Cairo climate
Cairo (Egypt) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C73 °F, and about 60 mm2.4 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Cairo climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1966 | 744 | 1355 | 80.3 |
| Feb | 2170 | 846 | 1458 | 70.3 |
| Mar | 2678 | 1050 | 1864 | 70.3 |
| Apr | 3086 | 1356 | 2271 | 90.4 |
| May | 3594 | 1864 | 2679 | 00.0 |
| Jun | 38100 | 2169 | 2985 | 00.0 |
| Jul | 39103 | 2272 | 3187 | 00.0 |
| Aug | 39102 | 2272 | 3187 | 00.0 |
| Sep | 3697 | 2069 | 2883 | 00.0 |
| Oct | 3188 | 1864 | 2476 | 50.2 |
| Nov | 2678 | 1356 | 1967 | 170.7 |
| Dec | 2169 | 948 | 1559 | 70.3 |
| Year | 39103 | 744 | 2373 | 602.4 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61% | 40% | 3.5 | 10:24 |
| Feb | 56% | 42% | 4.2 | 11:05 |
| Mar | 51% | 37% | 5.6 | 11:55 |
| Apr | 44% | 39% | 6.6 | 12:52 |
| May | 40% | 29% | 7.4 | 13:39 |
| Jun | 40% | 18% | 8.0 | 14:04 |
| Jul | 42% | 17% | 7.8 | 13:54 |
| Aug | 45% | 22% | 7.1 | 13:13 |
| Sep | 50% | 14% | 6.3 | 12:18 |
| Oct | 56% | 20% | 5.0 | 11:23 |
| Nov | 59% | 31% | 3.8 | 10:36 |
| Dec | 62% | 38% | 3.2 | 10:13 |
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 Cairo is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 39 °C103 °F and a low of 22 °C72 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 19 °C66 °F and lows 7 °C44 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 17.9 °C32.2 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is very dry, with only 60 mm2.4 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 52% of the annual total. The wettest month is November (17 mm0.7 in), the driest is August (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 40% in June to 62% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 14%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in November to 12 km/h (7 mph) in June. Daylight lasts from about 10.2 hours in December to 14.1 hours in June.
Best time to visit Cairo
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–April. Average highs then reach 19 °C66 °F to 30 °C86 °F. Precipitation is 7 mm0.3 in to 17 mm0.7 in per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 39 °C103 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means 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.
Cairo weather by month
- January19 °C66 °F / 7 °C44 °F
- February21 °C70 °F / 8 °C46 °F
- March26 °C78 °F / 10 °C50 °F
- April30 °C86 °F / 13 °C56 °F
- May35 °C94 °F / 18 °C64 °F
- June38 °C100 °F / 21 °C69 °F
- July39 °C103 °F / 22 °C72 °F
- August39 °C102 °F / 22 °C72 °F
- September36 °C97 °F / 20 °C69 °F
- October31 °C88 °F / 18 °C64 °F
- November26 °C78 °F / 13 °C56 °F
- December21 °C69 °F / 9 °C48 °F
What to pack for Cairo
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1966 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 744 to 9 °C48 °F, about 7 mm0.3 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 2678 to 35 °C94 °F, lows 1050 to 18 °C64 °F, about 5 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 38100 to 39 °C103 °F, lows 2169 to 22 °C72 °F, about 0 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 36 °C97 °F, lows 1356 to 20 °C69 °F, about 7 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Cairo compares
World Climates covers 39 places in Egypt. By annual mean temperature, Cairo is the 15th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 20th wettest. See all of them on the Egypt climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Hail (Saudi Arabia, BWh), Qurayyat (Saudi Arabia, BWh) and Tabuk (Saudi Arabia, BWh).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Giza (pop. 4,367,343), Shubra al Khaymah (pop. 1,240,289), Al Khusus (pop. 488,904), New Cairo (pop. 313,139), Qalyub (pop. 156,363), Al-Ubur (pop. 138,987) and Kirdasah (pop. 137,588). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Cairo, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Climate in 6th of October City 33 km · 22 °C71 °F · 60 mm2.4 in
- Climate in Ashmun 37 km · 22 °C72 °F · 61 mm2.4 in
- Climate in Munuf 54 km · 22 °C72 °F · 65 mm2.6 in
- Climate in Al Ashir min Ramadan 54 km · 22 °C71 °F · 58 mm2.3 in
- Climate in Zagazig 63 km · 22 °C72 °F · 61 mm2.4 in
- Climate in Al Fayyum 93 km · 22 °C72 °F · 46 mm1.8 in
- Climate in Al Mahallah al Kubra 101 km · 22 °C72 °F · 75 mm3.0 in
- Climate in Al Mansurah 109 km · 22 °C72 °F · 75 mm3.0 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Cairo?
July is the warmest month in Cairo. Its average high is 39 °C (103 °F) and its average low is 22 °C (72 °F).
What is the coldest month in Cairo?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is 19 °C (66 °F) and its average low is 7 °C (44 °F).
When does it rain the most in Cairo?
November is the wettest month with about 17 mm (0.7 in) of precipitation. August is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Cairo?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–April.
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. The gaps are largest 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 135 m, while Cairo lies at about 23 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.7 °C1.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.