At a glance
When is the best time to visit London?
Late spring and early autumn. May, June and September average highs of 18–22 °C, the sunniest stretch of the year runs from May to August, and visitor numbers peak from July to September. Winter is short on sunshine but has Christmas, and it is the quietest season for visits.
London's averages are moderate, so the question is less about avoiding heat or storms than about daylight, rain and people. The Met Office's thirty-year averages for Heathrow show a city that warms slowly from March, is at its sunniest and warmest in July, and turns cool and wet from October[1]. The Office for National Statistics' visitor counts add the other half of the picture: when everyone else goes[2][3].
For a trip from the UAE, two calendars matter as well: London's own school and bank holidays, and the UAE's school breaks, which decide when many families can travel at all. We set them side by side below.
How warm, wet and sunny is London each month?
Heathrow averages a high of 8.4 °C in January and 23.9 °C in July. Rain is spread through the year, between about 8 and 12 days a month with at least 1 mm, and totals are highest in October, November and January. July has the most sunshine, 218 hours on average; December the least, 55.
London Heathrow: monthly averages, 1991–2020
| Month | High / low (°C) | Rainfall | Days with rain | Sunshine | Days of air frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8.4 / 2.7 | 58.8 mm | 11.5 | 61 hours | 6.8 |
| February | 9.0 / 2.7 | 45.0 mm | 9.5 | 79 hours | 6.2 |
| March | 11.7 / 4.1 | 38.8 mm | 8.5 | 124 hours | 2.9 |
| April | 15.0 / 6.0 | 42.3 mm | 8.8 | 177 hours | 0.8 |
| May | 18.4 / 9.1 | 45.9 mm | 8.0 | 207 hours | 0 |
| June | 21.6 / 12.0 | 47.3 mm | 8.3 | 208 hours | 0 |
| July | 23.9 / 14.2 | 45.8 mm | 7.9 | 218 hours | 0 |
| August | 23.4 / 14.1 | 52.8 mm | 8.4 | 202 hours | 0 |
| September | 20.2 / 11.6 | 49.6 mm | 7.9 | 157 hours | 0 |
| October | 15.8 / 8.8 | 65.1 mm | 10.8 | 115 hours | 0.3 |
| November | 11.5 / 5.3 | 66.6 mm | 11.2 | 71 hours | 2.7 |
| December | 8.8 / 3.1 | 57.1 mm | 10.8 | 55 hours | 7.2 |
Met Office location-specific long-term averages for Heathrow, 1991–2020[1], rounded by us. Days with rain are days with at least 1 mm; days of air frost are days when the air temperature falls below 0 °C. Averages, not forecasts.
Two things stand out. The first is how short winter days feel: Heathrow averages 55 hours of sunshine in December and 61 in January, against more than 200 in each month from May to August[1]. The second is that rain is steady rather than seasonal. The driest month by total is March, at 38.8 mm, and the wettest November, at 66.6 mm, but no month averages fewer than about eight days of rain[1]. Pack a light waterproof whatever the season.
By Gulf standards London is cool in every month. July's average high is 23.9 °C[1], and nights in May and September average 9–12 °C, so a jacket for the evening belongs in a summer suitcase.
When is London busiest?
July to September. The Office for National Statistics estimates 10.3 million visits to Great Britain by overseas residents in July to September 2024, against 9.4 million in October to December 2024, 7.2 million in January to March 2025 and 9.3 million in April to June 2025. January to March was the quietest quarter.
Visits to Great Britain by overseas residents, by quarter
| Quarter | Visits |
|---|---|
| July to September 2024 | 10.3 million |
| October to December 2024 | 9.4 million |
| January to March 2025 | 7.2 million |
| April to June 2025 | 9.3 million |
ONS provisional estimates[2][3]. They cover Great Britain as a whole, not London alone, and exclude Northern Ireland. The ONS publishes them as official statistics in development, after changing how the survey is run from July 2024, so small differences between quarters should not be over-read.
Visitors from abroad are only part of the picture. London's own school and bank holidays, set out below, are when local families are free to go out, and the long summer break from late July overlaps the busiest quarter for visitors from abroad.
When are London's school and bank holidays in 2026–27?
Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea recommend half-terms of 26 to 30 October 2026, 15 to 19 February 2027 and 31 May to 4 June 2027, with Christmas from 21 December, Easter from 26 March to 9 April, and summer from 23 July 2027. Bank holidays fall on 25 and 28 December, 1 January, 26 and 29 March, and 3 May, 31 May and 30 August 2027.
School holidays recommended for central London, 2026–27
| Holiday | Dates |
|---|---|
| October half-term | Monday 26 – Friday 30 October 2026 |
| Christmas | Monday 21 December 2026 – Friday 1 January 2027 |
| February half-term | Monday 15 – Friday 19 February 2027 |
| Easter | Friday 26 March – Friday 9 April 2027 |
| May half-term | Monday 31 May – Friday 4 June 2027 |
| Summer | From Friday 23 July 2027 (term ends Thursday 22 July) |
The determined dates of the bi-borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster[4]. Schools may set their own dates, and other London boroughs publish their own; most follow a similar pattern.
England and Wales have bank holidays on 25 and 28 December 2026, 1 January, 26 and 29 March (Good Friday and Easter Monday), 3 May, 31 May and 30 August 2027[5]. Opening hours and timetables can change on bank holidays, so check each place before you go.
What is each season like?
March to May: spring
The fastest-warming months: Heathrow's average high rises from 11.7 °C in March to 18.4 °C in May, and sunshine from 124 to 207 hours[1]. The Easter school holidays run from 26 March to 9 April 2027[4]. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is on from 18 to 22 May 2027; the first two days are for RHS members and the public days are 20 to 22 May[7].
June to August: summer
The warmest, sunniest and busiest season. Average highs are 21.6–23.9 °C and each month averages more than 200 hours of sunshine[1]. Schools break up on 22 July 2027[4], and the late-summer bank holiday falls on 30 August 2027[5]. Heatwaves happen, and averages hide them; check the forecast in the week before you travel.
September to November: autumn
September behaves like a softer summer: an average high of 20.2 °C and only 7.9 days of rain[1], with the schools back. October cools quickly and brings more rain, and the clocks go back on 25 October 2026[6]. November is the wettest month by total rainfall[1].
December to February: winter
Cold, grey and quiet, apart from Christmas. Highs average 8–9 °C and there are six or seven days of air frost a month[1]. Hyde Park Winter Wonderland runs from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027[8]. January to March is the quietest quarter for visits from abroad[3].
How do the UAE school holidays line up with London?
Partly. The UAE's October mid-term, 12 to 18 October 2026, comes a week before London's half-term. Spring break, 5 to 11 April 2027, falls inside London's Easter holidays, so expect busy attractions. Winter break, 14 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, covers Christmas and the New Year.
UAE school breaks in 2026–27, and London at the same time
| UAE break | Dates | In London |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-term | 12–18 October 2026 | Term time in London; average high 15.8 °C; clocks go back on 25 October |
| Winter | 14 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 | London schools off from 21 December; bank holidays 25 and 28 December and 1 January |
| Spring | 5–11 April 2027 | Inside London's Easter holidays (26 March – 9 April); average high 15.0 °C |
| Summer | From 3 July 2027 (school ends on 2 July) | London schools in term until 22 July; average highs of 23–24 °C in July and August |
UAE dates from the Ministry of Education's calendar for schools that follow it[10]; check your own school's dates. London: recommended school dates[4], bank holidays[5], clock changes[6] and Heathrow averages[1].
The UK keeps Greenwich Mean Time in winter and moves to British Summer Time on the last Sunday in March, back on the last Sunday in October: on 28 March and 31 October in 2027[6]. The UAE is four hours ahead of GMT all year[9], so London is four hours behind the UAE in winter and three hours behind in summer.
Entry requirements for the United Kingdom depend on your passport, and we do not restate them. Start with GOV.UK's Check if you need a UK visa, or ask our visa desk to check for you.
Questions travellers ask
What is the best month to visit London?
For weather and crowds together, May, June or September: average highs of 18.4 °C, 21.6 °C and 20.2 °C at Heathrow, with about eight days of rain[1]. May and June fall outside the busiest quarter for visitors, July to September[2]; September is inside it, but London's schools are back from early September[4].
What is the rainiest month in London?
By total, November, with 66.6 mm at Heathrow; by number of wet days, January, with 11.5 days of at least 1 mm[1]. The driest month by total is March.
How cold is London at Christmas?
December averages a high of 8.8 °C and a low of 3.1 °C at Heathrow, with about seven days of air frost and 55 hours of sunshine in the month[1].
When do the clocks change in the UK?
They go back on 25 October 2026 and forward on 28 March 2027, then back again on 31 October 2027[6]. London is then three hours behind the UAE, and four hours behind in winter[9].
Do I need a visa to visit London?
It depends on your passport, and we do not restate visa rules. Use GOV.UK's Check if you need a UK visa, or ask our visa desk.
Sources
The desk opened each source on the date shown. Rules, fees and timetables change: check the official source before you travel.
- [1]Heathrow: location-specific long-term averages (1991–2020) — Met Office. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [2]Overseas travel and tourism, provisional: July to September and October to December 2024 — Office for National Statistics. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [3]Overseas travel and tourism, provisional: January to March and April to June 2025 — Office for National Statistics. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [4]Bi-borough (Kensington and Chelsea / Westminster) Determined School Term and Holiday Dates for the Academic Year 2026-27 — Westminster City Council. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [5]UK bank holidays — GOV.UK. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [6]When do the clocks change? — GOV.UK. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [7]RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2027 — Royal Horticultural Society. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [8]Hyde Park Winter Wonderland — Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (the event's organisers). Accessed 25 September 2026
- [9]Fact sheet — The UAE Government portal (u.ae). Accessed 25 September 2026
- [10]MOE announces the academic calendar for the next three years — UAE Ministry of Education. Accessed 25 September 2026
- [11]Check if you need a UK visa — GOV.UK. Accessed 25 September 2026
Corrections
- : An answer said September falls outside the busiest quarter for visitors, July to September. It falls inside it; the answer now says so.
Published 25 September 2026 · Updated 29 September 2026
Seen something wrong or out of date? Write to trade@nwp.ae and the desk will check it against the source.
