Where to go in October: weather, events and holidays

Best for October: regions that pass every outdoor check

A region is listed when, in October, average highs reach 10°C, there are fewer than 12 days with 1 mm of rain, rainfall is under 80 mm and daylight lasts at least 9 hours. These are the same thresholds we use for packing advice on When to go.

Suit October on the numbers

Cambridge (outdoor-leaning): highs 15.1°C, 59 mm of rain on 9.6 days, 10 h 27 of daylight.

Cambridge in October · Theatre

York (outdoor-leaning): highs 14.2°C, 58 mm of rain on 10.4 days, 10 h 20 of daylight.

York in October · Theatre

Windsor (outdoor-leaning): highs 15.8°C, 65 mm of rain on 10.8 days, 10 h 29 of daylight.

Windsor in October

Stratford & Warwickshire (mixed): highs 14.9°C, 63 mm of rain on 10.3 days, 10 h 26 of daylight.

Stratford & Warwickshire in October

Leeds (mixed): highs 14.2°C, 58 mm of rain on 10.4 days, 10 h 21 of daylight.

Leeds in October

Oxford (mixed): highs 15.1°C, 73 mm of rain on 10.9 days, 10 h 28 of daylight.

Oxford in October · Theatre

Newcastle and Gateshead (mixed): highs 13.5°C, 55 mm of rain on 11.4 days, 10 h 16 of daylight.

Newcastle and Gateshead in October

Norfolk and the Broads (mixed): highs 14.9°C, 70 mm of rain on 11.4 days, 10 h 24 of daylight.

Norfolk and the Broads in October

Edinburgh (mixed): highs 13.4°C, 76 mm of rain on 11.7 days, 10 h 12 of daylight.

Edinburgh in October · Theatre

Nottingham (city-leaning): highs 13.9°C, 72 mm of rain on 11.2 days, 10 h 24 of daylight.

Nottingham in October

Close: one or two checks tripped

Fewer than 2 of the three weather checks (cold, rain days, rainfall) tripped.

The Scottish Highlands (mixed): 13.7 days with 1 mm or more of rain.

highs 12.8°C, 78 mm of rain on 13.7 days, 10 h 06 of daylight

Sheffield (outdoor-leaning): 12.7 days with 1 mm or more of rain.

highs 13.7°C, 79 mm of rain on 12.7 days, 10 h 22 of daylight

Canterbury & Kent (mixed): 80 mm of rain.

highs 15.5°C, 80 mm of rain on 11.5 days, 10 h 30 of daylight

St Andrews and Fife (outdoor-leaning): 80 mm of rain.

highs 13.2°C, 80 mm of rain on 11.7 days, 10 h 10 of daylight

Brighton & Hove (mixed): 82 mm of rain.

highs 15.5°C, 82 mm of rain on 11.6 days, 10 h 31 of daylight

The Jurassic Coast (outdoor-leaning): 83 mm of rain.

highs 15.5°C, 83 mm of rain on 11.9 days, 10 h 32 of daylight

Portsmouth and Southampton (city-leaning): 93 mm of rain.

highs 15.9°C, 93 mm of rain on 11.8 days, 10 h 31 of daylight

Think twice about, in October

Outdoor-leaning and mixed regions (more than 30% of the sights we tag are outdoors) that trip 2 or more of the three weather checks this month. “Think twice” means plan around the weather, not “do not go”.

Plan around the weather

Anglesey (character unknown, 75% of tagged sights outdoors): 13.9 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 102 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Anglesey All October figures

Bath (outdoor-leaning, 54% of tagged sights outdoors): 12.2 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 86 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Bath All October figures

Bristol (mixed, 40% of tagged sights outdoors): 12.8 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 86 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Bristol All October figures

Cardiff (mixed, 36% of tagged sights outdoors): 15.0 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 129 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Cardiff All October figures

Cornwall (outdoor-leaning, 73% of tagged sights outdoors): 15.0 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 111 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Cornwall All October figures

Devon (outdoor-leaning, 55% of tagged sights outdoors): 12.5 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 102 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Devon All October figures

Glasgow (mixed, 45% of tagged sights outdoors): 16.2 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 132 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Glasgow All October figures

Islay and Jura (character unknown, 67% of tagged sights outdoors): 19.2 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 143 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Islay and Jura All October figures

Isle of Arran (character unknown, 50% of tagged sights outdoors): 18.3 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 163 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Isle of Arran All October figures

Isle of Bute (character unknown, 83% of tagged sights outdoors): 18.3 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 163 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Isle of Bute All October figures

Liverpool (outdoor-leaning, 51% of tagged sights outdoors): 14.4 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 90 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Liverpool All October figures

Manchester (outdoor-leaning, 51% of tagged sights outdoors): 14.5 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 92 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Manchester All October figures

Mull and Iona (character unknown, 33% of tagged sights outdoors): 19.0 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 189 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Mull and Iona All October figures

North Coast 500 (outdoor-leaning, 60% of tagged sights outdoors): 16.6 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 93 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in North Coast 500 All October figures

Northern Ireland (outdoor-leaning, 50% of tagged sights outdoors): 13.8 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 96 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Northern Ireland All October figures

Stirling and the Trossachs (outdoor-leaning, 64% of tagged sights outdoors): 15.2 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 107 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Stirling and the Trossachs All October figures

The Cotswolds (mixed, 42% of tagged sights outdoors): 12.4 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 84 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in the Cotswolds All October figures

The Lake District (mixed, 41% of tagged sights outdoors): 17.0 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 175 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in the Lake District All October figures

The Outer Hebrides (outdoor-leaning, 73% of tagged sights outdoors): 20.3 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 133 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in the Outer Hebrides All October figures

The Peak District (outdoor-leaning, 74% of tagged sights outdoors): 15.8 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 142 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in the Peak District All October figures

Wales (mixed, 38% of tagged sights outdoors): 15.0 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 129 mm of rain.

Rainy-day ideas in Wales All October figures

City-led places with plenty indoors when the weather turns

These trip the weather checks in October, but most of the sights we tag are indoors, so the day depends less on the forecast.

Salisbury & Stonehenge: 12.3 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 86 mm of rain. 78% of 18 tagged sights are indoors.

Birmingham: 12.3 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 81 mm of rain. 74% of 35 tagged sights are indoors.

Orkney: 19.1 days with 1 mm or more of rain; 120 mm of rain. 71% of 14 tagged sights are indoors.

October in numbers

Warmest highs: Portsmouth and Southampton 15.9°C, Windsor 15.8°C, Devon 15.7°C. Coolest: Orkney (11.6°C).
Lowest rainfall: Newcastle and Gateshead 55 mm, Leeds 58 mm, York 58 mm.
Most sunshine hours: The Jurassic Coast 128 h, Canterbury & Kent 124 h, Windsor 115 h.
Longest days (calculated from latitude): Cornwall 10 h 33, The Jurassic Coast 10 h 32, Devon 10 h 32.

October averages by region. Rain days count days with 1 mm or more.
Region	High °C	Low °C	Rain mm	Rain days	Sun hours	Daylight
Anglesey	14.3	9.2	102	13.9	108	10 h 23
Bath	14.9	7.9	86	12.2	104	10 h 29
Birmingham	13.9	7.1	81	12.3	102	10 h 26
Brighton & Hove	15.5	8.4	82	11.6	n/a	10 h 31
Bristol	14.8	8.3	86	12.8	108	10 h 29
Cambridge	15.1	7.9	59	9.6	110	10 h 27
Canterbury & Kent	15.5	8.2	80	11.5	124	10 h 30
Cardiff	15.2	8.0	129	15.0	104	10 h 29
Cornwall	14.6	9.9	111	15.0	112	10 h 33
Devon	15.7	9.6	102	12.5	114	10 h 32
Edinburgh	13.4	6.7	76	11.7	99	10 h 12
Glasgow	13.0	6.8	132	16.2	86	10 h 12
Islay and Jura	13.0	7.6	143	19.2	n/a	10 h 13
Isle of Arran	12.9	7.2	163	18.3	81	10 h 14
Isle of Bute	12.9	7.2	163	18.3	81	10 h 12
Leeds	14.2	6.9	58	10.4	106	10 h 21
Liverpool	14.2	8.5	90	14.4	n/a	10 h 22
Manchester	13.8	6.8	92	14.5	95	10 h 22
Mull and Iona	13.1	7.5	189	19.0	78	10 h 10
Newcastle and Gateshead	13.5	7.8	55	11.4	104	10 h 16
Norfolk and the Broads	14.9	7.8	70	11.4	113	10 h 24
North Coast 500	11.8	6.5	93	16.6	91	10 h 02
Northern Ireland	13.8	6.9	96	13.8	92	10 h 17
Nottingham	13.9	7.4	72	11.2	97	10 h 24
Orkney	11.6	7.0	120	19.1	76	9 h 58
Oxford	15.1	8.0	73	10.9	110	10 h 28
Portsmouth and Southampton	15.9	9.2	93	11.8	113	10 h 31
Salisbury & Stonehenge	14.7	7.5	86	12.3	113	10 h 30
Sheffield	13.7	7.8	79	12.7	97	10 h 22
St Andrews and Fife	13.2	6.2	80	11.7	105	10 h 10
Stirling and the Trossachs	13.5	6.2	107	15.2	81	10 h 11
Stratford & Warwickshire	14.9	7.3	63	10.3	107	10 h 26
The Cotswolds	14.5	7.0	84	12.4	103	10 h 28
The Jurassic Coast	15.5	10.4	83	11.9	128	10 h 32
The Lake District	13.5	6.8	175	17.0	n/a	10 h 18
The Outer Hebrides	12.0	7.0	133	20.3	78	10 h 04
The Peak District	11.8	6.1	142	15.8	90	10 h 23
The Scottish Highlands	12.8	6.1	78	13.7	82	10 h 06
Wales	15.2	8.0	129	15.0	104	10 h 26
Windsor	15.8	8.8	65	10.8	115	10 h 29
York	14.2	6.9	58	10.4	106	10 h 20

Met Office 1991-2020 averages, one station per region (see sources). Daylight is calculated for the 15th at the region’s latitude.

Dated events in October

Only events with dates confirmed on the organiser’s page, up to 4 per place. Always check the organiser before you travel.

Cornwall

Falmouth Oyster Festival7 Oct 2027 – 10 Oct 2027 · Falmouth · source: Falmouth Oyster Festival (official site)

London

Jurassic Oceans: Monsters of the Deep22 May 2026 – 3 Jan 2027 · Natural History Museum · source: Natural History Museum (official site)
Wildlife Photographer of the Year16 Oct 2026 – 11 Jul 2027 · Natural History Museum · source: Natural History Museum (official site)
Baya10 Jun 2027 – 17 Oct 2027 · Tate Modern · source: Tate (official What's on page)
Nalini Malani1 Jul 2027 – 9 Jan 2028 · Tate Modern · source: Tate (official What's on page)

1 more in London

Northern Ireland

Belfast International Arts Festival14 Oct 2026 – 8 Nov 2026 · Venues across Belfast · source: Belfast International Arts Festival (official site)
Belfast Film Festival29 Oct 2026 – 7 Nov 2026 · Venues across Belfast · source: Belfast Film Festival (official site)

Bank holidays in October

England and Wales

No bank holidays in October for the next two years.

Scotland

No bank holidays in October for the next two years.

Northern Ireland

No bank holidays in October for the next two years.

From GOV.UK, next two years from this build. Many people travel on bank holiday weekends; we hold no sourced figure for how that changes crowds or prices, so check transport and rooms early.

More for October

UK in autumn: colour, city festivals and fire (September to November)
Autumn colour walks (October to November)
Rainy-day ideas by region
Month-by-month weather and packing for every region
When to visit London
Compare two destinations

← September All months November →

Editorial note. We do not rank destinations or claim a month is “best” overall. We state no crowd or price levels because no source we fetched gives them. London has no Met Office station in our data yet.

Sources

Station notes: some stations sit near, not in, the town (for example Church Fenton for York, Woodford for Manchester). Daylight is calculated, not a Met Office figure.