Today in London
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Coordinates
| Latitude | 51.5074° |
| Longitude | -0.1278° |
| Timezone | Europe/London |
| Elevation | 11 m |
Sunrise, sunset and sun path in London
London, England, United Kingdom · 51.5074°, -0.1278° · Europe/London
The sun's path today
you stand at the centre; the rim is your horizonWhat the sun does here through the year
London sits at latitude 51.51°, which sets the whole shape of its year. The longest day runs to 16h 38m and the shortest shrinks to 7h 50m — a swing of 8h 49m between the two solstices.
The sun climbs to 61.9° above the horizon at midsummer noon, but only 15.1° at midwinter. That difference matters more than the daylight hours do, because a low sun is easily blocked: a 2 m fence casts a shadow 7.4 m long at midwinter noon here, against just 1.1 m in June.
Sunrise swings a long way round the horizon through the year. In London the sun comes up at a bearing of 49° (NE) at the summer solstice and 128° (SE) at the winter one — a spread of 79°. This is why a window that catches the sunrise in June can sit in shade all winter: the sun is simply rising somewhere else.
For anything you are aiming at the sun — solar panels, a greenhouse, a seating area — the useful rule here is that the sun spends the middle of the day roughly south of you, and reaches its yearly average noon height of about 39°. Panels at 42° facing south are close to the annual optimum at this latitude.
Sunrise and sunset by month in London
| Month | Sunrise | Sunset | Daylight | Noon sun | Sunrise bearing | Sunset bearing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 07:59 | 16:20 | 8h 21m | 17.5° | SE 124° | SW 236° |
| February | 07:14 | 17:15 | 10h 01m | 26.0° | ESE 109° | WSW 251° |
| March | 06:14 | 18:04 | 11h 50m | 36.5° | E 92° | W 268° |
| April | 06:04 | 19:56 | 13h 52m | 48.4° | ENE 73° | WNW 287° |
| May | 05:08 | 20:45 | 15h 37m | 57.4° | ENE 57° | WNW 303° |
| June | 04:42 | 21:19 | 16h 37m | 61.8° | NE 49° | NW 311° |
| July | 05:01 | 21:11 | 16h 11m | 60.0° | NE 53° | NW 307° |
| August | 05:46 | 20:23 | 14h 37m | 52.5° | ENE 66° | WNW 294° |
| September | 06:35 | 19:15 | 12h 40m | 41.4° | E 84° | W 276° |
| October | 07:24 | 18:07 | 10h 43m | 29.9° | ESE 103° | WSW 257° |
| November | 07:18 | 16:11 | 8h 53m | 20.0° | ESE 120° | WSW 240° |
| December | 07:59 | 15:51 | 7h 52m | 15.3° | SE 128° | SW 232° |
Calculated for the 15th of each month in 2026, local time, including daylight saving. Bearings are compass degrees from north.
Frequently asked
What time does the sun rise and set in London?
At the summer solstice the sun rises at 04:43 and sets at 21:21. At the winter solstice it rises at 08:03 and sets at 15:53. All times are local to Europe/London and include daylight saving where it applies.
How high does the sun get in London?
The midday sun reaches 61.9° above the horizon at the summer solstice and 15.1° at the winter solstice. At the equinoxes it sits at 38.5°.
How long is the longest day in London?
16h 38m from sunrise to sunset, against 7h 50m on the shortest day — a difference of 8h 49m.
Want this for your exact address?
These figures are for the centre of London. Sun times shift by only a few seconds per kilometre, so they hold across the whole city — but your own horizon does not. Use the tools to add the buildings, fences and trees that actually block your light.