 5.52 kWh/m² falls in the middle.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.8 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.7 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 20 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 21 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 22 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 23 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 24 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 25 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 26 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 27 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 28 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 29 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 30 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 31 | 5.1 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Portsmouth
In August, Portsmouth sits inside its atlantic hurricane season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Portsmouth sits in the Atlantic hurricane belt; the season peaks August–October.
Is August a good time to visit Portsmouth?
Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
August is a reasonable time to visit Portsmouth for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Portsmouth in August
From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In August, Portsmouth sees daytime highs around 85°F and nights near 71°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Portsmouth in August
The nearest coast averages about 79°F 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 22 mi away) is warmest in August at about 79°F and coldest in February near 41°F.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 3 to Oct 14 — about 4.4 months when the water holds above 68°F.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°F) | 44 | 41 | 45 | 54 | 63 | 72 | 78 | 79 | 76 | 68 | 57 | 49 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Refreshing | Warm | Warm | Warm | Cool | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°F) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44 | Bracing |
| Feb | 41 | Bracing |
| Mar | 45 | Bracing |
| Apr | 54 | Bracing |
| May | 63 | Cool |
| Jun | 72 | Refreshing |
| Jul | 78 | Warm |
| Aug | 79 | Warm |
| Sep | 76 | Warm |
| Oct | 68 | Cool |
| Nov | 57 | Bracing |
| Dec | 49 | Bracing |
UV index in Portsmouth in August
Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Portsmouth peaks around July 12 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 3 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | High | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4 | Moderate |
| Mar | 5 | High |
| Apr | 7 | High |
| May | 8 | Very high |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 7 | Very high |
| Sep | 7 | High |
| Oct | 4 | Moderate |
| Nov | 3 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2 | Moderate |
Air quality in Portsmouth in August
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where August falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Portsmouth is worst in July — around 16 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (November, 7 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 8 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Good |
| Feb | 9 | Good |
| Mar | 11 | Good |
| Apr | 12 | Good |
| May | 13 | Moderate |
| Jun | 16 | Moderate |
| Jul | 16 | Moderate |
| Aug | 14 | Moderate |
| Sep | 11 | Good |
| Oct | 7 | Good |
| Nov | 7 | Good |
| Dec | 7 | Good |
Where is Portsmouth?
Portsmouth sits at 36.8°N, 76.3°W, 10 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Norfolk, 1.2 mi away.
Topography around Portsmouth
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Portsmouth.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Portsmouth has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 72 ft around an average of 10 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 194 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 230 ft.
The land around Portsmouth is covered by artificial surfaces (52%) within 2 miles, trees (44%), artificial surfaces (22%) and water (20%) within 10 miles, and trees (42%) and water (38%) within 50 miles.
United States travel facts
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 100% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $90,027
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 98%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 5.8
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.7
- 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 Portsmouth (36.8354°, -76.2983°, elevation 10 ft), 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). 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. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).