Best time to visit Canterbury
Re-score for me — drag the dial — every chart on the page recolours live for your heat limit 27°C
Default 27 °C is the upper edge of the Holiday Climate Index "ideal comfort" band (Scott, Rutty, Amelung & Tang, 2016). Above this, most warm-tourism travellers report measurable discomfort.
How is this scored? HCI / Steadman / CCI gate — full methodology and citations below.
Compare with another destination
Add as many as you like — stacked below the main strips above. Each row is just the recent-window score strip and (for beach destinations) sea-temperature strip.
Tours in Canterbury
6 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you. Map locations are approximate (centred on Canterbury).
- 1
Private Guided Walking Tour of Canterbury - 2
Private Guided Tour of Canterbury City and Cathedral - 3
The Best of Kent: the England you imagined with a local expert - 4
Silver Ring Workshop in Kent, England - 5
Canterbury Private 2 Hour Walking Tour with Green Badge Guide - 6
Official Canterbury Guided Walking Tour - 11.00 Tour
Last refreshed 2026-06-29.
Similar climatesBruges95% · Honfleur94% · Rouen94%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Canterbury (apparent temperature, rain hours, sunshine — matched within the same trip-profile). The ±N chip compares each match's typical score for the current month against Canterbury's. Based on the 2020-2024 climatology, not this year's actual weather.
Month-by-month
| Month | Temp °C | Feels °C | Rain days | Rain h | Rain h/day | Humidity | Wind km/h | Sun h | UV | Interest | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2–8 | 4 | 12 | 141 | 11.8 | 83% | 23 | 106 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Feb | 4–10 | 6 | 13 | 140 | 10.8 | 77% | 27 | 113 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Mar | 4–11 | 7 | 14 | 169 | 12.1 | 72% | 23 | 168 | 2 | Quiet | 5 |
| Apr | 5–13 | 9 | 11 | 124 | 11.3 | 63% | 21 | 234 | 4 | Quiet | 6 |
| May | 8–17 | 14 | 12 | 131 | 10.9 | 64% | 19 | 271 | 4 | Quiet | 7 |
| Jun | 12–20 | 19 | 10 | 111 | 11.1 | 62% | 19 | 281 | 5 | Quiet | 8 |
| Jul | 14–22 | 21 | 14 | 137 | 9.8 | 60% | 20 | 277 | 5 | Quiet | 8 |
| Aug | 14–22 | 22 | 11 | 123 | 11.2 | 62% | 20 | 263 | 5 | Quiet | 8 |
| Sep | 12–20 | 19 | 11 | 120 | 10.9 | 67% | 19 | 206 | 3 | Quiet | 8 |
| Oct | 10–16 | 14 | 14 | 157 | 11.2 | 76% | 23 | 156 | 2 | Quiet | 6 |
| Nov | 6–11 | 8 | 12 | 139 | 11.6 | 83% | 22 | 107 | 1 | Busy | 5 |
| Dec | 4–9 | 5 | 14 | 165 | 11.8 | 86% | 24 | 81 | 1 | Peak | 4 |
UV Index in Canterbury by Month
UV index in Canterbury peaks at 5 (moderate) in June, dropping to 1 (low) in January.
Best months in detail
June
8/1012–20°C (feels 19°C) · 10 rain days (111h) · 281 sun hours · 62% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 7 (high)
August
8/1014–22°C · 11 rain days (123h) · 263 sun hours · 62% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)
July
8/1014–22°C (feels 21°C) · 14 rain days (137h) · 277 sun hours · 60% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 5 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
4/102–8°C (feels 4°C) · 12 rain days (141h) · 106 sun hours · 83% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
February
4/104–10°C (feels 6°C) · 13 rain days (140h) · 113 sun hours · 77% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
March
5/104–11°C (feels 7°C) · 14 rain days (169h) · 168 sun hours · 72% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 3 (moderate)
April
6/105–13°C (feels 9°C) · 11 rain days (124h) · 234 sun hours · 63% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate)
May
7/108–17°C (feels 14°C) · 12 rain days (131h) · 271 sun hours · 64% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 4 (moderate)
September
8/1012–20°C (feels 19°C) · 11 rain days (120h) · 206 sun hours · 67% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (moderate)
October
6/1010–16°C (feels 14°C) · 14 rain days (157h) · 156 sun hours · 76% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)
November
5/106–11°C (feels 8°C) · 12 rain days (139h) · 107 sun hours · 83% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 1 (low)
December
4/104–9°C (feels 5°C) · 14 rain days (165h) · 81 sun hours · 86% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 1 (low)
Frequently asked questions about visiting Canterbury
When is the best time to visit Canterbury?
June is the highest-scoring month (8/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 12–20°C (10 rainy days). The top three months by score are June, August, July.
What is the worst time to visit Canterbury?
December is the lowest-scoring month (4/10). Typical conditions: 4–9°C (14 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in Canterbury?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in April and peaks in December. Interest tracks both in-trip visitors and lead-time planners, so treat it as a "destination is on people's minds" signal rather than literal arrivals.
Which months in Canterbury have good weather but fewer tourists?
June (climate 8/10, crowd index 3) and July (climate 8/10, crowd index 8) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in Canterbury by month?
UV peaks at 5 (moderate) in June and is lowest in January at 1 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan 1, Feb 1, Mar 2, Apr 4, May 4, Jun 5, Jul 5, Aug 5, Sep 3, Oct 2, Nov 1, Dec 1.
What is the UV index in Canterbury in June?
June is the peak UV month in Canterbury, with a daily-peak UV index of 5 (moderate). Standard sun protection — sunglasses and light SPF — is recommended.
How high can UV get in Canterbury on the sunniest days?
Most days look like the monthly average, but on the sunniest ~1 in 10 days UV climbs higher than the mean suggests. June is the worst case: typical days average UV 5 (moderate), but the top 10% of days reach UV 7 (high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: March, June, July, August. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.
Is air quality in Canterbury bad for travelers?
PM2.5 (fine-particle pollution) exceeds the WHO sensitive-group guideline (15 µg/m³) in 4 months: February, March, April, May. The worst month is March with a typical-day mean of 11 µg/m³ (moderate); on the worst 10% of days PM2.5 reaches 22 µg/m³ (unhealthy for sensitive) and higher. People with asthma, heart conditions, or sensitive children may want to avoid these months or limit outdoor activity. Source: CAMS via Open-Meteo.