Climate trends at Edinburgh (1961–2025)
Edinburgh, with a population of 488,050, is experiencing notable changes in its climate. The data collected from the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Garden station shows a clear warming trend over the past decades. The period from 1961 to 2025 has seen a significant increase in average temperatures, with the first ten years (1961–1972) having a mean temperature of 8.6°C, compared to 9.91°C in the last ten years (2016–2025). This represents a warming of 1.31°C.
Trend Summary
From 1980 onwards, Edinburgh has warmed approximately 0.94°C, with a trend of 0.279°C per decade since then. The average temperature for the period 1991–2020 was 9.45°C, which is lower than the national benchmark of 9.99°C for the same period. The recent decade (2016–2025) shows an average temperature of 9.91°C, which is an increase of 0.39°C compared to the prior decade (2006–2015).
Climate Change Impacts
As temperatures continue to rise, the risk of heat waves and droughts may increase in Edinburgh, impacting both the environment and the local population. The warming trend observed highlights the urgency of addressing climate change and its effects.
Comparison vs National Benchmark and Paris
Edinburgh's average temperature is slightly below the national top 500 mean of 9.99°C for 1991–2020. Additionally, the temperature in Edinburgh is 3.15°C lower than that of Paris.
Top-5 Warm Years
- 2022: 10.47°C
- 2025: 10.45°C
- 2014: 10.33°C
- 2024: 10.12°C
- 2023: 10.1°C
The record coldest temperature recorded was in 1965 at 7.94°C, highlighting the variability in Edinburgh's climate.
For more detailed data, you can access the raw CSV or JSON. Explore the interactive climate tool here.