Baḥarkah climate
Baḥarkah (Iraq) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 20 °C68 °F, and about 331 mm13 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Baḥarkah climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1152 | 133 | 643 | 461.8 | 9 |
| Feb | 1356 | 236 | 846 | 401.6 | 6 |
| Mar | 1966 | 643 | 1355 | 582.3 | 1 |
| Apr | 2576 | 1151 | 1864 | 502.0 | 0 |
| May | 3289 | 1762 | 2476 | 220.9 | 0 |
| Jun | 39103 | 2373 | 3188 | 40.2 | 0 |
| Jul | 43109 | 2780 | 3595 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Aug | 42108 | 2679 | 3494 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Sep | 3799 | 2271 | 2985 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 2985 | 1660 | 2373 | 230.9 | 0 |
| Nov | 1966 | 745 | 1356 | 361.4 | 1 |
| Dec | 1356 | 337 | 846 | 451.8 | 6 |
| Year | 43109 | 133 | 2068 | 33113 | 23 |
“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 | 66% | 62% | 2.3 | 9:56 |
| Feb | 65% | 62% | 3.1 | 10:49 |
| Mar | 59% | 60% | 4.3 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 54% | 59% | 5.5 | 13:04 |
| May | 41% | 50% | 6.8 | 14:05 |
| Jun | 22% | 23% | 8.2 | 14:37 |
| Jul | 17% | 19% | 7.9 | 14:24 |
| Aug | 17% | 16% | 7.2 | 13:32 |
| Sep | 20% | 18% | 6.0 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 33% | 39% | 4.1 | 11:11 |
| Nov | 52% | 49% | 2.9 | 10:11 |
| Dec | 63% | 56% | 2.2 | 9:42 |
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 Baḥarkah is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 43 °C109 °F and a low of 27 °C80 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 11 °C52 °F and lows 1 °C33 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 28.9 °C52 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 331 mm13 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is February–April, which brings 45% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–September. The wettest month is March (58 mm2.3 in), the driest is August (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 17% in July to 66% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 16%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (3 mph) in February to 6 km/h (4 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 9.7 hours in December to 14.6 hours in June.
Best time to visit Baḥarkah
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April and October and November: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 23 mm0.9 in to 58 mm2.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 43 °C109 °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 Baḥarkah
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1152 to 13 °C56 °F, lows 133 to 3 °C37 °F, about 44 mm1.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1966 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 643 to 17 °C62 °F, about 43 mm1.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 39103 to 43 °C109 °F, lows 2373 to 27 °C80 °F, about 3 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1966 to 37 °C99 °F, lows 745 to 22 °C71 °F, about 21 mm0.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Baḥarkah compares
Compared with Erbil, about 14 km to the south, Baḥarkah has practically the same average temperature and receives 17% more precipitation (331 mm13 in vs 283 mm11 in). The difference is largest in April (0.6 °C1.1 °F cooler).
Of the 39 places in Iraq covered by World Climates, Baḥarkah is the 33rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 5th 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: Silopi (Turkey, BSh), Cizre (Turkey, Csa) and Al Qamishli (Syria, BSh).
Nearby places
- Erbil 14 km · 20 °C69 °F · 283 mm11 in
- Khasnahzan 16 km · 19 °C67 °F · 301 mm12 in
- Xebat 33 km · 21 °C70 °F · 331 mm13 in
- Ranyah 76 km · 19 °C67 °F · 324 mm13 in
- Mosul 82 km · 22 °C71 °F · 315 mm12 in
- Qeładizê 99 km · 20 °C68 °F · 328 mm13 in
- Kirkuk 100 km · 22 °C71 °F · 283 mm11 in
- Sinah 104 km · 19 °C67 °F · 383 mm15 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Baḥarkah?
July is the warmest month in Baḥarkah, with an average high of 43 °C (109 °F) and an average low of 27 °C (80 °F).
What is the coldest month in Baḥarkah?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 11 °C (52 °F) and an average low of 1 °C (33 °F).
When does it rain the most in Baḥarkah?
March is the wettest month with about 58 mm (2.3 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Baḥarkah?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and April and October and November.
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.