Kirkuk climate
Kirkuk (Iraq) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 22 °C71 °F, and about 283 mm11 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kirkuk climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1355 | 235 | 745 | 401.6 | 6 |
| Feb | 1559 | 338 | 949 | 401.6 | 4 |
| Mar | 2169 | 745 | 1457 | 481.9 | 1 |
| Apr | 2680 | 1254 | 1967 | 391.5 | 0 |
| May | 3492 | 1865 | 2679 | 160.6 | 0 |
| Jun | 41105 | 2475 | 3290 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Jul | 44111 | 2882 | 3696 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Aug | 43110 | 2882 | 3596 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 38101 | 2374 | 3187 | 10.0 | 0 |
| Oct | 3187 | 1864 | 2476 | 170.7 | 0 |
| Nov | 2069 | 948 | 1558 | 351.4 | 0 |
| Dec | 1558 | 439 | 949 | 411.6 | 3 |
| Year | 44111 | 235 | 2271 | 28311 | 15 |
“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 | 63% | 47% | 2.6 | 10:00 |
| Feb | 61% | 48% | 3.5 | 10:51 |
| Mar | 55% | 47% | 4.8 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 49% | 54% | 5.7 | 13:03 |
| May | 36% | 41% | 7.0 | 14:01 |
| Jun | 20% | 13% | 8.2 | 14:32 |
| Jul | 16% | 14% | 7.8 | 14:20 |
| Aug | 16% | 14% | 7.1 | 13:29 |
| Sep | 19% | 17% | 6.0 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 30% | 33% | 4.3 | 11:13 |
| Nov | 49% | 38% | 3.1 | 10:14 |
| Dec | 60% | 46% | 2.4 | 9:46 |
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 Kirkuk is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 44 °C111 °F and a low of 28 °C82 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 13 °C55 °F and lows 2 °C35 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 28.5 °C51.2 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 283 mm11 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 46% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is March (48 mm1.9 in), the driest is August (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 16% in July to 63% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 13%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (5 mph) in February to 10 km/h (6 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 9.8 hours in December to 14.5 hours in June.
Best time to visit Kirkuk
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April and November: average highs of 20 °C69 °F to 26 °C80 °F with 35 mm1.4 in to 48 mm1.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 44 °C111 °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 Kirkuk
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1355 to 15 °C59 °F, lows 235 to 4 °C39 °F, about 40 mm1.6 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 2169 to 34 °C92 °F, lows 745 to 18 °C65 °F, about 35 mm1.4 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 41105 to 44 °C111 °F, lows 2475 to 28 °C82 °F, about 1 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2069 to 38 °C101 °F, lows 948 to 23 °C74 °F, about 18 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.
How Kirkuk compares
Compared with Erbil, about 87 km to the northwest, Kirkuk is on average 1.1 °C2 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in June (1.2 °C2.2 °F warmer).
Of the 39 places in Iraq covered by World Climates, Kirkuk is the 29th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 12th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Iraq climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Izeh (Iran, BSh), Silopi (Turkey, BSh) and Al Hasakah (Syria, BSh).
Nearby places
- Tuz Khurmatu 68 km · 23 °C73 °F · 266 mm10 in
- Khasnahzan 85 km · 19 °C67 °F · 301 mm12 in
- Erbil 87 km · 20 °C69 °F · 283 mm11 in
- Sulaymaniyah 95 km · 18 °C65 °F · 341 mm13 in
- Ranyah 98 km · 19 °C67 °F · 324 mm13 in
- Baḥarkah 100 km · 20 °C68 °F · 331 mm13 in
- Bayji 102 km · 23 °C73 °F · 202 mm8.0 in
- Qeładizê 104 km · 20 °C68 °F · 328 mm13 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kirkuk?
July is the warmest month in Kirkuk, with an average high of 44 °C (111 °F) and an average low of 28 °C (82 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kirkuk?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 13 °C (55 °F) and an average low of 2 °C (35 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kirkuk?
March is the wettest month with about 48 mm (1.9 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Kirkuk?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and April 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.