Erbil climate
Erbil (Iraq) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 20 °C69 °F, and about 283 mm11 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Erbil climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1253 | 134 | 643 | 421.6 | 7 |
| Feb | 1457 | 236 | 847 | 371.5 | 4 |
| Mar | 2067 | 644 | 1355 | 502.0 | 0 |
| Apr | 2578 | 1152 | 1865 | 421.7 | 0 |
| May | 3290 | 1763 | 2577 | 160.6 | 0 |
| Jun | 39103 | 2373 | 3188 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Jul | 43109 | 2780 | 3594 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Aug | 42108 | 2680 | 3494 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 3799 | 2272 | 3085 | 10.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 3085 | 1661 | 2373 | 180.7 | 0 |
| Nov | 1967 | 846 | 1456 | 311.2 | 0 |
| Dec | 1356 | 337 | 847 | 411.6 | 4 |
| Year | 43109 | 134 | 2069 | 28311 | 15 |
“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 | 64% | 62% | 2.3 | 9:57 |
| Feb | 62% | 62% | 3.1 | 10:49 |
| Mar | 56% | 60% | 4.3 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 50% | 59% | 5.5 | 13:04 |
| May | 38% | 50% | 6.8 | 14:04 |
| Jun | 22% | 23% | 8.2 | 14:36 |
| Jul | 17% | 19% | 7.9 | 14:23 |
| Aug | 17% | 16% | 7.2 | 13:31 |
| Sep | 20% | 18% | 6.0 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 32% | 39% | 4.1 | 11:12 |
| Nov | 51% | 49% | 2.9 | 10:11 |
| Dec | 61% | 56% | 2.2 | 9:42 |
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 Erbil is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 43 °C109 °F and a low of 27 °C80 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 12 °C53 °F and lows 1 °C34 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 28.4 °C51.2 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 283 mm11 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is February–April, which brings 46% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is March (50 mm2.0 in), the driest is August (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 17% in July to 64% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 16%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in February to 9 km/h (5 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 9.7 hours in December to 14.6 hours in June.
Best time to visit Erbil
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April and October and November. Average highs then reach 19 °C67 °F to 30 °C85 °F. Precipitation is 18 mm0.7 in to 50 mm2.0 in per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 43 °C109 °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.
Erbil weather by month
- January12 °C53 °F / 1 °C34 °F
- February14 °C57 °F / 2 °C36 °F
- March20 °C67 °F / 6 °C44 °F
- April25 °C78 °F / 11 °C52 °F
- May32 °C90 °F / 17 °C63 °F
- June39 °C103 °F / 23 °C73 °F
- July43 °C109 °F / 27 °C80 °F
- August42 °C108 °F / 26 °C80 °F
- September37 °C99 °F / 22 °C72 °F
- October30 °C85 °F / 16 °C61 °F
- November19 °C67 °F / 8 °C46 °F
- December13 °C56 °F / 3 °C37 °F
What to pack for Erbil
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1253 to 14 °C57 °F, lows 134 to 3 °C37 °F, about 40 mm1.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2067 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 644 to 17 °C63 °F, about 36 mm1.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 39103 to 43 °C109 °F, lows 2373 to 27 °C80 °F, about 1 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1967 to 37 °C99 °F, lows 846 to 22 °C72 °F, about 17 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Erbil compares
The nearest larger place is Mosul, about 81 km to the west. Compared with it, Erbil is on average 1.1 °C2 °F cooler. It receives 10% less precipitation (283 mm11 in vs 315 mm12 in). The difference is largest in July (1.6 °C2.9 °F cooler).
World Climates covers 39 places in Iraq. By annual mean temperature, Erbil is the 32nd warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 11th wettest. See all of them on the Iraq climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Silopi (Turkey, BSh), Al Hasakah (Syria, BSh) and Al Qamishli (Syria, BSh).
Nearby places
- Climate in Khasnahzan 12 km · 19 °C67 °F · 301 mm12 in
- Climate in Baḥarkah 14 km · 20 °C68 °F · 331 mm13 in
- Climate in Xebat 32 km · 21 °C70 °F · 331 mm13 in
- Climate in Ranyah 79 km · 19 °C67 °F · 324 mm13 in
- Climate in Mosul 81 km · 22 °C71 °F · 315 mm12 in
- Climate in Kirkuk 87 km · 22 °C71 °F · 283 mm11 in
- Climate in Qeładizê 101 km · 20 °C68 °F · 328 mm13 in
- Climate in Ash Sharqat 103 km · 22 °C71 °F · 196 mm7.7 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Erbil?
July is the warmest month in Erbil. Its average high is 43 °C (109 °F) and its average low is 27 °C (80 °F).
What is the coldest month in Erbil?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is 12 °C (53 °F) and its average low is 1 °C (34 °F).
When does it rain the most in Erbil?
March is the wettest month with about 50 mm (2.0 in) of precipitation. August is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Erbil?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and April and October and November.
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 333 m, while Erbil lies at about 429 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.6 °C1.1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.