Dorset Tourist Guide - Articles

For the holidaymaker, the weather in Dorset is about as good as you will find in the UK. Being on the south coast, it benefits from the higher temperatures enjoyed by the southern counties. Unlike Devon and Cornwall however, it is far enough from the Atlantic Ocean to be relatively unaffected by the additional rainfall brought by Atlantic weather systems. This fortunate geographical position means that the weather in Dorset is sunny, and relatively dry compared to the country as a whole. The climate is therefore one of the significant attractions for the area.

Below are some tables comparing mean temperature, number of hours of sunshine, and rainfall in Dorset compared to the UK averages. The figures were provided by the Met Office and were taken from their measuring station at Hurn, north-east of Bournemouth. Readings are for 2005 which are the latest available figures.

Mean Temperature (°C)

2005	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
UK Mean	5	4	6	8	10	14	15	15	14	12	6	4
Dorset	6	5	7	9	11	16	17	16	15	14	6	4

Hours of Sunshine

2005	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
UK Mean	48	69	82	147	205	169	164	184	132	73	78	47
Dorset	62	68	104	158	210	225	219	279	175	89	102	71

Rainfall (mm)

2005	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
UK Mean	127	70	73	91	73	72	59	85	93	142	116	81
Dorset	55	16	48	55	35	58	53	47	31	112	72	72

© Crown copyright 2005, data supplied by the Met Office

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