BBQ and Picnic Weather

Pick your park or garden and a date, and the checker scores the weather for 3 hours of grilling or picnicking.

What matters most for a barbecue or picnic

For a picnic or barbecue, rain counts 1.4 times: a 30% chance adds 4.2 points and 50% adds 7, high risk on its own. Wind counts 1.2 times: 1.2 points above 15 km/h, 2.4 above 25 km/h and 4.8 above 40 km/h. Wind blows food, napkins and smoke around and makes a grill harder to control.

Heat and cold count 0.9 times (1.8 points above 32 °C, 3.6 above 38 °C, 0.9 below 10 °C and 2.7 below 5 °C) and humidity 0.6 times (0.6 above 60%, 1.2 above 80%). Up to 3 is low risk, up to 6 moderate and above 6 high. These are WeatherApex weights for picnics and barbecues.

Worked example: 10% chance of rain, 28 km/h of wind, 25 °C and 50% humidity give 1.4 + 2.4 + 0 + 0 = 3.8 points, a moderate risk for a barbecue, almost all from the wind. At 12 km/h it falls to 1.4 (low).

Best and worst barbecue months in 10 cities

Picnic and barbecue risk for an average day in each month, from the 2006–2025 averages (chance of rain = rainy days divided by 30, typical afternoon high and humidity, no wind).

City	Lowest risk	Highest risk
Lisbon	July · 1.7 (low)	December · 7.2 (high)
Rome	July · 4 (moderate)	November · 8.2 (high)
Barcelona	July · 4.5 (moderate)	September · 7.6 (high)
Madrid	July · 3.1 (moderate)	January · 6 (moderate)
Paris	September · 6.6 (high)	January · 9.5 (high)
London	September · 7 (high)	January · 9.2 (high)
Amsterdam	April · 7.9 (high)	November · 10 (high)
Berlin	September · 6.9 (high)	January · 10 (high)
Vienna	February · 5.7 (moderate)	December · 9.1 (high)
New York	November · 4.4 (moderate)	January · 7.5 (high)

The lowest risk is in Lisbon in July (1.7). 1 of 10 cities have at least one low-risk month. In rainier cities, pick the day with the hourly forecast rather than the month.

Barbecue and picnic checklist

Choose the window the checker marks as best and light the grill then.
Above 25 km/h of wind, find a sheltered spot and keep the grill away from dry grass.
On days above 32 °C, plan for shade and keep the food cool.
At moderate risk, pick a place with a roof nearby.

FAQ

What is the best weather for a barbecue?

Dry, calm and mild: below 15 km/h of wind and between 10 and 32 °C nothing is added, while every 10% chance of rain adds 1.4 points.

Is it too windy for a barbecue?

Above 25 km/h the checker adds 2.4 points for picnics and barbecues, and above 40 km/h 4.8. From about 25 km/h, look for shelter and take care with sparks.

What time of day is best for a picnic?

It depends on the day. The checker scores every 3-hour window from 6 am and shows the one with the lowest risk.

How far ahead can I plan a barbecue?

Up to 10 days ahead with the hourly forecast. The checker also shows nearby days, so you can pick the better day of a weekend.