Makkah climate
Makkah (Saudi Arabia) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 31 °C87 °F, and about 37 mm1.5 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Makkah climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2985 | 1661 | 2373 | 60.2 |
| Feb | 3289 | 1864 | 2576 | 10.0 |
| Mar | 3594 | 2068 | 2781 | 10.0 |
| Apr | 38100 | 2475 | 3187 | 60.3 |
| May | 42107 | 2781 | 3494 | 40.1 |
| Jun | 44112 | 2984 | 3698 | 20.1 |
| Jul | 43109 | 2984 | 3697 | 00.0 |
| Aug | 43109 | 2984 | 3697 | 00.0 |
| Sep | 43109 | 2883 | 3696 | 10.0 |
| Oct | 39102 | 2578 | 3290 | 30.1 |
| Nov | 3493 | 2170 | 2882 | 90.3 |
| Dec | 3187 | 1865 | 2476 | 40.1 |
| Year | 44112 | 1661 | 3187 | 371.5 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49% | 26% | 4.6 | 10:57 |
| Feb | 43% | 23% | 5.4 | 11:25 |
| Mar | 35% | 22% | 6.5 | 11:58 |
| Apr | 31% | 24% | 7.1 | 12:37 |
| May | 23% | 22% | 7.4 | 13:09 |
| Jun | 17% | 23% | 7.6 | 13:26 |
| Jul | 23% | 31% | 7.3 | 13:19 |
| Aug | 29% | 36% | 6.9 | 12:52 |
| Sep | 26% | 33% | 6.4 | 12:14 |
| Oct | 31% | 16% | 5.9 | 11:37 |
| Nov | 45% | 16% | 4.9 | 11:05 |
| Dec | 50% | 20% | 4.4 | 10:50 |
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 Makkah is like
The warmest month is June, with an average high of 44 °C112 °F and a low of 29 °C84 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 29 °C85 °F and lows 16 °C61 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 13.6 °C24.6 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is very dry, with only 37 mm1.5 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 49% of the annual total. The wettest month is November (9 mm0.3 in), the driest is August (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 17% in June to 50% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 16%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in December to 12 km/h (7 mph) in June. Daylight lasts from about 10.8 hours in December to 13.4 hours in June.
Best time to visit Makkah
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are January: average highs of 29 °C85 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 6 mm0.2 in to 6 mm0.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is June, which is hot, with average highs of 44 °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.
Makkah weather by month
- January29 °C85 °F / 16 °C61 °F
- February32 °C89 °F / 18 °C64 °F
- March35 °C94 °F / 20 °C68 °F
- April38 °C100 °F / 24 °C75 °F
- May42 °C107 °F / 27 °C81 °F
- June44 °C112 °F / 29 °C84 °F
- July43 °C109 °F / 29 °C84 °F
- August43 °C109 °F / 29 °C84 °F
- September43 °C109 °F / 28 °C83 °F
- October39 °C102 °F / 25 °C78 °F
- November34 °C93 °F / 21 °C70 °F
- December31 °C87 °F / 18 °C65 °F
What to pack for Makkah
- Wetter months (November–January, April and May) — highs 2985 to 42 °C107 °F, lows 1661 to 27 °C81 °F, about 6 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Drier months (February and March, June–October) — highs 3289 to 44 °C112 °F, lows 1864 to 29 °C84 °F, about 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Makkah compares
Compared with Jeddah, about 67 km to the west, Makkah has practically the same average temperature and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in June (1.6 °C2.9 °F warmer).
Of the 26 places in Saudi Arabia covered by World Climates, Makkah is the 4th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 11th 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: Port Sudan (Sudan, BWh), Dibba (Oman, BWh) and Sharjah (United Arab Emirates, BWh).
Nearby places
- Taif 64 km · 22 °C71 °F · 40 mm1.6 in
- Jeddah 67 km · 31 °C87 °F · 38 mm1.5 in
- Sabt Alalayah 303 km · 15 °C59 °F · 40 mm1.6 in
- Bishah 330 km · 26 °C79 °F · 30 mm1.2 in
- Port Sudan 338 km · 29 °C84 °F · 45 mm1.8 in
- Madinah 339 km · 28 °C82 °F · 21 mm0.8 in
- Yanbu 347 km · 29 °C84 °F · 19 mm0.7 in
- Abha 454 km · 18 °C65 °F · 62 mm2.4 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Makkah?
June is the warmest month in Makkah, with an average high of 44 °C (112 °F) and an average low of 29 °C (84 °F).
What is the coldest month in Makkah?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 29 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
When does it rain the most in Makkah?
November is the wettest month with about 9 mm (0.3 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Makkah?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are 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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 593 m, while Makkah lies at about 333 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.7 °C3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.