Погода: Уитби, июнь

June is the month regulars pick for this part of England on the balance of weather against crowds - there is a real step up in York between June and the height of July and August - with the standing caveat that the city is busy whenever you come, so weekdays beat weekends. The weather argument is daylight rather than heat: 17 hours of it, the most of any month, with 10.9 hours of sun. Temperatures are modest, 19.6C reading as 18C in a 20.1 kph wind over 10.1C nights, and rain is 54.9mm across 8.9 days. Shorts for the good days, a waterproof for the rest. The record: humidity 75 percent, a dew point of 10.2C and AQI 37.

Forum posters describe February in Whitby as a bit chilly, overcast and foggy, though still enjoyable for a visit. Posters consistently note the town stays quieter than summer but only a little cooler, with most shops remaining open and plenty to do despite the reduced crowds. Posters describe February's daylight as steadily lengthening through the month, with dusk arriving around 5pm early on and pushing later as the month progresses. Posters generally recommend embracing the quieter, moodier coastal atmosphere as part of February's appeal rather than a drawback. Posters generally rate February as cool, gray and often foggy but genuinely pleasant for a low-key Whitby visit.

August is peak season in Whitby and the forum is emphatic: absolutely heaving, especially once the North Yorkshire school holidays start, with parking a nightmare and restaurant tables hard to come by. Most self-catering lets go by the whole week, Friday to Friday or Saturday to Saturday. On weather, the coastal caveat matters — a north-easterly off the sea can drop the temperature by as much as 8°C compared with inland, against an August average of only 18°C here and a sea at 15. One visitor reports 27°C days, so it does happen. The regulars' honest line is that Whitby is lovely and better outside peak season.