Djibouti climate
Djibouti (Djibouti) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 30 °C87 °F, and about 235 mm9.3 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Djibouti climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2883 | 2272 | 2578 | 60.2 |
| Feb | 2984 | 2373 | 2679 | 60.2 |
| Mar | 3188 | 2475 | 2781 | 190.8 |
| Apr | 3391 | 2679 | 2985 | 512.0 |
| May | 3697 | 2883 | 3290 | 271.1 |
| Jun | 40104 | 3187 | 3596 | 70.3 |
| Jul | 40103 | 3188 | 3596 | 170.7 |
| Aug | 39102 | 3188 | 3595 | 271.0 |
| Sep | 38100 | 3086 | 3493 | 311.2 |
| Oct | 3492 | 2780 | 3086 | 210.8 |
| Nov | 3188 | 2576 | 2882 | 90.4 |
| Dec | 2984 | 2373 | 2679 | 140.6 |
| Year | 40104 | 2272 | 3087 | 2359.3 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73% | 30% | 5.0 | 11:31 |
| Feb | 74% | 28% | 5.7 | 11:45 |
| Mar | 73% | 29% | 6.3 | 12:02 |
| Apr | 73% | 32% | 6.5 | 12:22 |
| May | 62% | 31% | 6.5 | 12:39 |
| Jun | 44% | 41% | 6.0 | 12:48 |
| Jul | 43% | 52% | 5.7 | 12:44 |
| Aug | 47% | 44% | 5.9 | 12:30 |
| Sep | 53% | 33% | 6.2 | 12:10 |
| Oct | 65% | 21% | 6.0 | 11:51 |
| Nov | 71% | 22% | 5.5 | 11:35 |
| Dec | 73% | 25% | 5.1 | 11:27 |
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 Djibouti is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 40 °C103 °F and a low of 31 °C88 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 28 °C83 °F and lows 22 °C72 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 10 °C18.1 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is dry, with about 235 mm9.3 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 41% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–March and June and July. The wettest month is April (51 mm2.0 in), the driest is January (6 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 43% in July to 74% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 21%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in May to 17 km/h (11 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.4 hours in December to 12.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Djibouti
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–February: average highs of 28 °C83 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 6 mm0.2 in to 14 mm0.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is June, which is hot, with average highs of 40 °C104 °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 Djibouti
- Wetter months (April and May, August–October) — highs 3391 to 39 °C102 °F, lows 2679 to 31 °C88 °F, about 31 mm1.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Drier months (November–March, June and July) — highs 2883 to 40 °C104 °F, lows 2272 to 31 °C88 °F, about 11 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Djibouti compares
Compared with Taiz, about 241 km to the northeast, Djibouti is on average 7.2 °C12.9 °F warmer and receives 9% less precipitation (235 mm9.3 in vs 258 mm10 in). The difference is largest in August (11 °C19.9 °F warmer).
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Berbera (Somalia, BWh), Aden (Yemen, BWh) and Al Hudaydah (Yemen, BWh).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Balbala (pop. 554,350). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Djibouti, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Borama 184 km · 22 °C71 °F · 435 mm17 in
- Arabi 194 km · 26 °C78 °F · 442 mm17 in
- Berbera 241 km · 30 °C86 °F · 162 mm6.4 in
- Taiz 241 km · 23 °C74 °F · 258 mm10 in
- Aden 245 km · 30 °C85 °F · 131 mm5.1 in
- Hargeysa 247 km · 23 °C73 °F · 334 mm13 in
- Jijiga 252 km · 20 °C69 °F · 687 mm27 in
- Dire Dawa 262 km · 24 °C75 °F · 759 mm30 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Djibouti?
July is the warmest month in Djibouti, with an average high of 40 °C (103 °F) and an average low of 31 °C (88 °F).
What is the coldest month in Djibouti?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
When does it rain the most in Djibouti?
April is the wettest month with about 51 mm (2.0 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 6 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Djibouti?
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 173 m, while Djibouti lies at about 6 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.1 °C2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.