Kairouan climate
Kairouan (Tunisia) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 20 °C68 °F, and about 403 mm16 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kairouan climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1661 | 541 | 1151 | 371.5 |
| Feb | 1763 | 541 | 1152 | 271.1 |
| Mar | 2170 | 846 | 1558 | 502.0 |
| Apr | 2577 | 1152 | 1864 | 351.4 |
| May | 3085 | 1558 | 2272 | 291.1 |
| Jun | 3595 | 1966 | 2780 | 180.7 |
| Jul | 38101 | 2373 | 3187 | 90.3 |
| Aug | 3799 | 2373 | 3086 | 251.0 |
| Sep | 3290 | 2067 | 2679 | 522.1 |
| Oct | 2882 | 1660 | 2271 | 461.8 |
| Nov | 2170 | 1050 | 1660 | 341.3 |
| Dec | 1762 | 643 | 1253 | 411.6 |
| Year | 38101 | 541 | 2068 | 40316 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71% | 50% | 2.8 | 9:59 |
| Feb | 67% | 50% | 3.7 | 10:50 |
| Mar | 63% | 48% | 4.8 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 60% | 47% | 5.9 | 13:03 |
| May | 54% | 40% | 6.9 | 14:02 |
| Jun | 47% | 27% | 7.7 | 14:34 |
| Jul | 42% | 18% | 7.8 | 14:21 |
| Aug | 46% | 25% | 6.9 | 13:30 |
| Sep | 59% | 38% | 5.3 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 64% | 39% | 4.1 | 11:13 |
| Nov | 68% | 44% | 3.1 | 10:14 |
| Dec | 72% | 50% | 2.5 | 9:45 |
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 Kairouan is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 38 °C101 °F and a low of 23 °C73 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 16 °C61 °F and lows 5 °C41 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 20 °C36 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 403 mm16 in. The wettest three-month stretch is September–November, which brings 33% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June and July. The wettest month is September (52 mm2.1 in), the driest is July (9 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 42% in July to 72% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 18%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (5 mph) in October to 11 km/h (7 mph) in May. Daylight lasts from about 9.8 hours in December to 14.6 hours in June.
Best time to visit Kairouan
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March–May and October and November: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 30 °C85 °F with 29 mm1.1 in to 50 mm2.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 38 °C101 °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 Kairouan
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1661 to 17 °C63 °F, lows 541 to 6 °C43 °F, about 35 mm1.4 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 2170 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 846 to 15 °C58 °F, about 38 mm1.5 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.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3595 to 38 °C101 °F, lows 1966 to 23 °C73 °F, about 18 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2170 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 1050 to 20 °C67 °F, about 44 mm1.7 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 Kairouan compares
Compared with Sousse, about 51 km to the east, Kairouan is on average 0.4 °C0.7 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in July (3.2 °C5.7 °F warmer).
Of the 9 places in Tunisia covered by World Climates, Kairouan is the 4th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 5th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Tunisia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Valencia (Spain, BSh), Alicante (Spain, BSh) and Orihuela (Spain, BSh).
Nearby places
- Sousse 51 km · 20 °C67 °F · 400 mm16 in
- Hammamet 93 km · 19 °C67 °F · 460 mm18 in
- El Mourouj 116 km · 19 °C67 °F · 534 mm21 in
- Sakiet ed Daier 118 km · 20 °C68 °F · 301 mm12 in
- Sfax 120 km · 20 °C69 °F · 237 mm9.3 in
- Tunis 127 km · 19 °C66 °F · 561 mm22 in
- Bizerte 179 km · 19 °C66 °F · 657 mm26 in
- Tébessa 181 km · 15 °C60 °F · 541 mm21 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kairouan?
July is the warmest month in Kairouan, with an average high of 38 °C (101 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (73 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kairouan?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 16 °C (61 °F) and an average low of 5 °C (41 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kairouan?
September is the wettest month with about 52 mm (2.1 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 9 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Kairouan?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March–May 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 — 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 187 m, while Kairouan lies at about 65 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.8 °C1.4 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.