Hargeysa climate
Hargeysa (Somalia) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C73 °F, and about 334 mm13 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Hargeysa climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2679 | 1152 | 1966 | 40.2 |
| Feb | 2984 | 1254 | 2169 | 50.2 |
| Mar | 3188 | 1559 | 2373 | 190.7 |
| Apr | 3187 | 1864 | 2476 | 763.0 |
| May | 3189 | 1965 | 2577 | 371.5 |
| Jun | 3289 | 1864 | 2577 | 190.8 |
| Jul | 3087 | 1864 | 2475 | 251.0 |
| Aug | 3086 | 1865 | 2475 | 441.7 |
| Sep | 3188 | 1965 | 2577 | 401.6 |
| Oct | 3085 | 1661 | 2373 | 291.2 |
| Nov | 2882 | 1356 | 2069 | 190.7 |
| Dec | 2678 | 1253 | 1966 | 150.6 |
| Year | 3289 | 1152 | 2373 | 33413 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66% | 25% | 6.3 | 11:37 |
| Feb | 59% | 23% | 6.9 | 11:49 |
| Mar | 53% | 25% | 7.3 | 12:03 |
| Apr | 58% | 42% | 7.0 | 12:20 |
| May | 58% | 45% | 7.0 | 12:33 |
| Jun | 54% | 34% | 7.0 | 12:41 |
| Jul | 52% | 36% | 6.7 | 12:38 |
| Aug | 51% | 38% | 6.9 | 12:26 |
| Sep | 51% | 39% | 6.9 | 12:10 |
| Oct | 56% | 34% | 6.6 | 11:54 |
| Nov | 65% | 26% | 6.3 | 11:40 |
| Dec | 68% | 24% | 6.1 | 11:34 |
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 Hargeysa is like
The warmest month is May, with an average high of 31 °C89 °F and a low of 19 °C65 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 26 °C78 °F and lows 12 °C53 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.3 °C11.4 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is dry, with about 334 mm13 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is April–June, which brings 40% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–March and June. The wettest month is April (76 mm3.0 in), the driest is January (4 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 51% in September to 68% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 23%) are typical of February. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (5 mph) in October to 25 km/h (15 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.6 hours in December to 12.7 hours in June.
Best time to visit Hargeysa
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October–February: average highs of 26 °C78 °F to 30 °C85 °F with 4 mm0.2 in to 29 mm1.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is June, which is hot, with average highs of 32 °C89 °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 Hargeysa
- Wetter months (April and May, August–October) — highs 3085 to 31 °C89 °F, lows 1661 to 19 °C65 °F, about 46 mm1.8 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.
- Drier months (November–March, June and July) — highs 2678 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1152 to 18 °C64 °F, about 15 mm0.6 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 Hargeysa compares
Compared with Borama, about 105 km to the northwest, Hargeysa is on average 0.9 °C1.5 °F warmer and receives 23% less precipitation (334 mm13 in vs 435 mm17 in). The difference is largest in October (1.6 °C2.8 °F warmer).
Of the 9 places in Somalia covered by World Climates, Hargeysa is the 8th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 5th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Somalia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Taiz (Yemen, BWh), Pyin Oo Lwin (Myanmar, BWh) and Phalaborwa (South Africa, BSh).
Nearby places
- Borama 105 km · 22 °C71 °F · 435 mm17 in
- Jijiga 141 km · 20 °C69 °F · 687 mm27 in
- Berbera 143 km · 30 °C86 °F · 162 mm6.4 in
- Arabi 178 km · 26 °C78 °F · 442 mm17 in
- Harar 215 km · 19 °C67 °F · 759 mm30 in
- Dire Dawa 241 km · 24 °C75 °F · 759 mm30 in
- Djibouti 247 km · 30 °C87 °F · 235 mm9.3 in
- Warder 320 km · 27 °C81 °F · 363 mm14 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Hargeysa?
May is the warmest month in Hargeysa, with an average high of 31 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (65 °F).
What is the coldest month in Hargeysa?
December is the coldest month, with an average high of 26 °C (78 °F) and an average low of 12 °C (53 °F).
When does it rain the most in Hargeysa?
April is the wettest month with about 76 mm (3.0 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 4 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Hargeysa?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are October–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 1,147 m, while Hargeysa lies at about 1,261 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.