Today's weather for Cambridge, United Kingdom5th Jul 2009 19:20

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Weather Overview for Cambridge

Cambridge has a temperate climate that is strongly influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. This means while all four seasons occur, no extremes of temperature are reached. Cambridge is in East Anglia, about 50 miles north of London in England. The whole of the UK sits in the Gulf Stream, an Atlantic current that brings warmer weather to the region than is natural at its northerly latitude.

Summer, from June till September, is warm and sunny but quite unpredictable. As Cambridge is quite central, sitting away from the sea, it’s summers are slightly hotter than in coastal regions. The average high temperature gets up to 19°C in June, peaks at 21°C in July and August and falls to 18°C in September. From the beginning of the season sunny days will see temperatures in the low 20s and in the peak of the summer the mid to high 20s can even be reached. Night time temperatures are generally cool, rarely above 16°C. However, wind and rain can see the temperatures dropping into the mid teens.

Rainfall does not vary much throughout the year though summer showers tend to be slightly heavier and less frequent than at other times of year. This leaves more time for the sun. Sunshine levels peak at seven hours per day in June then gradually decrease to five per day in September. The beginning of the summer tends to be clearer and warmer than the end.

Autumn, in October and November, is cool and grey. The temperature quickly drops to an average high of 13°C in October and 9°C in November. Night times see lows of 8°C and 4°C respectively. From the end of September you’ll need a jacket and by the end of October you’ll need a thick coat. It is regularly overcast and sunshine levels reduce rapidly to two hours per day in November. Rainfall levels do not alter but showers turn into a lingering drizzle in November.

Winter, between December and February, is pretty dismal. It is chilly with an average high of 6°C and an average low of 2°C. Frosts occur throughout the season. The clouds huddle together, only letting the sun out for around two hours per day. Rain spits down throughout December and January, though February is actually the driest month in the year. While this is nowhere near as cold as in areas of similar latitudes, for instance in New England, it is much less sunny and there is rarely the reward of snow for tolerating these conditions.

Spring, from March till May, turns from cold to mild. The average high temperature climbs above 10°C at the end of March and works its way up to 15°C in May. April often sees an unseasonably hot, sunny spell but this is not to be relied upon. The sun marches back onto the scene, parading for longer and longer, reaching an average of six hours per day in May. A cool wind can often force the temperature down and grey days can interrupt an otherwise pleasant season. Rainfall remains moderate.

England cannot boast about its weather which is well known for its erratic, unpredictable character and perhaps the most boring rain that falls anywhere on earth. But from late spring till the end of summer there are long periods of beautiful sunshine and heat; this is the best time to visit Cambridge to idle around the colleges and go punting on the Cam. Conditions are always changeable but more consistently pleasant in the summer. This does not mean the city should be avoided in the winter; bundled up in your hat and scarf, the ancient architecture and second-hand bookshops seem even more quaint and you can feel chronically English when retreating to a cosy pub to complain about the weather.

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