Maiduguri climate
Maiduguri (Nigeria) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 28 °C83 °F, and about 546 mm21 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Maiduguri climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3290 | 1457 | 2373 | 00.0 |
| Feb | 3697 | 1763 | 2780 | 00.0 |
| Mar | 39103 | 2171 | 3087 | 10.0 |
| Apr | 41106 | 2578 | 3392 | 70.3 |
| May | 40105 | 2780 | 3492 | 240.9 |
| Jun | 38100 | 2678 | 3289 | 662.6 |
| Jul | 3494 | 2475 | 2984 | 1455.7 |
| Aug | 3188 | 2373 | 2780 | 1837.2 |
| Sep | 3391 | 2272 | 2882 | 963.8 |
| Oct | 3696 | 2271 | 2983 | 240.9 |
| Nov | 3596 | 1763 | 2680 | 00.0 |
| Dec | 3391 | 1558 | 2475 | 00.0 |
| Year | 41106 | 1457 | 2883 | 54621 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19% | 24% | 5.9 | 11:30 |
| Feb | 14% | 29% | 6.3 | 11:44 |
| Mar | 12% | 61% | 6.6 | 12:02 |
| Apr | 21% | 68% | 6.6 | 12:23 |
| May | 36% | 69% | 6.3 | 12:40 |
| Jun | 49% | 67% | 5.8 | 12:49 |
| Jul | 62% | 74% | 5.4 | 12:45 |
| Aug | 75% | 79% | 5.1 | 12:31 |
| Sep | 71% | 62% | 5.7 | 12:11 |
| Oct | 50% | 46% | 6.0 | 11:51 |
| Nov | 27% | 30% | 6.1 | 11:34 |
| Dec | 23% | 21% | 5.8 | 11:26 |
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 Maiduguri is like
The warmest month is May, with an average high of 40 °C105 °F and a low of 27 °C80 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 32 °C90 °F and lows 14 °C57 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 10.5 °C18.9 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 546 mm21 in. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 78% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–April. The wettest month is August (183 mm7.2 in), the driest is January (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 12% in March to 75% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 21%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in September to 12 km/h (8 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 11.4 hours in December to 12.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Maiduguri
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December and January: average highs of 32 °C90 °F to 33 °C91 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 0 mm0.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is hot, with average highs of 41 °C106 °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 Maiduguri
- Wetter months (June–September) — highs 3188 to 38 °C100 °F, lows 2272 to 26 °C78 °F, about 122 mm4.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (October–May) — highs 3290 to 41 °C106 °F, lows 1457 to 27 °C80 °F, about 7 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Maiduguri compares
Compared with NDjamena, about 207 km to the east, Maiduguri is on average 0.6 °C1.1 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in December (1.3 °C2.3 °F cooler).
Of the 74 places in Nigeria covered by World Climates, Maiduguri is the 4th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 72nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Nigeria climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Niamey (Niger, BSh), Mopti (Mali, BSh) and Maradi (Niger, BSh).
Nearby places
- Bama 68 km · 29 °C83 °F · 590 mm23 in
- Mubi 176 km · 26 °C79 °F · 966 mm38 in
- Maroua 188 km · 28 °C82 °F · 751 mm30 in
- NDjamena 207 km · 29 °C84 °F · 529 mm21 in
- Gashua 257 km · 28 °C82 °F · 478 mm19 in
- Gombe 278 km · 26 °C79 °F · 908 mm36 in
- Jimeta 296 km · 28 °C83 °F · 896 mm35 in
- Yola 303 km · 29 °C83 °F · 899 mm35 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Maiduguri?
May is the warmest month in Maiduguri, with an average high of 40 °C (105 °F) and an average low of 27 °C (80 °F).
What is the coldest month in Maiduguri?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 32 °C (90 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
When does it rain the most in Maiduguri?
August is the wettest month with about 183 mm (7.2 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Maiduguri?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December and January.
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.