Garissa climate
Garissa (Kenya) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C83 °F, and about 510 mm20 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Garissa climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3697 | 2373 | 3085 | 180.7 |
| Feb | 38100 | 2475 | 3188 | 70.3 |
| Mar | 3799 | 2577 | 3188 | 351.4 |
| Apr | 3494 | 2475 | 2985 | 923.6 |
| May | 3391 | 2272 | 2882 | 732.9 |
| Jun | 3391 | 2170 | 2780 | 190.7 |
| Jul | 3290 | 2069 | 2679 | 120.5 |
| Aug | 3391 | 2169 | 2780 | 100.4 |
| Sep | 3594 | 2170 | 2882 | 110.4 |
| Oct | 3595 | 2272 | 2984 | 592.3 |
| Nov | 3392 | 2373 | 2883 | 1144.5 |
| Dec | 3594 | 2374 | 2984 | 602.4 |
| Year | 38100 | 2069 | 2883 | 51020 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54% | 41% | 5.9 | 12:09 |
| Feb | 50% | 42% | 6.2 | 12:08 |
| Mar | 54% | 65% | 6.3 | 12:07 |
| Apr | 67% | 74% | 6.0 | 12:06 |
| May | 70% | 63% | 5.8 | 12:06 |
| Jun | 64% | 47% | 5.3 | 12:06 |
| Jul | 61% | 50% | 5.3 | 12:06 |
| Aug | 60% | 47% | 5.6 | 12:06 |
| Sep | 58% | 44% | 6.1 | 12:07 |
| Oct | 61% | 53% | 6.2 | 12:07 |
| Nov | 69% | 60% | 5.8 | 12:08 |
| Dec | 63% | 45% | 5.7 | 12:09 |
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 Garissa is like
The warmest month is March, with an average high of 37 °C99 °F and a low of 25 °C77 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 32 °C90 °F and lows 20 °C69 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4.6 °C8.4 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 510 mm20 in. The wettest three-month stretch is October–December, which brings 46% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: January and February and June–September. The wettest month is November (114 mm4.5 in), the driest is February (7 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 50% in February to 70% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 41%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in December to 22 km/h (14 mph) in August.
Best time to visit Garissa
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–August: average highs of 32 °C90 °F to 33 °C91 °F with 10 mm0.4 in to 19 mm0.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is February, which is hot, with average highs of 38 °C100 °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 Garissa
- Wetter months (April and May, October–December) — highs 3391 to 35 °C95 °F, lows 2272 to 24 °C75 °F, about 80 mm3.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Drier months (January–March, June–September) — highs 3290 to 38 °C100 °F, lows 2069 to 25 °C77 °F, about 16 mm0.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Garissa compares
Compared with Mwala, about 263 km to the west, Garissa is on average 6.9 °C12.3 °F warmer and receives 22% less precipitation (510 mm20 in vs 656 mm26 in). The difference is largest in February (7.8 °C14 °F warmer).
Of the 18 places in Kenya covered by World Climates, Garissa is the 3rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 16th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Kenya climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Santiago de Cuba (Cuba, BSh), Tigwav (Haiti, BSh) and Arcahaie (Haiti, BSh).
Nearby places
- Mwala 263 km · 22 °C71 °F · 656 mm26 in
- Karuri 275 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,192 mm47 in
- Thika 294 km · 21 °C69 °F · 788 mm31 in
- Ruiru 308 km · 21 °C69 °F · 788 mm31 in
- Malindi 312 km · 27 °C81 °F · 848 mm33 in
- Kismayo 323 km · 27 °C81 °F · 588 mm23 in
- Nairobi 328 km · 20 °C68 °F · 602 mm24 in
- Jomvu 393 km · 27 °C81 °F · 894 mm35 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Garissa?
March is the warmest month in Garissa, with an average high of 37 °C (99 °F) and an average low of 25 °C (77 °F).
What is the coldest month in Garissa?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 32 °C (90 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (69 °F).
When does it rain the most in Garissa?
November is the wettest month with about 114 mm (4.5 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 7 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Garissa?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–August.
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 258 m, while Garissa lies at about 147 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.