Petrolina climate
Petrolina (Pernambuco, Brazil) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C81 °F, and about 428 mm17 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Petrolina climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3494 | 2272 | 2883 | 853.4 |
| Feb | 3392 | 2271 | 2882 | 763.0 |
| Mar | 3493 | 2272 | 2882 | 712.8 |
| Apr | 3392 | 2170 | 2781 | 542.1 |
| May | 3391 | 2169 | 2780 | 180.7 |
| Jun | 3289 | 1966 | 2577 | 120.5 |
| Jul | 3188 | 1865 | 2576 | 90.3 |
| Aug | 3290 | 1865 | 2577 | 50.2 |
| Sep | 3494 | 1967 | 2781 | 80.3 |
| Oct | 3697 | 2171 | 2984 | 170.7 |
| Nov | 3697 | 2272 | 2985 | 301.2 |
| Dec | 3596 | 2373 | 2984 | 461.8 |
| Year | 3697 | 1865 | 2781 | 42817 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58% | 56% | 6.4 | 12:37 |
| Feb | 64% | 60% | 6.1 | 12:25 |
| Mar | 64% | 60% | 5.9 | 12:10 |
| Apr | 64% | 57% | 5.5 | 11:54 |
| May | 63% | 51% | 4.9 | 11:41 |
| Jun | 63% | 42% | 4.7 | 11:35 |
| Jul | 61% | 39% | 4.9 | 11:37 |
| Aug | 57% | 30% | 5.8 | 11:48 |
| Sep | 52% | 27% | 6.6 | 12:04 |
| Oct | 49% | 35% | 6.8 | 12:20 |
| Nov | 50% | 45% | 6.6 | 12:34 |
| Dec | 53% | 50% | 6.4 | 12:40 |
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 Petrolina is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 36 °C97 °F and a low of 22 °C72 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 31 °C88 °F and lows 18 °C65 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4.6 °C8.3 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 428 mm17 in. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 54% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is January (85 mm3.4 in), the driest is August (5 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 49% in October to 64% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 27%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in March to 19 km/h (11 mph) in September. Daylight lasts from about 11.6 hours in June to 12.7 hours in December.
Best time to visit Petrolina
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June and July. Average highs then reach 31 °C88 °F to 32 °C89 °F. Precipitation is 9 mm0.3 in to 12 mm0.5 in per month.
The most challenging month is October, which is hot, with average highs of 36 °C97 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means 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 Petrolina
- Wetter months (December–April) — highs 3392 to 35 °C96 °F, lows 2170 to 23 °C73 °F, about 66 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Drier months (May–November) — highs 3188 to 36 °C97 °F, lows 1865 to 22 °C72 °F, about 14 mm0.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Petrolina compares
The nearest larger place is Feira de Santana, about 360 km to the southeast. Compared with it, Petrolina is on average 2.5 °C4.6 °F warmer. It receives 60% less precipitation (428 mm17 in vs 1,074 mm42 in). The difference is largest in October (3.9 °C7 °F warmer).
World Climates covers 223 places in Brazil. By annual mean temperature, Petrolina is the 22nd warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 223rd wettest. See all of them on the Brazil climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall (with seasons shifted for the other hemisphere). The closest matches are Cienfuegos (Cuba, BSh), Machala (Ecuador, BSh) and Palma Soriano (Cuba, BSh).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Juazeiro (pop. 256,122). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Petrolina, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Climate in Paulo Afonso 251 km · 27 °C80 °F · 625 mm25 in
- Climate in Juazeiro do Norte 276 km · 27 °C80 °F · 901 mm35 in
- Climate in Lagarto 355 km · 25 °C78 °F · 1,001 mm39 in
- Climate in Feira de Santana 360 km · 25 °C76 °F · 1,074 mm42 in
- Climate in Itabaiana 366 km · 26 °C78 °F · 781 mm31 in
- Climate in Alagoinhas 380 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,120 mm44 in
- Climate in São Cristóvão 403 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,001 mm39 in
- Climate in Aracaju 411 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,043 mm41 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Petrolina?
November is the warmest month in Petrolina. Its average high is 36 °C (97 °F) and its average low is 22 °C (72 °F).
What is the coldest month in Petrolina?
July is the coldest month. Its average high is 31 °C (88 °F) and its average low is 18 °C (65 °F).
When does it rain the most in Petrolina?
January is the wettest month with about 85 mm (3.4 in) of precipitation. August is the driest with about 5 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Petrolina?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June and July.
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. The gaps are largest 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 446 m, while Petrolina lies at about 383 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.4 °C0.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.