See the washing line drying forecast for your nearest town for the next few days, scored out of 10 so you can decide whether to put the washing out on the line or dry it indoors. Further down there is a when to plant guide from the RHS, month by month.
Humidity 2.7/4 + wind 2.4/3 + temperature 2.0/3 = 7.1, × 1.0 for no rain = 7.1, rounded to 7.
Estimates for general information only, not advice. See Important information below.
Forecast data from MET Norway (api.met.no), licensed under CC BY 4.0. Scores are worked out on this page from that data using the formula below.
Written by Anthropic’s Claude AI from the forecast figures and scores above. What you choose is sent to it to write the plan, so please don’t include personal details.
Each day is scored from the forecast for the daytime hours, 8am to 5pm GMT (9am to 6pm in British Summer Time). The three weather parts are added up, then rain is applied.
| Part | Points | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|
| Humidity | 0 to 4 | 4 points at 55% or lower, falling evenly to 0 at 85% or higher |
| Wind | 0 to 3 | Rises evenly from 0 in still air to 3 at 5 m/s (about 11 mph) or more; 2 above 11 m/s (about 25 mph), when washing blows about |
| Temperature | 0 to 3 | 0 at 2°C or colder, rising evenly to 3 at 20°C or warmer (highest temperature of the day) |
| Rain | × dry share | The total is multiplied by the share of daytime hours with no rain forecast. A day with 1 mm or more of rain is capped at 5, and a day with rain in half its hours or more is capped at 2 |
Humidity carries the most weight because the Royal Meteorological Society notes that clothes can dry faster on cold, dry days than on warm, humid ones, and that wind speeds up drying (MetMatters, 25 July 2024). The thresholds are our own. Checked 16 October 2026.
| Score | What to expect |
|---|---|
| 9 to 10 | Excellent drying day: get the washing out in the morning |
| 7 to 8 | Good drying day: light items dry well, heavy cottons may need finishing indoors |
| 5 to 6 | Fair: worth it for lighter loads, keep an eye on the sky |
| 3 to 4 | Poor: slow drying, use a covered spot or dry indoors |
| 0 to 2 | Dry indoors: rain or damp air for much of the day |
Sources: Royal Meteorological Society, Ten ways to dry laundry outside all year round (25 July 2024); OHID, MHCLG and UKHSA, Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home (updated 1 April 2026). Checked 16 October 2026.
A short version of the Royal Horticultural Society’s monthly grow-your-own jobs. Follow the month link for the full list and the conditions for each crop.
| Month | Sow | Plant |
|---|---|---|
| January | Under cover: broad beans in pots, early lettuces, summer cabbages and cauliflowers, spinach, salad onions, turnips; onion seed in a heated propagator | Bare-root fruit trees and bushes, if the soil is not frozen |
| February | Under cover from mid-February: tomatoes, chillies, cucumbers, aubergines, peas. Outdoors only on light soil in mild areas: broad beans, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, lettuces, radish, spinach | Fruit trees, bushes and canes if the soil is not waterlogged or frozen; garlic and shallots on light soils; Jerusalem artichokes |
| March | Outdoors if conditions allow: broad beans, peas, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, lettuces, radish, leeks, spinach, summer cabbage. Indoors: tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers, aubergines, celery | Onion and shallot sets, asparagus crowns, potted currants, gooseberries and raspberries; last chance for bare-root fruit trees |
| April | Outdoors: beetroot, carrots, Swiss chard, lettuce, leeks, radish, peas, spring onions. Indoors: courgettes, squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers | Second early potatoes (first half of the month), maincrop potatoes (second half), onion sets, asparagus crowns, pot-grown fruit |
| May | Outdoors: French and runner beans, squash, pumpkins, sweetcorn. Indoors: melons, ridge cucumbers | Tomatoes, courgettes and pumpkins once the risk of frost has passed; harden off young plants for 10 to 14 days first |
| June | Beetroot, lettuce, radish, pak choi, French and runner beans, peas, sweetcorn, calabrese, turnips | Tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, celery, celeriac, winter brassicas; sweet peppers once frost risk has passed |
| July | Spring cabbage, turnips, pak choi, chicory, fennel, autumn and winter salads; carrots under fleece; last French and runner beans (south of England) | Leeks and winter brassicas, if not already planted out |
| August | In the south of England: summer lettuce, radish, rocket, spring cabbage, turnips, pak choi, overwintering onions | Rooted strawberry runners |
| September | Spinach, winter lettuce, rocket, salad leaves; green manures on bare ground | New strawberry beds, overwintering onion sets, spring cabbages |
| October | Overwintering broad beans in mild areas (under cover in colder ones); overwintering peas in mild areas | Garlic, overwintering onion sets, spring cabbages, pot-grown fruit |
| November | Overwintering broad beans outdoors or under cloches in mild areas, or in pots under cover in cold areas | Garlic; new fruit trees and bushes unless the ground is frozen or waterlogged |
| December | Nothing listed | Shallots and garlic in mild areas with well-drained soil; new fruit trees and bushes unless the ground is frozen or waterlogged |
Source: RHS Grow Your Own, monthly jobs pages (rhs.org.uk), checked 16 October 2026. “Under cover” means a greenhouse, cold frame or similar.
The forecast data comes from MET Norway’s Locationforecast service (api.met.no), which covers the whole of the UK and is updated throughout the day. For each day we use the highest temperature, the average humidity and wind, and the amount of rain in the daytime hours (8am to 5pm GMT, or 9am to 6pm in British Summer Time).
We created a score based on our own formula. Humidity scores the highest, with up to 4 points, because according to the Royal Meteorological Society, clothes can dry faster on cold and dry days than on warm and humid days (MetMatters, July 2024). Wind scores up to 3 points and temperature up to 3 points. The score is then cut by the share of daytime hours with rain predicted. The score is capped at 2 if rain falls in half of the hours or more.
Assume an October day with temperatures reaching a high of 14°C, average humidity of 65%, a steady wind of 4m/s (about 9 mph) and no precipitation at all. The scores for this day are: humidity 2.7/4, wind 2.4/3 and temperature 2.0/3. Adding them up gives 7.1, which – with no precipitation – rounds to a total score of 7 out of 10: a good drying day. With humidity of 88% and precipitation in 60% of its daytime hours, this day would score 2.
Yes, if the air is dry and there is a breeze. In cold weather the water evaporates more slowly, but it still dries. Hang it out in the morning. The sun is usually at its strongest between 10am and 2pm. Bring it in before dusk to prevent it from getting wet again from dew.
The Royal Meteorological Society notes that wind speeds up evaporation, even on cooler days.
Drying clothes in your home adds moisture to the air. Government advice on dealing with damp and mould lists drying clothes, alongside cooking and showering, as everyday sources of moisture in the home. It is suggested that wherever possible clothes should be dried outside, and that from time to time windows should be opened.
Depending on how much hourly data is available for your location, the forecast typically covers 2-4 days and is most reliable for the next day or two. Check back on the morning itself for an updated forecast.
This tool gives general information and estimates only. It is not financial, tax, legal, medical or other professional advice, and it does not take your personal circumstances into account.
Forecasts can be wrong and change through the day. Forecast data comes from MET Norway and is provided as is, without any guarantee.
The figures are based on the published sources and dates shown on this page. Prices, rates and rules change, so they may be out of date by the time you read this. Check them with the supplier, provider or official source, or ask a qualified professional, before you make a decision.
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