What does a Weather mean in betting?

What is weather betting?

❓Where can I find Weather betting markets?
📌When will Weather betting markets most likely be available?
💡What are some of the popular Weather betting markets?
📋Who are the best bookmakers for Weather betting?
✨Key things to remember when Weather betting
🔍Is Weather betting a good bet for me?

Weather betting is precisely what the phrase suggests. It us a bet made on an aspect of the weather, usually on a set date or over another time period.

Weather bets can be quite different from one to the next. For example, in winter, bets are likely to be more focused on colder weather, dropping temperatures and the amount of rain or snow the country has on selected dates or over a stated period.

In contrast, during warmer months, the focus may be on how many days there will be without rain, whether a temperature record for a particular region of the UK may be broken or similar.

Some bets may not be UK-focused at all. Some international sites may offer betting on markets for other parts of the world, such as the number of named hurricanes in a particular United States hurricane season.

All bets about any weather element can be viewed as weather bets. With the increase in interest in the climate and more extreme weather events becoming increasingly evident, this betting market has the potential to grow significantly.

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Where can I find Weather betting markets?

While weather betting is popular, it is very much a betting option based on the time of the year, or certain prevailing weather conditions. As such, most bookmakers do not have a dedicated weather betting section.

Therefore, if any weather bets are likely to be available on a betting site, they are usually found in the Specials or Other Bets section on the site, usually alongside betting on TV or Film, Politics, Awards, non-sport competitions etc.

When will Weather betting markets most likely be available?

There are times of the year when weather betting markets are more likely to be available. However, this is not a concrete exhaustive guide. Which weather betting events a bookmaker offers will depend on a number of factors and can vary considerably from one bookmaker to the next.

As a general rule of thumb, you are more likely to find weather betting options available around the following dates or events:

A cold/snowy spell in winter.
A hot/sunny spell in summer.
In the run-up to Christmas.
At the start of the hurricane season (Northern Hemisphere) or typhoon season (Southern Hemisphere).
Around St. Swithins Day (July 15th) in the UK.
Around Groundhog Day (Feb 2nd) in the United States.
When unusual weather occurs (storms, drought, excessive rain, excessive heat)

However, it is possible for a bookmaker to offer any kind of weather bet that they feel will appeal to punters, so this list should not be seen as an exhaustive list. It does however showcase the events and times of the year when weather bets are more likely to be found on betting sites.

What are some of the popular Weather betting markets?

Having looked at when weather betting markets are likely to be available, let’s now take a closer look at the most popular types of weather betting you will find available with bookmakers.

Will it be a White Christmas?

This is a simple yes/no bet, but punters should be aware of what the bookmakers will define as a White Christmas. They may state a place where snow must fall for it to be judged a white Christmas, as well as stating how much snow needs to fall to qualify as being a white Christmas.

Will it rain on St. Swithins Day?

Although based on folklore, rather than any scientific evidence, people believe that if it rains on St. Swithins Day (July 15th) in the UK, it will rain for the next 40 days, thus delaying the arrival of sunnier, summer weather. Bookmakers will offer odds on the chances of it raining on this date, or not.

Will a record high/low temperature be recorded in the UK/England/Scotland/Wales/Northern Ireland etc?

During periods of intense cold, or stifling heat, bookmakers may also start to offer markets on whether temperature records will be broken. This can be for the UK as a whole, or broken up into individual countries or similar.

How many named storms will there be in the U.K. Storm Season or U.S. Hurricane Season?

Now that the U.K. names storms hitting the country, as the United States has done for hurricanes for many years, bookmakers can offer odds on the number of storms/hurricanes hitting each country in a standard season.

Again, this list is not exhaustive, but does show some of the more common types of weather bet you will likely find at different points of the year.

Who are the best bookmakers for Weather betting?

Most bookmakers will offer the most popular weather betting markets, such as the White Christmas bet or whether record high or low temperatures will be recorded.

However, there are a small number of bookmakers who tend to offer a greater number of weather betting markets. They include Betway, bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power and Smarkets.

Key things to remember when Weather betting

What are some of the best tips to follow when weather betting? We’ve handpicked some of the best for the list outlined below!

Research your bet - The Met Office website in the UK is a great starting point. You can also download weather apps to your mobile for weather details at your fingertips!
Check around bookmakers - Not all bookies will offer the same types of weather bets. So you may need to search through different bookmaking sites to find one that offers the market you want.
If you can’t find a weather betting market then ask for odds on it - Many bookmakers offer a Request a Bet facility where you can request odds on a certain market. So, if you can’t find the bet on the weather you want to make, why not ask the bookie directly to price it up?

Is Weather betting a good bet for me?

Our opinion is that weather betting is a fun activity, but not really something suitable for a long-term betting interest. It is more a specialised bet which it may be fun to have a wager on if an interesting market is available.

However, as interest in the climate grows, it is fair to say that so will the clamour for more betting based on the weather and it will be interesting to see how this market heats up in future!