Nakuru climate
Nakuru (Kenya) has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C66 °F, and about 1,233 mm49 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Nakuru climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2680 | 1355 | 2067 | 542.1 |
| Feb | 2882 | 1355 | 2069 | 391.5 |
| Mar | 2882 | 1457 | 2169 | 1054.2 |
| Apr | 2577 | 1558 | 2068 | 2068.1 |
| May | 2475 | 1457 | 1966 | 1495.9 |
| Jun | 2374 | 1356 | 1865 | 833.3 |
| Jul | 2373 | 1254 | 1864 | 682.7 |
| Aug | 2374 | 1355 | 1864 | 893.5 |
| Sep | 2576 | 1355 | 1966 | 853.3 |
| Oct | 2577 | 1456 | 1967 | 1154.5 |
| Nov | 2476 | 1457 | 1966 | 1465.7 |
| Dec | 2577 | 1356 | 1966 | 953.7 |
| Year | 2882 | 1254 | 1966 | 1,23349 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68% | 59% | 6.2 | 12:08 |
| Feb | 64% | 59% | 6.6 | 12:07 |
| Mar | 68% | 65% | 6.4 | 12:07 |
| Apr | 78% | 78% | 5.7 | 12:06 |
| May | 81% | 70% | 5.5 | 12:06 |
| Jun | 80% | 71% | 5.0 | 12:06 |
| Jul | 79% | 72% | 4.9 | 12:06 |
| Aug | 78% | 70% | 5.2 | 12:06 |
| Sep | 75% | 61% | 5.9 | 12:07 |
| Oct | 76% | 71% | 5.8 | 12:07 |
| Nov | 80% | 76% | 5.3 | 12:08 |
| Dec | 76% | 67% | 5.7 | 12:08 |
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 Nakuru is like
The warmest month is March, with an average high of 28 °C82 °F and a low of 14 °C57 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 23 °C73 °F and lows 12 °C54 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 3.1 °C5.6 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,233 mm49 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 37% of the annual total. The wettest month is April (206 mm8.1 in), the driest is February (39 mm1.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 64% in February to 81% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 59%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in July to 8 km/h (5 mph) in October.
Best time to visit Nakuru
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–February and June–September: average highs of 23 °C73 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 39 mm1.5 in to 95 mm3.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is very wet (206 mm8.1 in) and humid (78% 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 Nakuru
- Wetter months (March–May, October and November) — highs 2475 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1456 to 15 °C58 °F, about 144 mm5.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (December–February, June–September) — highs 2373 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1254 to 13 °C56 °F, about 73 mm2.9 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.
How Nakuru compares
Compared with Nairobi, about 136 km to the southeast, Nakuru is on average 0.7 °C1.3 °F cooler and receives 105% more precipitation (1,233 mm49 in vs 602 mm24 in). The difference is largest in October (1.4 °C2.5 °F cooler).
Of the 18 places in Kenya covered by World Climates, Nakuru is the 16th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 7th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Kenya climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Popayán (Colombia, Csb), Butembo (DR Congo, Af) and Ibanda (Uganda, Af).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Naivasha (pop. 198,444). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Nakuru, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Eldoret 128 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,950 mm77 in
- Karuri 131 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,192 mm47 in
- Ruiru 136 km · 21 °C69 °F · 788 mm31 in
- Nairobi 136 km · 20 °C68 °F · 602 mm24 in
- Thika 137 km · 21 °C69 °F · 788 mm31 in
- Kisumu 147 km · 23 °C74 °F · 2,009 mm79 in
- Kisii 151 km · 20 °C69 °F · 1,747 mm69 in
- Kakamega 161 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,950 mm77 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Nakuru?
March is the warmest month in Nakuru, with an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
What is the coldest month in Nakuru?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 23 °C (73 °F) and an average low of 12 °C (54 °F).
When does it rain the most in Nakuru?
April is the wettest month with about 206 mm (8.1 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 39 mm (1.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Nakuru?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December–February and June–September.
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 2,338 m, while Nakuru lies at about 1,802 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +3.5 °C6.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.