Best time to visit Glasgow
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.
Visit May through September for the best chance of dry, mild days and long Scottish daylight — late May to mid-June is the sweet spot. Skip November through February unless you specifically want cosy indoor culture: 7-hour days, near-constant cloud, and 240+ hours of rain a month.
Tours in Glasgow
17 top-rated tours via Viator. Booking links earn this site a commission at no cost to you.
- 1
Hampden Park Stadium and Museum Tour - 2
Glasgow; The Highlands & Loch Lomond Hour Private Tour - 3
Glasgow Afternoon Tea Experience - 4
Glasgow: Lochs and Castles of the West Highlands - 5
Glencoe, Scenic Walk & Highlands Guided Tour starting Glasgow - 6
Standing Stones, Inveraray and Kilchurn Castles & Highland Tour starting Glasgow - 7
Glasgow: Pubs & History Walking Tour with Beer Tasting - 8
Oban and Glencoe and Highlands Day Tour from Glasgow - 9
Oban, Glencoe, Highlands Lochs & Castles Small Group Day Tour from Glasgow - 10
Stirling Castle, Loch Lomond and Cruise Day Tour from Glasgow - 11
Glasgow City Centre Walking Tour with Local Guide - 12
Glasgow Street Art Daily Walking Tour: 2pm - 13
Celtic Park Tour & Dine Package - 14
Tennent's Brewery Tours Ticket - 15
Gander Walking Tours in Glasgow - 16
The Clydeside Tour - 17
History of Glasgow Walking Tour With A Comedian
Last refreshed 2026-05-25.
Similar climatesEdinburgh88% · Bath84% · Dublin82%
Other destinations with the most-alike year-round climate to Glasgow (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 Glasgow'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 | 2–6 | 2 | 16 | 208 | 13.0 | 86% | 23 | 74 | — | Quiet | 3 |
| Feb | 3–8 | 3 | 19 | 275 | 14.5 | 80% | 27 | 90 | 1 | Quiet | 2 |
| Mar | 2–9 | 6 | 15 | 213 | 14.2 | 73% | 21 | 141 | 1 | Quiet | 4 |
| Apr | 3–12 | 8 | 10 | 147 | 14.7 | 63% | 20 | 198 | 2 | Quiet | 5 |
| May | 7–15 | 13 | 15 | 209 | 13.9 | 67% | 19 | 221 | 3 | Moderate | 5 |
| Jun | 10–18 | 16 | 16 | 183 | 11.4 | 66% | 20 | 229 | 4 | Moderate | 6 |
| Jul | 11–18 | 17 | 17 | 235 | 13.8 | 70% | 19 | 225 | 3 | Busy | 5 |
| Aug | 11–18 | 17 | 18 | 235 | 13.1 | 72% | 19 | 210 | 3 | Peak | 5 |
| Sep | 10–17 | 15 | 14 | 168 | 12.0 | 74% | 20 | 162 | 2 | Busy | 6 |
| Oct | 8–13 | 10 | 18 | 255 | 14.2 | 80% | 22 | 108 | 1 | Moderate | 3 |
| Nov | 4–10 | 7 | 15 | 183 | 12.2 | 85% | 20 | 79 | — | Moderate | 4 |
| Dec | 2–7 | 3 | 20 | 244 | 12.2 | 88% | 21 | 50 | — | Quiet | 2 |
UV Index in Glasgow by Month
UV index in Glasgow peaks at 4 (moderate) in June, dropping to 0 (low) in December.
Best months in detail
June
6/1010–18°C (feels 16°C) · 16 rain days (183h) · 229 sun hours · 66% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 4 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 5 (moderate)
Genuinely the best weather month: 18°C max, the lowest rain hours of the year, daylight stretches past 22:00. West End Festival mid-month — Byres Road parties. Park life finally makes sense.
September
6/1010–17°C (feels 15°C) · 14 rain days (168h) · 162 sun hours · 74% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 3 (moderate)
Shoulder season starts: cooler (16°C), rain hours drop to 168, autumn colour hints. Doors Open Days mid-month gives rare access to historic buildings normally closed to the public.
April
5/103–12°C (feels 8°C) · 10 rain days (147h) · 198 sun hours · 63% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 2 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
Driest month of the year (147 rain hours, half of October) and ~14 h of daylight returning. Parks finally greening, Sauchiehall Street outdoor cafés tentative. Glasgow International contemporary art biennial begins in even-numbered years.
Every month
Show the other 9 months in detail
January
3/102–6°C (feels 2°C) · 16 rain days (208h) · 74 sun hours · 86% humidity · Quiet crowd
Coldest, wettest, darkest month — only ~7 hours of daylight and ~74 hours of visible sun for the whole month. Celtic Connections world-music festival runs mid-January into early February and is the main reason to come now. Cheap flights, locals in pubs.
February
2/103–8°C (feels 3°C) · 19 rain days (275h) · 90 sun hours · 80% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
Still cold and wet but days lengthening fast (8 → 10 h). Six Nations rugby weekends pack the city centre around any Scotland match. Celtic Connections finishes early month.
March
4/102–9°C (feels 6°C) · 15 rain days (213h) · 141 sun hours · 73% humidity · Quiet crowd · UV 1 (low)
Dries out slowly; the brutal winter rain hours drop from 275 → 213. Daffodils start in Kelvingrove Park. Glasgow Film Festival runs late February into early March.
May
5/107–15°C (feels 13°C) · 15 rain days (209h) · 221 sun hours · 67% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 3 (moderate) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 5 (moderate)
Sweet spot opens: 15°C max, low rain odds, 16 h of daylight by late month. Aye Write book festival mid-month. Pre-summer prices, before the festival circuit raises hotel rates.
July
5/1011–18°C (feels 17°C) · 17 rain days (235h) · 225 sun hours · 70% humidity · Busy crowd · UV 3 (moderate)
Warmest, but back to wet (235 rain hours — as much as January). TRNSMT festival on Glasgow Green the first weekend draws 50,000 a day. Long evenings still glorious when the rain holds off.
August
5/1011–18°C (feels 17°C) · 18 rain days (235h) · 210 sun hours · 72% humidity · Peak crowd · UV 3 (low) · sunniest 1 in 10 days reach 4 (moderate)
Continues warm and damp. Glasgow Mela multicultural festival mid-month. Edinburgh Fringe is on next door — overflow visitors find Glasgow accommodation cheaper and a 50-minute train away.
October
3/108–13°C (feels 10°C) · 18 rain days (255h) · 108 sun hours · 80% humidity · Moderate crowd · UV 1 (low)
Autumn deepens hard. Wettest month of the year by hours (255), daylight collapses from 12 → 10 h. Glasgow Comedy Festival runs mid-month. Switch to indoor culture mode.
November
4/104–10°C (feels 7°C) · 15 rain days (183h) · 79 sun hours · 85% humidity · Moderate crowd
Dark, wet, cold setting in. Diwali celebrations in Govanhill, Christmas markets open in St Enoch and George Squares late month. Day trips to Loch Lomond become snow-framed.
December
2/102–7°C (feels 3°C) · 20 rain days (244h) · 50 sun hours · 88% humidity · Quiet crowd
Shortest daylight in the UK (~7 h), heaviest rain hours after October. But Christmas markets, panto season at the Pavilion, George Square illuminations, and dark cosy pubs all compensate. Hogmanay (NYE) is huge but Edinburgh's is bigger.
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Frequently asked questions about visiting Glasgow
When is the best time to visit Glasgow?
June is the highest-scoring month (6/10 on the Holiday Climate Index). Typical conditions: 10–18°C (16 rainy days). The top three months by score are June, September, April.
What is the worst time to visit Glasgow?
February is the lowest-scoring month (2/10). Typical conditions: 3–8°C (19 rainy days).
When are crowds lowest in Glasgow?
Search-interest seasonality (Google Trends 2021-2025) is lowest in February and peaks in August. 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 Glasgow have good weather but fewer tourists?
June (climate 6/10, crowd index 47) — shoulder months with above-average climate and below-median search-interest. Often the best value-for-weather trade.
What is the UV index in Glasgow by month?
UV peaks at 4 (moderate) in June and is lowest in December at 0 (low). Monthly peak values: Jan —, Feb 1, Mar 1, Apr 2, May 3, Jun 4, Jul 3, Aug 3, Sep 2, Oct 1, Nov —, Dec —.
What is the UV index in Glasgow in June?
June is the peak UV month in Glasgow, with a daily-peak UV index of 4 (moderate). Standard sun protection — sunglasses and light SPF — is recommended.
How high can UV get in Glasgow 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 5 (moderate) — and even higher. Months where the sunniest days routinely exceed the typical reading: April, May, June, August, September. Plan sun protection for the worst case, not the average.