Basrah climate
Basrah (Iraq) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C80 °F, and about 86 mm3.4 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Basrah climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1865 | 642 | 1253 | 210.8 | 1 |
| Feb | 2170 | 846 | 1558 | 110.4 | 0 |
| Mar | 2882 | 1355 | 2068 | 80.3 | 0 |
| Apr | 3492 | 1865 | 2679 | 80.3 | 0 |
| May | 41105 | 2577 | 3391 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Jun | 45114 | 2984 | 3799 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Jul | 47117 | 3188 | 39102 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Aug | 47117 | 3187 | 39102 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 43109 | 2780 | 3595 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Oct | 3697 | 2271 | 2984 | 40.2 | 0 |
| Nov | 2678 | 1356 | 1967 | 130.5 | 0 |
| Dec | 2067 | 745 | 1456 | 160.6 | 0 |
| Year | 47117 | 642 | 2780 | 863.4 | 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 | 58% | 38% | 3.4 | 10:22 |
| Feb | 51% | 37% | 4.4 | 11:04 |
| Mar | 38% | 36% | 5.6 | 11:54 |
| Apr | 31% | 45% | 6.2 | 12:53 |
| May | 21% | 34% | 7.1 | 13:41 |
| Jun | 14% | 14% | 8.1 | 14:06 |
| Jul | 14% | 16% | 7.7 | 13:56 |
| Aug | 15% | 16% | 7.2 | 13:15 |
| Sep | 17% | 17% | 6.3 | 12:18 |
| Oct | 27% | 26% | 4.9 | 11:22 |
| Nov | 44% | 36% | 3.7 | 10:34 |
| Dec | 56% | 37% | 3.2 | 10:11 |
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 Basrah 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 °C65 °F and lows 6 °C42 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 27.3 °C49.1 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is very dry, with only 86 mm3.4 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–December. The wettest month is January (21 mm0.8 in), the driest is September (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 14% in July to 58% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 14%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in November to 16 km/h (10 mph) in June. Daylight lasts from about 10.2 hours in December to 14.1 hours in June.
Best time to visit Basrah
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–March: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 8 mm0.3 in to 21 mm0.8 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 Basrah
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1865 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 642 to 8 °C46 °F, about 16 mm0.6 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 2882 to 41 °C105 °F, lows 1355 to 25 °C77 °F, about 6 mm0.2 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 1356 to 27 °C80 °F, about 6 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Basrah compares
Of the 39 places in Iraq covered by World Climates, Basrah is the 3rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 38th 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), Bandar-e Mahshahr (Iran, BWh) and Kuwait City (Kuwait, BWh).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Az Zubayr (pop. 122,676). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Basrah, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Abu al-Kahsib 12 km · 27 °C80 °F · 119 mm4.7 in
- Khorramshahr 39 km · 27 °C80 °F · 119 mm4.7 in
- Umm Qaşr 54 km · 27 °C80 °F · 84 mm3.3 in
- Al Qurnah 65 km · 26 °C79 °F · 118 mm4.7 in
- Al Madinah 70 km · 26 °C79 °F · 118 mm4.7 in
- Al Faw 89 km · 26 °C79 °F · 89 mm3.5 in
- Ahvaz 125 km · 27 °C80 °F · 197 mm7.8 in
- Kuwait City 128 km · 26 °C79 °F · 46 mm1.8 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Basrah?
July is the warmest month in Basrah, with an average high of 47 °C (117 °F) and an average low of 31 °C (88 °F).
What is the coldest month in Basrah?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 18 °C (65 °F) and an average low of 6 °C (42 °F).
When does it rain the most in Basrah?
January is the wettest month with about 21 mm (0.8 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Basrah?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–March.
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.