Najaf climate
Najaf (Iraq) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 25 °C76 °F, and about 105 mm4.1 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Najaf climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1661 | 338 | 1049 | 200.8 | 3 |
| Feb | 1967 | 542 | 1254 | 150.6 | 2 |
| Mar | 2678 | 1050 | 1864 | 130.5 | 0 |
| Apr | 3289 | 1661 | 2475 | 120.5 | 0 |
| May | 39102 | 2373 | 3187 | 50.2 | 0 |
| Jun | 44111 | 2781 | 3596 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Jul | 46115 | 3085 | 38100 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Aug | 46115 | 2984 | 38100 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 42107 | 2577 | 3392 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Oct | 3595 | 2067 | 2781 | 80.3 | 0 |
| Nov | 2475 | 1152 | 1763 | 180.7 | 0 |
| Dec | 1864 | 541 | 1153 | 130.5 | 2 |
| Year | 46115 | 338 | 2576 | 1054.1 | 6 |
“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 | 57% | 41% | 3.2 | 10:16 |
| Feb | 52% | 40% | 4.1 | 11:00 |
| Mar | 40% | 41% | 5.3 | 11:54 |
| Apr | 32% | 43% | 6.1 | 12:56 |
| May | 23% | 35% | 7.1 | 13:47 |
| Jun | 16% | 16% | 8.0 | 14:14 |
| Jul | 15% | 16% | 7.6 | 14:03 |
| Aug | 16% | 16% | 7.1 | 13:19 |
| Sep | 18% | 19% | 6.1 | 12:19 |
| Oct | 26% | 33% | 4.5 | 11:19 |
| Nov | 44% | 39% | 3.4 | 10:28 |
| Dec | 55% | 41% | 2.9 | 10:04 |
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 Najaf is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 46 °C115 °F and a low of 30 °C85 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 16 °C61 °F and lows 3 °C38 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 28 °C50.5 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is very dry, with only 105 mm4.1 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 48% of the annual total. The wettest month is January (20 mm0.8 in), the driest is July (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 15% in July to 57% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 16%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (5 mph) in November to 13 km/h (8 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 10.1 hours in December to 14.2 hours in June.
Best time to visit Najaf
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are February and March and November: average highs of 19 °C67 °F to 26 °C78 °F with 13 mm0.5 in to 18 mm0.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is August, which is hot, with average highs of 46 °C115 °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 Najaf
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1661 to 19 °C67 °F, lows 338 to 5 °C42 °F, about 16 mm0.6 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 2678 to 39 °C102 °F, lows 1050 to 23 °C73 °F, about 10 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 44111 to 46 °C115 °F, lows 2781 to 30 °C85 °F, about 0 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2475 to 42 °C107 °F, lows 1152 to 25 °C77 °F, about 9 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Najaf compares
Compared with Karbala, about 72 km to the northwest, Najaf is on average 0.7 °C1.2 °F warmer and receives 13% less precipitation (105 mm4.1 in vs 120 mm4.7 in). The difference is largest in June (1.1 °C1.9 °F warmer).
Of the 39 places in Iraq covered by World Climates, Najaf is the 14th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 35th 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: Khorramshahr (Iran, BWh), Hafar Al-Batin (Saudi Arabia, BWh) and Hawalli (Kuwait, BWh).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Kufa (pop. 110,000). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Najaf, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Al Hillah 49 km · 24 °C76 °F · 147 mm5.8 in
- Al Diwaniyah 55 km · 25 °C77 °F · 147 mm5.8 in
- Karbala 72 km · 24 °C75 °F · 120 mm4.7 in
- Al-Musayab 84 km · 24 °C75 °F · 181 mm7.1 in
- Al Mahmudiyah 115 km · 24 °C76 °F · 181 mm7.1 in
- As Samawah 118 km · 25 °C77 °F · 106 mm4.2 in
- Baghdad 146 km · 24 °C75 °F · 201 mm7.9 in
- Al-Kut 149 km · 25 °C77 °F · 238 mm9.4 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Najaf?
July is the warmest month in Najaf, with an average high of 46 °C (115 °F) and an average low of 30 °C (85 °F).
What is the coldest month in Najaf?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 16 °C (61 °F) and an average low of 3 °C (38 °F).
When does it rain the most in Najaf?
January is the wettest month with about 20 mm (0.8 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Najaf?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are February and March 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.