Skip to main content
SunnyDays

ERA5 almanac — 8 years of real data

Birmingham in July

Birmingham in July: 55% of days see measurable rain, 89°F average high, 17% of days historically clear (n=248, ERA5 2018–2025).

Birmingham in July is historically a poor month for sun: only 17% of days clear across 8 years (n=248, avg high 89°F). September is the clearest month for Birmingham historically. Historical average, not a forecast.

What you are reading: 8-year historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis, not a forecast. A month that is historically 90% clear can still be overcast on your specific trip. For this week’s actual forecast, see the live Birmingham page. Both can be true at once: “historically strong in this month; this particular week is not.” We label which is which.

Early vs. Late July

Clear-sky percentage for Birmingham in July, split by half-month. “n” is the number of days sampled across 8 years (2018–2025).
Period % Clear days Sample (n) Avg high
Early July
1st–15th		 19% n=120 89°F
Late July
16th–end		 15% n=128 89°F
Full month average 17% n=248 89°F

Sunshine & warmth in July

A second measure using actual sunshine hours (ERA5 sunshine_duration), not the daily weather code. A Lowcountry day with 12 hours of sun and a 25-minute afternoon storm is counted below as a warm, sunny day — because it was. How we define this.

Sunshine-based metrics for Birmingham in July. Primary: % of days ≥ 72°F with > 6 h of sunshine.
Period Warm & sunny (≥72°F, >6 h sun) Sample (n)
Early July
1st–15th		 97% n=120
Late July
16th–end		 95% n=128
Full month average 96% n=248
12.5 h median sunshine per day 91% of days exceed 8 h sunshine 55% of days see ≥ 1 mm rain — rain is not hidden
Comparison (old vs new): WMO-code “clear” bar: 17%. Sunshine-based “warm & sunny”: 96%. The 79-point gap is from brief afternoon convective storms that stamp the whole day as “rain” in the WMO code but leave the bulk of the sunshine untouched.

Bottom line

Birmingham is a poor choice for sun in July: just 17% of days clear historically (n=248). September is the historically strongest month for sun here. The 8-year record is consistent — this is not a fluke bad stretch.

→ See all destinations in September — historically the best month for sun in Birmingham.

Every month in Birmingham

Compare across all months with data. Numbers are historical clear-sky %.

Historical clear-sky % for Birmingham, all months, ERA5 2018–2025.
Month % Clear Sample (n)
January 0% n=248 All destinations →
February 1% n=226 All destinations →
March 9% n=248 All destinations →
April 27% n=240 All destinations →
May 36% n=248 All destinations →
June 30% n=240 All destinations →
July ← this page 17% n=248 All destinations →
August 28% n=248 All destinations →
September 49% n=240 All destinations →
October 44% n=248 All destinations →
November 14% n=240 All destinations →
December 1% n=248 All destinations →

Frequently asked

Does it rain in Birmingham in July?

Yes, frequently. In Birmingham, 55% of days in July see measurable rain, based on 8 years of ERA5 historical data (n=248 days, 2018–2025). This is a historical average, not a forecast.

Is Birmingham good for sun in July?

Not usually. Birmingham is historically overcast in July: only 17% of days are clear (avg high 89°F, n=248 days, ERA5 2018–2025). September is historically far better for sun here.

How Birmingham compares in July

Head-to-head clear-sky comparisons against destinations travelers plausibly weigh against Birmingham this month — same passport tier, similar flight distance, both sides from the same 8-year ERA5 record.

All percentages are historical averages from the ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 8 full years (2018–2025). “Clear” means avg high ≥ 72 °F, precipitation < 1 mm, and a non-precipitation weather code. This is history, not a forecast. The live 7-day outlook for any destination is on its own page and may differ from the long-run average. Data from Open-Meteo.