Sun times for London
England, United Kingdom · 51.51°N 0.13°W — far enough north that the sky never gets fully dark around midsummer.
- Latitude
- 51.5074°
- Longitude
- -0.1278°
- Time zone
- Europe/London
Sunrise
06:06 AM
Sunset
07:55 PM
Solar noon
01:01 PM
Sun at 48.1° above horizon
Day length
13h 49m
−3m 46s vs yesterday
Photography light
- Blue hour (morning)
- 05:31 AM – 05:44 AM
- Golden hour (morning)
- 06:06 AM – 06:51 AM
- Golden hour (evening)
- 07:11 PM – 07:55 PM
- Blue hour (evening)
- 08:17 PM – 08:31 PM
Twilight
- Astronomical dawn
- 03:57 AM
- Nautical dawn
- 04:47 AM
- Civil dawn
- 05:31 AM
- Civil dusk
- 08:31 PM
- Nautical dusk
- 09:14 PM
- Astronomical dusk
- 10:03 PM
Sun at solar noon: 48.1° elevation, bearing 180° (S). Times assume a flat horizon at sea level.
The year in London
- Longest day
- 16h 38m
- Shortest day
- 7h 50m
- Sun's highest point
- 61.9°
- Sun's lowest noon
- 15.1°
London is far enough north that astronomical twilight never ends around midsummer — the sky never becomes fully dark for several weeks.
London sunrise and sunset by month
Times for the 15th of each month, local time, adjusted for daylight saving where it applies.
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:59 | 16:20 | 8h 21m |
| February | 07:14 | 17:15 | 10h 01m |
| March | 06:14 | 18:05 | 11h 50m |
| April | 06:04 | 19:57 | 13h 52m |
| May | 05:08 | 20:45 | 15h 37m |
| June | 04:42 | 21:19 | 16h 37m |
| July | 05:00 | 21:11 | 16h 11m |
| August | 05:45 | 20:23 | 14h 37m |
| September | 06:35 | 19:15 | 12h 40m |
| October | 07:24 | 18:07 | 10h 43m |
| November | 07:18 | 16:11 | 8h 53m |
| December | 07:59 | 15:51 | 7h 52m |
Solar potential in London
London receives 2.94 kWh/m² per day on a horizontal surface, averaged over 30 years. Tilting panels to 36° raises annual output by 14%.
A typical home system is 5–10 kW. Roughly 15 panels for 6 kW.
S (180°) — ideal for the northern hemisphere
Estimated annual production
5,710 kWh
952 kWh per kW installed · 476 kWh a month on average
Monthly production
Best month 703 kWh · worst month 207 kWh · 3.4× swing
- Optimal tilt
- 36°
- Summer tilt
- 13°
- Winter tilt
- 68°
- Gain vs flat
- +14%
Based on NASA POWER 30-year climate averages for London and a 78% system performance ratio. Long-term expectation, not a guarantee for any single year. Shading, roof pitch and local rules are not modelled.
London sun and solar questions
- How much does daylight change through the year in London?
- London sits at 51.5° north. Its longest day runs 16h 38m and its shortest 7h 50m — a swing of 8h 49m.
- What angle should solar panels be in London?
- 36° from horizontal, facing south, maximises annual production. That is about 14% more than laying panels flat. If you want to favour winter output, 68° is better; for summer, 13°.
- How much power would solar panels produce in London?
- About 952 kWh per year for every kW installed, at the optimal angle. A typical 6 kW home system would produce roughly 5,710 kWh a year. Jun is the strongest month and Dec the weakest.
- How high does the sun get in London?
- At the summer solstice the sun reaches 61.9° above the horizon at solar noon. At the winter solstice it only reaches 15.1°. That difference is what drives both the seasons and the ideal panel angle.
Sun times assume a flat horizon at sea level. Solar figures are long-term climate averages and do not account for shading, roof pitch or local regulations. See the methodology.