Makurdi climate
Makurdi (Nigeria) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C79 °F, and about 1,230 mm48 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Makurdi climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3188 | 1864 | 2476 | 50.2 |
| Feb | 3392 | 2170 | 2781 | 120.5 |
| Mar | 3392 | 2374 | 2883 | 351.4 |
| Apr | 3290 | 2475 | 2883 | 1084.2 |
| May | 3188 | 2475 | 2781 | 1425.6 |
| Jun | 3085 | 2374 | 2679 | 1526.0 |
| Jul | 2984 | 2373 | 2678 | 1696.7 |
| Aug | 2883 | 2272 | 2578 | 2017.9 |
| Sep | 2983 | 2272 | 2678 | 2178.6 |
| Oct | 2985 | 2373 | 2679 | 1546.1 |
| Nov | 3188 | 2170 | 2679 | 321.3 |
| Dec | 3188 | 1864 | 2476 | 20.1 |
| Year | 3392 | 1864 | 2679 | 1,23048 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55% | 33% | 5.5 | 11:43 |
| Feb | 61% | 50% | 5.4 | 11:52 |
| Mar | 72% | 72% | 5.5 | 12:04 |
| Apr | 78% | 82% | 5.4 | 12:17 |
| May | 83% | 81% | 5.2 | 12:28 |
| Jun | 85% | 75% | 4.8 | 12:34 |
| Jul | 87% | 81% | 4.3 | 12:32 |
| Aug | 87% | 86% | 4.1 | 12:22 |
| Sep | 88% | 82% | 4.5 | 12:09 |
| Oct | 87% | 71% | 5.0 | 11:56 |
| Nov | 75% | 46% | 5.5 | 11:46 |
| Dec | 61% | 29% | 5.5 | 11:40 |
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 Makurdi is like
The warmest month is March, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 23 °C74 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 31 °C88 °F and lows 18 °C64 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 3.9 °C7 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,230 mm48 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 48% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: December–February. The wettest month is September (217 mm8.6 in), the driest is December (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 55% in January to 88% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 29%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in November to 9 km/h (6 mph) in April.
Best time to visit Makurdi
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–January: average highs of 31 °C88 °F to 31 °C88 °F with 2 mm0.1 in to 32 mm1.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is September, which is very wet (217 mm8.6 in) and humid (88% relative humidity).
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 Makurdi
- Wetter months (April–October) — highs 2883 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 2272 to 24 °C75 °F, about 163 mm6.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (November–March) — highs 3188 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1864 to 23 °C74 °F, about 17 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Makurdi compares
Compared with Enugu, about 183 km to the southwest, Makurdi is on average 1.1 °C2 °F warmer and receives 19% less precipitation (1,230 mm48 in vs 1,526 mm60 in). The difference is largest in March (1.8 °C3.3 °F warmer).
Of the 74 places in Nigeria covered by World Climates, Makurdi is the 24th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 41st 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: Parakou (Benin, Aw), Sokodé (Togo, Aw) and Tamale (Ghana, Aw).
Nearby places
- Gboko 70 km · 25 °C78 °F · 1,230 mm48 in
- Lafia 85 km · 27 °C81 °F · 994 mm39 in
- Nsukka 158 km · 24 °C75 °F · 1,368 mm54 in
- Abakaliki 163 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,538 mm61 in
- Enugu 183 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,526 mm60 in
- Abuja 186 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,185 mm47 in
- Suleja 218 km · 25 °C78 °F · 1,146 mm45 in
- Ugep 220 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,714 mm67 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Makurdi?
March is the warmest month in Makurdi, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Makurdi?
December is the coldest month, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (64 °F).
When does it rain the most in Makurdi?
September is the wettest month with about 217 mm (8.6 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Makurdi?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–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.