Berbera climate
Berbera (Somalia) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 30 °C86 °F, and about 162 mm6.4 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Berbera climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2882 | 2373 | 2577 | 50.2 |
| Feb | 2983 | 2373 | 2678 | 40.2 |
| Mar | 3087 | 2476 | 2781 | 120.5 |
| Apr | 3391 | 2781 | 3086 | 431.7 |
| May | 3595 | 2985 | 3290 | 150.6 |
| Jun | 3799 | 3087 | 3493 | 50.2 |
| Jul | 3798 | 3086 | 3392 | 50.2 |
| Aug | 3697 | 3087 | 3392 | 90.3 |
| Sep | 3697 | 3086 | 3391 | 130.5 |
| Oct | 3391 | 2781 | 3086 | 261.0 |
| Nov | 3086 | 2577 | 2882 | 130.5 |
| Dec | 2883 | 2374 | 2679 | 120.5 |
| Year | 3799 | 2373 | 3086 | 1626.4 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73% | 31% | 5.7 | 11:34 |
| Feb | 73% | 27% | 6.3 | 11:47 |
| Mar | 71% | 25% | 6.8 | 12:03 |
| Apr | 69% | 33% | 6.8 | 12:21 |
| May | 61% | 37% | 6.7 | 12:36 |
| Jun | 50% | 34% | 6.5 | 12:44 |
| Jul | 48% | 40% | 6.1 | 12:41 |
| Aug | 49% | 34% | 6.5 | 12:28 |
| Sep | 54% | 29% | 6.6 | 12:10 |
| Oct | 63% | 28% | 6.4 | 11:53 |
| Nov | 70% | 28% | 5.9 | 11:38 |
| Dec | 73% | 30% | 5.6 | 11:31 |
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 Berbera is like
The warmest month is June, with an average high of 37 °C99 °F and a low of 30 °C87 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 28 °C82 °F and lows 23 °C73 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.5 °C15.3 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is dry, with about 162 mm6.4 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 44% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–March and May–September. The wettest month is April (43 mm1.7 in), the driest is February (4 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 48% in July to 73% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 25%) are typical of March. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in October to 24 km/h (15 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.5 hours in December to 12.7 hours in June.
Best time to visit Berbera
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–February: average highs of 28 °C82 °F to 29 °C83 °F with 4 mm0.2 in to 12 mm0.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is June, which is hot, with average highs of 37 °C99 °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 Berbera
- Wetter months (April and May, October) — highs 3391 to 35 °C95 °F, lows 2781 to 29 °C85 °F, about 28 mm1.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Drier months (November–March, June–September) — highs 2882 to 37 °C99 °F, lows 2373 to 30 °C87 °F, about 9 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Berbera compares
Compared with Hargeysa, about 143 km to the southwest, Berbera is on average 7.2 °C12.9 °F warmer and receives 52% less precipitation (162 mm6.4 in vs 334 mm13 in). The difference is largest in July (9.3 °C16.7 °F warmer).
Of the 9 places in Somalia covered by World Climates, Berbera is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 8th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Somalia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Djibouti (Djibouti, BWh), Aden (Yemen, BWh) and Suwaiq (Oman, BWh).
Nearby places
- Hargeysa 143 km · 23 °C73 °F · 334 mm13 in
- Borama 208 km · 22 °C71 °F · 435 mm17 in
- Djibouti 241 km · 30 °C87 °F · 235 mm9.3 in
- Aden 260 km · 30 °C85 °F · 131 mm5.1 in
- Jijiga 271 km · 20 °C69 °F · 687 mm27 in
- Arabi 281 km · 26 °C78 °F · 442 mm17 in
- Harar 341 km · 19 °C67 °F · 759 mm30 in
- Dire Dawa 357 km · 24 °C75 °F · 759 mm30 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Berbera?
June is the warmest month in Berbera, with an average high of 37 °C (99 °F) and an average low of 30 °C (87 °F).
What is the coldest month in Berbera?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (73 °F).
When does it rain the most in Berbera?
April is the wettest month with about 43 mm (1.7 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 4 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Berbera?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December–February.
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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 164 m, while Berbera lies at about 11 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1 °C1.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.