Madinah climate
Madinah (Saudi Arabia) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C82 °F, and about 21 mm0.8 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Madinah climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2577 | 948 | 1763 | 40.2 |
| Feb | 2883 | 1152 | 2067 | 10.0 |
| Mar | 3290 | 1458 | 2374 | 10.0 |
| Apr | 3697 | 1966 | 2781 | 20.1 |
| May | 41105 | 2374 | 3290 | 10.0 |
| Jun | 44111 | 2678 | 3595 | 00.0 |
| Jul | 44111 | 2680 | 3595 | 00.0 |
| Aug | 45112 | 2781 | 3697 | 30.1 |
| Sep | 43109 | 2679 | 3494 | 00.0 |
| Oct | 38100 | 2272 | 3086 | 10.0 |
| Nov | 3188 | 1661 | 2475 | 60.2 |
| Dec | 2780 | 1253 | 1966 | 30.1 |
| Year | 45112 | 948 | 2882 | 210.8 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42% | 33% | 4.5 | 10:46 |
| Feb | 37% | 32% | 5.4 | 11:18 |
| Mar | 28% | 31% | 6.5 | 11:57 |
| Apr | 24% | 37% | 7.1 | 12:42 |
| May | 18% | 39% | 7.5 | 13:19 |
| Jun | 14% | 29% | 7.9 | 13:39 |
| Jul | 18% | 34% | 7.7 | 13:31 |
| Aug | 20% | 42% | 7.1 | 12:59 |
| Sep | 17% | 37% | 6.5 | 12:15 |
| Oct | 23% | 27% | 5.7 | 11:32 |
| Nov | 37% | 27% | 4.7 | 10:55 |
| Dec | 42% | 27% | 4.2 | 10:38 |
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 Madinah is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 45 °C112 °F and a low of 27 °C81 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 25 °C77 °F and lows 9 °C48 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 18.9 °C33.9 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is very dry, with only 21 mm0.8 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 60% of the annual total. The wettest month is November (6 mm0.2 in), the driest is September (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 14% in June to 42% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 27%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in October to 12 km/h (8 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 10.6 hours in December to 13.6 hours in June.
Best time to visit Madinah
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–February: average highs of 25 °C77 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 1 mm0.0 in to 4 mm0.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is August, which is hot, with average highs of 45 °C112 °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 Madinah
- Winter (December–February) — highs 2577 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 948 to 12 °C53 °F, about 3 mm0.1 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.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 3290 to 41 °C105 °F, lows 1458 to 23 °C74 °F, about 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 44111 to 45 °C112 °F, lows 2678 to 27 °C81 °F, about 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 3188 to 43 °C109 °F, lows 1661 to 26 °C79 °F, about 2 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Madinah compares
Compared with Jeddah, about 334 km to the south, Madinah is on average 2.9 °C5.3 °F cooler and receives 45% less precipitation (21 mm0.8 in vs 38 mm1.5 in). The difference is largest in January (7.1 °C12.7 °F cooler).
Of the 26 places in Saudi Arabia covered by World Climates, Madinah is the 6th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 25th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Saudi Arabia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Doha (Qatar, BWh), Manama (Bahrain, BWh) and Kom Ombo (Egypt, BWh).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Sultanah (pop. 946,697). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Madinah, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Yanbu 163 km · 29 °C84 °F · 19 mm0.7 in
- Jeddah 334 km · 31 °C87 °F · 38 mm1.5 in
- Makkah 339 km · 31 °C87 °F · 37 mm1.5 in
- Taif 365 km · 22 °C71 °F · 40 mm1.6 in
- Hail 398 km · 22 °C72 °F · 26 mm1.0 in
- Unaizah 477 km · 25 °C77 °F · 29 mm1.2 in
- Buraydah 484 km · 25 °C78 °F · 30 mm1.2 in
- Tabuk 532 km · 22 °C72 °F · 22 mm0.9 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Madinah?
August is the warmest month in Madinah, with an average high of 45 °C (112 °F) and an average low of 27 °C (81 °F).
What is the coldest month in Madinah?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 25 °C (77 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (48 °F).
When does it rain the most in Madinah?
November is the wettest month with about 6 mm (0.2 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Madinah?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December–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 789 m, while Madinah lies at about 603 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.2 °C2.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.