Al Qurnah climate
Al Qurnah (Iraq) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C79 °F, and about 118 mm4.7 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Al Qurnah climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1864 | 642 | 1253 | 261.0 | 1 |
| Feb | 2170 | 846 | 1458 | 130.5 | 0 |
| Mar | 2781 | 1254 | 2068 | 120.5 | 0 |
| Apr | 3392 | 1865 | 2678 | 100.4 | 0 |
| May | 40105 | 2577 | 3391 | 40.2 | 0 |
| Jun | 45114 | 2984 | 3799 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Jul | 47117 | 3188 | 39102 | 10.1 | 0 |
| Aug | 47117 | 3187 | 39102 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 43109 | 2780 | 3595 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Oct | 3697 | 2171 | 2984 | 70.3 | 0 |
| Nov | 2678 | 1355 | 1967 | 200.8 | 0 |
| Dec | 1967 | 745 | 1356 | 240.9 | 0 |
| Year | 47117 | 642 | 2679 | 1184.7 | 2 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59% | 42% | 3.2 | 10:20 |
| Feb | 52% | 41% | 4.1 | 11:03 |
| Mar | 40% | 42% | 5.3 | 11:54 |
| Apr | 33% | 50% | 5.9 | 12:54 |
| May | 22% | 39% | 6.9 | 13:43 |
| Jun | 15% | 20% | 8.0 | 14:09 |
| Jul | 15% | 23% | 7.5 | 13:58 |
| Aug | 15% | 23% | 7.1 | 13:16 |
| Sep | 17% | 25% | 6.2 | 12:18 |
| Oct | 28% | 36% | 4.6 | 11:21 |
| Nov | 46% | 41% | 3.5 | 10:32 |
| Dec | 58% | 43% | 2.9 | 10:09 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Al Qurnah is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 47 °C117 °F and a low of 31 °C88 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 18 °C64 °F and lows 6 °C42 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 27.4 °C49.4 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is very dry, with only 118 mm4.7 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 58% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: February–November. The wettest month is January (26 mm1.0 in), the driest is September (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 15% in July to 59% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 20%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (5 mph) in November to 15 km/h (10 mph) in June. Daylight lasts from about 10.1 hours in December to 14.1 hours in June.
Best time to visit Al Qurnah
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are February and March and November and December: average highs of 19 °C67 °F to 27 °C81 °F with 12 mm0.5 in to 24 mm0.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 47 °C117 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Al Qurnah
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1864 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 642 to 8 °C46 °F, about 21 mm0.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2781 to 40 °C105 °F, lows 1254 to 25 °C77 °F, about 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 45114 to 47 °C117 °F, lows 2984 to 31 °C88 °F, about 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2678 to 43 °C109 °F, lows 1355 to 27 °C80 °F, about 9 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Al Qurnah compares
Compared with Al Madinah, about 17 km to the west, Al Qurnah has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation.
Of the 39 places in Iraq covered by World Climates, Al Qurnah is the 5th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 32nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Iraq climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Khorramshahr (Iran, BWh), Ahvaz (Iran, BWh) and Bandar-e Mahshahr (Iran, BWh).
Nearby places
- Al Madinah 17 km · 26 °C79 °F · 118 mm4.7 in
- Basrah 65 km · 27 °C80 °F · 86 mm3.4 in
- Abu al-Kahsib 77 km · 27 °C80 °F · 119 mm4.7 in
- Al Amarah 95 km · 26 °C78 °F · 198 mm7.8 in
- Khorramshahr 96 km · 27 °C80 °F · 119 mm4.7 in
- Nasiriyah 112 km · 26 °C79 °F · 100 mm3.9 in
- Umm Qaşr 118 km · 27 °C80 °F · 84 mm3.3 in
- Ahvaz 124 km · 27 °C80 °F · 197 mm7.8 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Al Qurnah?
July is the warmest month in Al Qurnah, with an average high of 47 °C (117 °F) and an average low of 31 °C (88 °F).
What is the coldest month in Al Qurnah?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 18 °C (64 °F) and an average low of 6 °C (42 °F).
When does it rain the most in Al Qurnah?
January is the wettest month with about 26 mm (1.0 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Al Qurnah?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are February and March and November and December.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.