When is the best time to go to Northern Ireland?

When is the best time to go to Northern Ireland? Here's some information to help you in your decision:

  • In Northern Ireland, the weather is good across more than 22% of the territory for: July, August and September
  • The best months to go to Belfast are May, June, July, August, September and October
  • On average, the warmest months in Belfast are June, July and August, and the coldest months are January, February and March
  • The rainiest months in this city are June, July, August, October and November
  • The cities with the best climate are Annalong, Bangor, Carrickfergus, Dundrum, Kircubbin, Newcastle and Newtownards, with good weather at least 4 months a year


Where and when to go based on the weather?

County Antrim
Belfast, Ballycastle (Causeway Coast), Larne...

May, June, July, August, September and October
56°F to 65°F°C
2 to 13 days
50°F to 59°F
January, February, March, April, November and December
45°F to 54°F°C
2 to 11 days
47°F to 56°F

County Armagh
Armagh, Craigavon, Portadown...

May, June, July, August, September and October
56°F to 65°F°C
2 to 6 days
January, February, March, April, November and December
45°F to 54°F°C
2 to 5 days

County Down
Donwpatrick, Bangor, Newry...

July and August
61°F to 65°F°C
4 to 10 days
58°F to 59°F
May, June, September and October
54°F to 63°F°C
2 to 9 days
50°F to 59°F
January, February, March, April, November and December
43°F to 54°F°C
2 to 8 days
47°F to 56°F

County Fermanagh
Enniskillen (Fermanagh)...

All year round
45°F to 65°F°C
5 to 8 days

County Londonderry
Derry (Londonderry), Portstewart, Coleraine...

May, June, July, August, September and October
56°F to 65°F°C
1 to 11 days
52°F to 59°F
January, February, March, April, November and December
45°F to 54°F°C
2 to 10 days
49°F to 56°F

County Tyrone
Strabane, Omagh, Dungannon...

May
58°F
3 to 4 days
January, February, March, April, June, July, August, September, October, November and December
43°F to 65°F°C
1 to 7 days

Best time to travel to North Ireland by cities

Chargement en cours
County Antrim County Antrim County Armagh County Armagh County Down County Down County Fermanagh County Fermanagh County Londonderry County Londonderry County Tyrone County Tyrone

See full list of cities


Temperatures and rainfall in Northern Ireland

On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of North Ireland and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Belfast, Armagh, Ballycastle (Causeway Coast), Derry (Londonderry) and Donwpatrick, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.


Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in Northern Ireland

Find out when North Ireland has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.

Tourist seasons in Northern Ireland

The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March, April, October and November. The number of visitors to North Ireland is high in: May, June, July, August, September and December.

  • Very low season in Northern Ireland: February and March.
  • Low season in Northern Ireland: January, April, October and November.
  • High season in Northern Ireland: May, June, September and December.
  • Peak season in Northern Ireland: July and August.

Figure: Visitor index for North Ireland month by month


Average price for flights to Northern Ireland

A return flight between London and Belfast is generally cheaper if you go in april ($ 58 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 32 more for your airline ticket to Belfast if you go in december.

Find the best price for your flight Flight prices to Northern Ireland




Where to go in Northern Ireland?

This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).

Cities jan.feb.mar.apr.mayjun.jul.aug.sep.oct.nov.dec.
Belfast45°F47°F49°F54°F58°F63°F65°F65°F61°F56°F50°F47°F
Armagh45°F47°F49°F54°F58°F63°F65°F63°F61°F56°F49°F45°F
Ballycastle (Causeway Coast)47°F47°F49°F52°F56°F59°F61°F61°F59°F56°F50°F47°F
Derry (Londonderry)45°F47°F49°F54°F58°F63°F65°F63°F61°F56°F49°F45°F
Donwpatrick47°F47°F49°F50°F56°F59°F63°F63°F61°F58°F52°F49°F
Enniskillen (Fermanagh)45°F47°F49°F54°F58°F63°F65°F63°F61°F56°F49°F45°F
Larne47°F47°F49°F52°F56°F61°F63°F63°F61°F56°F50°F49°F
Annalong47°F47°F49°F52°F56°F61°F63°F63°F61°F56°F50°F49°F
Antrim45°F47°F49°F54°F58°F63°F65°F63°F61°F56°F50°F45°F
Ballyclare45°F45°F49°F52°F56°F61°F63°F63°F59°F56°F49°F45°F
Ballymena45°F47°F49°F52°F58°F63°F65°F63°F61°F56°F50°F45°F
Ballymoney47°F47°F49°F52°F56°F59°F63°F63°F61°F56°F50°F47°F
Ballywalter47°F47°F49°F50°F56°F59°F63°F63°F59°F56°F52°F49°F
Banbridge45°F47°F49°F54°F58°F63°F65°F63°F61°F56°F50°F45°F
Bangor47°F47°F49°F52°F56°F61°F63°F63°F61°F56°F52°F49°F
Carrickfergus47°F47°F49°F52°F56°F61°F63°F63°F61°F56°F52°F49°F
Castlereagh45°F47°F49°F54°F58°F63°F65°F65°F61°F56°F50°F47°F
Castlerock47°F47°F49°F52°F56°F59°F63°F63°F61°F56°F50°F47°F
Coleraine47°F47°F49°F52°F56°F59°F63°F63°F61°F56°F50°F47°F
Cookstown45°F47°F49°F54°F58°F63°F65°F63°F61°F56°F49°F45°F

Legend:

good weather

tolerable weather

bad weather

very bad weather


About North Ireland

What can I do in Northern Ireland?

Beaches / swimming

Nature and countryside

Culture and heritage

Sports

Family travel

Crafts / shopping

Gastronomy

Nightlife




Is this weather information for North Ireland reliable?

Climate data for North Ireland has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for North Ireland allows us to determine the average for each month in Belfast, Armagh, Ballycastle (Causeway Coast), Derry (Londonderry), Donwpatrick, Enniskillen (Fermanagh), Larne, Annalong, and 37 other cities.

So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.

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