The weather in London in November averages a daytime high of 11.5°C and an overnight low of 5.3°C, with 66.6mm of rain and just 68 hours of sunshine across the month — under two and a half hours of sun a day. November is the wettest month of the London year and the second-darkest. Those numbers make November sound like a month to avoid. It is not: it is the cheapest, quietest window in central London for the first two weeks, and from the middle of the month the Christmas lights, the ice rinks and Winter Wonderland turn the early darkness into the main attraction. Dress for damp cold rather than hard cold, and plan your sightseeing between 10:00 and 15:30. All climate figures come from the Met Office record for the Heathrow station, 1991–2020.
Weather in London in November at a Glance
| Average daily high | Average daily low | Rainfall | Sunshine | Daylight on 1 Nov | Daylight on 30 Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.5°C | 5.3°C | 66.6 mm | 68 hours | 9h 41m | 8h 14m |
The number that shapes a November trip is not the temperature, it is the 68 hours of sunshine. Spread across thirty days that is barely two and a quarter hours a day, and much of the month passes under flat grey cloud. Cold is manageable; the shortage of light is what you plan around.
How Cold Is London in November?
November averages 11.5°C by day and 5.3°C at night — cold but well above freezing. Recent years have been marginally warmer, with a 2021–2025 average daily high of 12.0°C. Snow in central London in November is very unusual; the realistic worst case is a few degrees above zero with rain and wind.
What visitors consistently underestimate is how much colder that feels than the number suggests. London’s cold is damp and it comes with wind funnelled between buildings and along the river, so 8°C on a wet November afternoon on the South Bank is genuinely uncomfortable in a coat that would be fine at 8°C in a dry continental climate. Frost appears on some mornings by the end of the month, usually in the outer parks rather than the centre.
Does It Rain a Lot in London in November?
November is the wettest month of the London year at 66.6mm, narrowly ahead of October’s 65.1mm. Unlike the autumn months before it, November has not got wetter in recent years: the 2021–2025 average is 64.0mm, slightly below the long-run figure, though individual years swing hard — 10.2mm in 2021 against 123.8mm in 2022.
The practical problem in November is not the volume of rain but the combination of rain, wind and short days. An umbrella is often unusable in November wind, and a shower at 15:00 arrives in near-darkness. The answer is a hooded waterproof coat and an itinerary that keeps a warm indoor option within ten minutes of wherever you are.
How Dark Is London in November?
Darkness is November’s defining feature: sunset moves from 16:35 on the 1st to 15:57 on the 30th. On 1 November the sun rises at 06:54 and sets at 16:35, giving 9 hours 41 minutes of daylight; by the 30th it is 07:43 to 15:57, leaving 8 hours 14 minutes.
Anything that depends on a view — the river, the parks, any high vantage point, a day trip outside the city — belongs to the late morning and the early afternoon. Treat 15:00 as the end of the useful outdoor day and let the evening belong to theatre, museums, restaurants and the lights. That is not a compromise in November: the Christmas illuminations look their best from mid-afternoon, so the early dark actually works in your favour from about the 15th onwards.
What to Wear in London in November
Dress for damp cold: a warm waterproof coat, a proper middle layer and shoes that survive standing water. The temperature does not justify heavy winter gear, but the combination of 5°C nights, rain and wind does justify everything being warm and dry.
- A warm, hooded waterproof coat — the single most important item, because wind makes umbrellas unreliable.
- A jumper or fleece underneath, so you can adjust between a cold street and an overheated museum.
- Waterproof boots or shoes with grip — wet leaves and wet stone are slippery.
- Scarf, hat and light gloves for the second half of the month.
- A power bank — cold drains phone batteries quickly, and you will be using maps in the dark.
- Something smart for the evening, because November evenings in London are indoor evenings.
What Is On in London in November
The month splits cleanly into a quiet first half and a festive second half. The month opens with Bonfire Night on 5 November, when organised firework displays run across the boroughs on the nearest weekend as well as the night itself. Remembrance Sunday falls on 8 November 2026, with the national ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall and road closures across Westminster that morning.
The Lord Mayor’s Show returns on Saturday 14 November 2026, a three-mile procession through the City of London, which is one of the few genuinely free large-scale spectacles left in the calendar. Diwali celebrations centre on Trafalgar Square in the first half of the month.
From roughly the middle of the month the Christmas season begins in earnest: the Oxford Street, Regent Street and Bond Street lights are switched on, the ice rinks open at Somerset House, the Natural History Museum and Hampton Court, the Christmas markets set up along the South Bank, and Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland opens for the season. If Winter Wonderland is on your list, our Winter Wonderland transfers page covers the dates and the practicalities of getting there and back after dark.
Is November a Good Time to Visit London?
The first two weeks of November are the best value of the entire London year; the last two are the start of the Christmas premium. In early November hotel rates are at their annual low, museums run full programmes with short queues, and restaurant tables are available at short notice.
Against October, November costs you four degrees, an hour and a half of daylight and a third of the sunshine. Against December, it is nearly three degrees warmer, has more daylight and more sunshine, and — in its first half — a fraction of the crowds and prices. For anyone who wants the Christmas atmosphere without the Christmas cost, the window from about 18 to 27 November is the sweet spot: the lights are on, the markets are open, and the December surge has not started.
London Weather in November: Early Month vs Late Month
Early November is autumn’s quiet end; late November is Christmas without the queues. The weather difference across the month is real but modest — two or three degrees and forty minutes of daylight — while the difference in atmosphere is total.
The last of the autumn colour survives into the first week in the outer parks. By the third week the trees are bare, the lights are on and the weekends in the West End are busy again. Midweek stays comparatively calm right through the month, which is the main argument for a Tuesday-to-Thursday November trip.
Getting Around London in November
This is the month when walking between sights stops being the obvious choice. Rain, wind and a 16:00 sunset change the calculation: a fifteen-minute walk that was pleasant in September is an ordeal in horizontal November rain, and the Tube fills with commuters from mid-afternoon because the evening peak starts earlier in winter.
Airport arrivals need more margin in November than in autumn. Fog and winter storms are the two most common causes of delay at Heathrow and Gatwick, and a delayed evening arrival lands into darkness and rain. A pre-arranged London airport transfer tracks the flight and absorbs the delay, and our Heathrow transfer to your hotel is the service most requested in the run-up to Christmas.
For evening outings — the lights, a market, a show — the return journey is the part worth planning. A chauffeur-driven car in London waiting at a fixed point beats standing in the rain at 22:00 competing for a taxi, and a private tour guide in London can make a short winter day cover far more ground than it otherwise would.
Frequently Asked Questions
How cold does London get in November?
November averages 11.5°C by day and 5.3°C at night. Recent years averaged 12.0°C by day. It is cold and damp rather than freezing, and snow in central London in November is very unusual.
What time does it get dark in London in November?
Sunset falls from 16:35 on 1 November to 15:57 on the 30th. Plan outdoor sightseeing between about 10:00 and 15:00, and treat the evening as indoor time.
Is November the wettest month in London?
Yes. At 66.6mm it is the wettest month of the year, just ahead of October. It is also the second-darkest, with only 68 hours of sunshine in the whole month.
When do the Christmas lights come on in London?
The main West End switch-ons happen in the first half of November, and the markets, ice rinks and Winter Wonderland follow through the second half. By the last week of November the city is fully in Christmas mode.
Is November a cheap time to visit London?
The first two weeks are the cheapest of the year for hotels in central London. Prices climb steadily from the middle of the month as the Christmas season starts.
Planning a November Trip
November is the month that rewards a specific plan more than any other. Decide first whether you want the quiet, cheap version of London or the festive one, because the two live in the same month two weeks apart. Then build the days around the light: outdoors before 15:00, indoors after, and a car rather than a walk when the weather turns. Check availability and prices and we will take the wet, dark part of the journey off your hands.
Sources
Temperature, rainfall and sunshine figures are 1991–2020 averages calculated from the Met Office Heathrow station record, which also supplies the individual recent years quoted. The Lord Mayor’s Show date is confirmed by the London events calendar. Sunrise and sunset times are calculated for central London.