Herat climate
Herat (Afghanistan) has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C63 °F, and about 254 mm10.0 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Herat climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1151 | 031 | 541 | 391.5 |
| Feb | 1356 | 134 | 745 | 471.9 |
| Mar | 2067 | 642 | 1355 | 431.7 |
| Apr | 2578 | 1050 | 1864 | 351.4 |
| May | 3188 | 1559 | 2373 | 90.4 |
| Jun | 3595 | 1965 | 2780 | 10.0 |
| Jul | 3697 | 2069 | 2883 | 00.0 |
| Aug | 3493 | 1865 | 2679 | 00.0 |
| Sep | 3086 | 1457 | 2272 | 00.0 |
| Oct | 2577 | 1049 | 1763 | 30.1 |
| Nov | 1864 | 540 | 1152 | 351.4 |
| Dec | 1254 | 133 | 644 | 421.7 |
| Year | 3697 | 031 | 1763 | 25410.0 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59% | 54% | 2.7 | 10:06 |
| Feb | 57% | 56% | 3.5 | 10:54 |
| Mar | 54% | 54% | 4.8 | 11:53 |
| Apr | 48% | 52% | 6.1 | 13:00 |
| May | 36% | 35% | 7.6 | 13:56 |
| Jun | 24% | 22% | 8.5 | 14:26 |
| Jul | 21% | 19% | 8.2 | 14:14 |
| Aug | 20% | 21% | 7.6 | 13:26 |
| Sep | 22% | 18% | 6.5 | 12:20 |
| Oct | 30% | 24% | 4.9 | 11:15 |
| Nov | 48% | 41% | 3.3 | 10:19 |
| Dec | 56% | 46% | 2.6 | 9:52 |
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 Herat is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 36 °C97 °F and a low of 20 °C69 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 11 °C51 °F and lows 0 °C31 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 23.1 °C41.6 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 254 mm10.0 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 51% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is February (47 mm1.9 in), the driest is July (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 20% in August to 59% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 18%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in November to 21 km/h (13 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 9.9 hours in December to 14.4 hours in June.
Best time to visit Herat
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April and October. Average highs then reach 20 °C67 °F to 25 °C78 °F. Precipitation is 3 mm0.1 in to 43 mm1.7 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 11 °C51 °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.
What to pack for Herat
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1151 to 13 °C56 °F, lows 031 to 1 °C34 °F, about 43 mm1.7 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 31 °C88 °F, lows 642 to 15 °C59 °F, about 29 mm1.1 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 3493 to 36 °C97 °F, lows 1865 to 20 °C69 °F, about 0 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1864 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 540 to 14 °C57 °F, about 13 mm0.5 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 Herat compares
The nearest larger place is Mashhad, about 320 km to the northwest. Compared with it, Herat is on average 1.9 °C3.4 °F warmer. It receives 37% more precipitation (254 mm10.0 in vs 186 mm7.3 in). The difference is largest in March (2.8 °C5 °F warmer).
World Climates covers 11 places in Afghanistan. By annual mean temperature, Herat is the 7th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 6th wettest. See all of them on the Afghanistan climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Kashmar (Iran, BWk), Kerman (Iran, BWk) and Isfahan (Iran, BSk).
Nearby places
- Climate in Maragheh 286 km · 12 °C54 °F · 184 mm7.2 in
- Climate in Torbat-e Heydariyeh 291 km · 14 °C57 °F · 186 mm7.3 in
- Climate in Mashhad 320 km · 15 °C59 °F · 186 mm7.3 in
- Climate in Birjand 321 km · 16 °C61 °F · 119 mm4.7 in
- Climate in Kashmar 355 km · 17 °C62 °F · 159 mm6.3 in
- Climate in Mary 362 km · 18 °C64 °F · 151 mm5.9 in
- Climate in Neyshabur 372 km · 15 °C59 °F · 170 mm6.7 in
- Climate in Zabol 375 km · 23 °C73 °F · 60 mm2.4 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Herat?
July is the warmest month in Herat. Its average high is 36 °C (97 °F) and its average low is 20 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Herat?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is 11 °C (51 °F) and its average low is 0 °C (31 °F).
When does it rain the most in Herat?
February is the wettest month with about 47 mm (1.9 in) of precipitation. July is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Herat?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and April and October.
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 1,385 m, while Herat lies at about 927 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +3 °C5.4 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.