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Cardiff, the capital of Wales, sits on the south coast where the River Taff meets the Bristol Channel, at approximately 51.48°N, 3.18°W. It has a temperate oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) — mild, changeable and rather wet — and its position on the western, Atlantic-facing side of Britain, close to the hills of South Wales, makes it one of the wetter major British cities, though the sea keeps its temperatures mild and its extremes rare.
Summer, from June to August, is mild to pleasantly warm, with July and August the warmest months — average highs around 20–21°C and cool nights. Warm, settled spells bring the occasional genuinely hot day, but Atlantic weather keeps summers changeable, with showers possible at any time. It is among the drier, sunnier parts of the year.
Winter, from December to February, is mild and wet rather than cold, with January and February the coolest — average highs around 8°C and lows near 2–3°C. The Atlantic keeps hard frosts and lying snow uncommon in the city, so winters are more often grey, damp and windy, punctuated by Atlantic fronts and the occasional gale, than genuinely icy.
Cardiff is one of the wettest of the UK's capital and major cities, receiving on the order of 1,100–1,150 mm of rain a year — its western position and the nearby South Wales hills, which wring extra rain from moist Atlantic air, push totals well above those of London or eastern Britain. Rain falls year-round with an autumn and winter maximum. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.
Cardiff's wetness reflects both its Atlantic exposure and the rain-catching uplands of South Wales just to its north, where annual totals climb far higher still — the mountains of Snowdonia further north are among the wettest places in Britain. The city's coastal setting on the Bristol Channel, which has one of the largest tidal ranges in the world, keeps it mild and breezy through the year.
To follow any single measurement in Cardiff more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.