Best time to visit Cork
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 Cork
30 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you.
- 1
Cork City Bike Tour | Local Guide | E-Bikes Available - 2
Rebel City Distillery Tour - 3
Private Tour Blarney, Kinsale & Cobh .The Best Cork has to offer. - 4
Blarney Kinsale & Cobh Private Tour, Viator Badge Of Excellence - 5
Cobh (Cork) to Blarney Castle & Kinsale - Shore Excursion - 6
Cork Sweet Treats Food Tour: Donuts, Sweet Treats, and More - 7
Cork Culinary Tour - 8
Explore the Making & Tasting of Mead - 9
Ring of Kerry Day Tour from Cork: Including Killarney National Park - 10
Cork City Ramble - 11
Cork City Gaol Admission Ticket with GUIDEBOOK - 12
Electric Bike Tour of Kinsale with Expert Local Guide - 13
Kinsale Culinary Tour - 14
Cocktail Masterclass & Distillery Tour Combo - 15
Placenames & Their Amazing Stories: with a West Cork Picnic - 16
Clonakilty Distillery Tour & Classic Whiskey Tasting - 17
Kinsale Cruise, Kinsale ( 50 minutes) - 18
Jameson, Blarney & Cobh Private Tour, Viator Badge Of Excellence - 19
Cork Midleton DistilleryJameson Experience & Whiskey Tasting - 20
Cork Private Walking Tour - 21
Easy Access Blarney Stone and Castle Gardens Tour - 22
Fota House, Arboretum & Gardens Admission Ticket - 23
Cliffs of Moher Day Tour from Cork: Including Wild Atlantic Way - 24
Cork City Guided Tour: Stories, Sites, and Secrets - 25
Blarney Castle, Kinsale & Cork City Centre - 26
Leap into a West Cork eBike Adventure - 27
Boat Tour of Kinsale Harbour and Bandon River - 28
Blarney Castle and Kinsale Tour from Cork - 29
Hop On/Hop Off Cork City Sightseeing Tour - 30
Cork Private Walking Tour With A Professional Guide
Last refreshed 2026-10-24.
Similar climatesKilkenny96% · Waterford95% · Inverness93%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Cork (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 Cork'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 | 3–8 | 5 | 12 | 147 | 12.3 | 85% | 20 | 93 | — | Quiet | 4 |
| Feb | 5–10 | 6 | 16 | 208 | 13.0 | 78% | 25 | 99 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Mar | 4–11 | 7 | 16 | 212 | 13.3 | 75% | 22 | 146 | 2 | Quiet | 4 |
| Apr | 6–12 | 10 | 12 | 162 | 13.5 | 70% | 19 | 188 | 3 | Quiet | 5 |
| May | 8–15 | 13 | 14 | 185 | 13.2 | 69% | 19 | 229 | 4 | Moderate | 5 |
| Jun | 11–18 | 16 | 12 | 166 | 13.8 | 68% | 19 | 221 | 4 | Busy | 6 |
| Jul | 12–19 | 18 | 14 | 178 | 12.7 | 70% | 19 | 217 | 4 | Peak | 6 |
| Aug | 12–19 | 18 | 15 | 195 | 13.0 | 70% | 19 | 212 | 4 | Peak | 6 |
| Sep | 11–17 | 16 | 12 | 154 | 12.8 | 75% | 19 | 164 | 3 | Moderate | 6 |
| Oct | 9–14 | 12 | 18 | 255 | 14.2 | 80% | 22 | 128 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Nov | 6–11 | 8 | 15 | 183 | 12.2 | 84% | 22 | 94 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Dec | 5–9 | 6 | 17 | 191 | 11.2 | 85% | 24 | 81 | — | Quiet | 3 |
UV Index in Cork by Month
UV index in Cork peaks at 4 (moderate) in June, dropping to 0 (low) in January.
Best months in detail
June
6/1011–18°C (feels 16°C) · 12 rain days (166h) · 221 sun hours · 68% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (high)
July
6/1012–19°C (feels 18°C) · 14 rain days (178h) · 217 sun hours · 70% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 4 (moderate)
September
6/1011–17°C (feels 16°C) · 12 rain days (154h) · 164 sun hours · 75% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
4/103–8°C (feels 5°C) · 12 rain days (147h) · 93 sun hours · 85% humidity · Quiet crowd
February
4/105–10°C (feels 6°C) · 16 rain days (208h) · 99 sun hours · 78% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
March
4/104–11°C (feels 7°C) · 16 rain days (212h) · 146 sun hours · 75% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low)
April
5/106–12°C (feels 10°C) · 12 rain days (162h) · 188 sun hours · 70% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
May
5/108–15°C (feels 13°C) · 14 rain days (185h) · 229 sun hours · 69% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 6 (moderate)
August
6/1012–19°C (feels 18°C) · 15 rain days (195h) · 212 sun hours · 70% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 4 (moderate)
October
4/109–14°C (feels 12°C) · 18 rain days (255h) · 128 sun hours · 80% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
November
4/106–11°C (feels 8°C) · 15 rain days (183h) · 94 sun hours · 84% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
December
3/105–9°C (feels 6°C) · 17 rain days (191h) · 81 sun hours · 85% humidity · Quiet crowd
Frequently asked questions about visiting Cork
When is the best time to visit Cork?
June is the highest-scoring month (6/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 11–18°C (12 rainy days). The top three months by score are June, July, September.
What is the worst time to visit Cork?
December is the lowest-scoring month (3/10). Typical conditions: 5–9°C (17 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in Cork?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in March and peaks in July. 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 Cork have good weather but fewer tourists?
September (climate 6/10, crowd index 43) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in Cork by month?
UV peaks at 4 (moderate) in June and is lowest in January at 0 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan —, Feb 1, Mar 2, Apr 3, May 4, Jun 4, Jul 4, Aug 4, Sep 3, Oct 1, Nov 1, Dec —.
What is the UV index in Cork in June?
June is the peak UV month in Cork, with a daily-peak UV index of 4 (moderate). Standard sun protection — sunglasses and light SPF — is recommended.
How high can UV get in Cork 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 4 (moderate), but the top 10% of days reach UV 6 (high) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: April, May, June, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.