Dakhla climate
Dakhla (Western Sahara) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 20 °C68 °F, and about 40 mm1.6 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Dakhla climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2068 | 1660 | 1864 | 30.1 |
| Feb | 2068 | 1661 | 1864 | 20.1 |
| Mar | 2068 | 1762 | 1865 | 20.1 |
| Apr | 2068 | 1763 | 1966 | 10.1 |
| May | 2169 | 1864 | 1967 | 10.1 |
| Jun | 2171 | 1966 | 2068 | 00.0 |
| Jul | 2272 | 1967 | 2169 | 00.0 |
| Aug | 2374 | 2069 | 2271 | 30.1 |
| Sep | 2475 | 2169 | 2272 | 70.3 |
| Oct | 2374 | 2069 | 2271 | 160.6 |
| Nov | 2272 | 1965 | 2069 | 20.1 |
| Dec | 2170 | 1762 | 1966 | 20.1 |
| Year | 2475 | 1660 | 2068 | 401.6 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 70% | 25% | 4.7 | 10:49 |
| Feb | 75% | 23% | 5.5 | 11:20 |
| Mar | 78% | 20% | 6.6 | 11:57 |
| Apr | 82% | 22% | 7.3 | 12:41 |
| May | 84% | 18% | 7.7 | 13:16 |
| Jun | 87% | 17% | 7.6 | 13:35 |
| Jul | 89% | 21% | 7.2 | 13:28 |
| Aug | 88% | 24% | 6.9 | 12:57 |
| Sep | 86% | 29% | 6.2 | 12:15 |
| Oct | 84% | 26% | 5.6 | 11:33 |
| Nov | 79% | 27% | 4.8 | 10:58 |
| Dec | 73% | 28% | 4.3 | 10:41 |
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 Dakhla is like
The warmest month is September, with an average high of 24 °C75 °F and a low of 21 °C69 °F. The coldest is February, when highs average 20 °C68 °F and lows 16 °C61 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4.3 °C7.7 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is very dry, with only 40 mm1.6 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is August–October, which brings 64% of the annual total. The wettest month is October (16 mm0.6 in), the driest is July (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 70% in January to 89% in July. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 17%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 17 km/h (11 mph) in November to 23 km/h (14 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 10.7 hours in December to 13.6 hours in June.
Best time to visit Dakhla
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are all year: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 24 °C75 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 16 mm0.6 in of precipitation per month.
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 Dakhla
- Winter (December–February) — highs 2068 to 21 °C70 °F, lows 1660 to 17 °C62 °F, about 2 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2068 to 21 °C69 °F, lows 1762 to 18 °C64 °F, about 2 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2171 to 23 °C74 °F, lows 1966 to 20 °C69 °F, about 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2272 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1965 to 21 °C69 °F, about 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
How Dakhla compares
Compared with Nouadhibou, about 325 km to the south, Dakhla is on average 2.5 °C4.5 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in September (4.7 °C8.5 °F cooler).
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Nouadhibou (Mauritania, BWh), Jamestown (Saint Helena, BWh) and Chiclayo (Peru, BWh).
Nearby places
- Nouadhibou 325 km · 22 °C72 °F · 40 mm1.6 in
- Laayoune 474 km · 21 °C69 °F · 146 mm5.7 in
- Telde 482 km · 20 °C68 °F · 157 mm6.2 in
- Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 494 km · 20 °C68 °F · 157 mm6.2 in
- Santa Cruz de Tenerife 533 km · 21 °C70 °F · 220 mm8.7 in
- Nouakchott 623 km · 23 °C74 °F · 150 mm5.9 in
- Guelmim 832 km · 21 °C69 °F · 197 mm7.8 in
- Saint-Louis 854 km · 26 °C80 °F · 381 mm15 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Dakhla?
September is the warmest month in Dakhla, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Dakhla?
February is the coldest month, with an average high of 20 °C (68 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
When does it rain the most in Dakhla?
October is the wettest month with about 16 mm (0.6 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Dakhla?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are all year.
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.