Kandahar climate
Kandahar (Afghanistan) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C69 °F, and about 161 mm6.3 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kandahar climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1457 | 032 | 745 | 240.9 | 13 |
| Feb | 1762 | 236 | 1049 | 301.2 | 8 |
| Mar | 2374 | 846 | 1660 | 291.1 | 2 |
| Apr | 3086 | 1356 | 2271 | 190.8 | 0 |
| May | 3697 | 1966 | 2781 | 50.2 | 0 |
| Jun | 40105 | 2272 | 3188 | 70.3 | 0 |
| Jul | 42107 | 2576 | 3392 | 40.1 | 0 |
| Aug | 39103 | 2373 | 3188 | 70.3 | 0 |
| Sep | 3595 | 1864 | 2679 | 40.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 2984 | 1253 | 2069 | 50.2 | 0 |
| Nov | 2170 | 643 | 1457 | 150.6 | 1 |
| Dec | 1660 | 135 | 947 | 130.5 | 8 |
| Year | 42107 | 032 | 2169 | 1616.3 | 32 |
“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 | 45% | 36% | 3.6 | 10:18 |
| Feb | 44% | 40% | 4.4 | 11:01 |
| Mar | 38% | 38% | 5.7 | 11:54 |
| Apr | 30% | 33% | 6.9 | 12:55 |
| May | 20% | 20% | 8.0 | 13:45 |
| Jun | 14% | 12% | 8.5 | 14:12 |
| Jul | 15% | 13% | 8.1 | 14:01 |
| Aug | 15% | 14% | 7.6 | 13:18 |
| Sep | 13% | 8% | 6.8 | 12:19 |
| Oct | 18% | 11% | 5.6 | 11:20 |
| Nov | 31% | 25% | 4.2 | 10:30 |
| Dec | 38% | 29% | 3.5 | 10:06 |
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 Kandahar is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 42 °C107 °F and a low of 25 °C76 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 14 °C57 °F and lows 0 °C32 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 26 °C46.8 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 161 mm6.3 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: April–December. The wettest month is February (30 mm1.2 in), the driest is July (4 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 13% in September to 45% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 8%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in December to 9 km/h (6 mph) in May. Daylight lasts from about 10.1 hours in December to 14.2 hours in June.
Best time to visit Kandahar
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April and October and November: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 30 °C86 °F with 5 mm0.2 in to 29 mm1.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 42 °C107 °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 Kandahar
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1457 to 17 °C62 °F, lows 032 to 2 °C36 °F, about 22 mm0.9 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 2374 to 36 °C97 °F, lows 846 to 19 °C66 °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.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 39103 to 42 °C107 °F, lows 2272 to 25 °C76 °F, about 6 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2170 to 35 °C95 °F, lows 643 to 18 °C64 °F, about 8 mm0.3 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 Kandahar compares
Compared with Quetta, about 201 km to the southeast, Kandahar is on average 3.4 °C6.2 °F warmer and receives 10% less precipitation (161 mm6.3 in vs 178 mm7.0 in). The difference is largest in July (5.1 °C9.1 °F warmer).
Of the 11 places in Afghanistan covered by World Climates, Kandahar is the 2nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 11th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Afghanistan climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Chaman (Pakistan, BWh), Gonbad-e Kavus (Iran, BWh) and Ashgabat (Turkmenistan, BWh).
Nearby places
- Chaman 105 km · 19 °C66 °F · 181 mm7.1 in
- Quetta 201 km · 17 °C63 °F · 178 mm7.0 in
- Ghazni 333 km · 11 °C52 °F · 537 mm21 in
- Gardez 396 km · 11 °C51 °F · 615 mm24 in
- Zabol 406 km · 23 °C73 °F · 60 mm2.4 in
- Dera Murad Jamali 418 km · 29 °C84 °F · 171 mm6.7 in
- Khuzdar 432 km · 22 °C71 °F · 177 mm7.0 in
- Herat 447 km · 17 °C63 °F · 254 mm10.0 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kandahar?
July is the warmest month in Kandahar, with an average high of 42 °C (107 °F) and an average low of 25 °C (76 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kandahar?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 14 °C (57 °F) and an average low of 0 °C (32 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kandahar?
February is the wettest month with about 30 mm (1.2 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 4 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Kandahar?
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 — 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.