Riyadh climate
Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C79 °F, and about 31 mm1.2 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Riyadh climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2170 | 744 | 1457 | 60.2 |
| Feb | 2476 | 948 | 1762 | 40.1 |
| Mar | 2984 | 1356 | 2170 | 20.1 |
| Apr | 3494 | 1966 | 2780 | 50.2 |
| May | 40104 | 2475 | 3290 | 10.0 |
| Jun | 43109 | 2679 | 3594 | 00.0 |
| Jul | 44111 | 2882 | 3697 | 00.0 |
| Aug | 44110 | 2882 | 3696 | 00.0 |
| Sep | 40104 | 2576 | 3290 | 00.0 |
| Oct | 3594 | 2067 | 2781 | 00.0 |
| Nov | 2781 | 1457 | 2069 | 70.3 |
| Dec | 2271 | 847 | 1559 | 60.2 |
| Year | 44111 | 744 | 2679 | 311.2 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40% | 24% | 4.4 | 10:46 |
| Feb | 32% | 25% | 5.3 | 11:18 |
| Mar | 27% | 30% | 6.2 | 11:57 |
| Apr | 24% | 40% | 6.7 | 12:42 |
| May | 17% | 28% | 7.4 | 13:20 |
| Jun | 11% | 14% | 8.0 | 13:40 |
| Jul | 12% | 21% | 7.7 | 13:32 |
| Aug | 13% | 21% | 7.3 | 12:59 |
| Sep | 15% | 15% | 6.8 | 12:15 |
| Oct | 20% | 11% | 5.9 | 11:32 |
| Nov | 36% | 22% | 4.6 | 10:54 |
| Dec | 43% | 22% | 4.2 | 10:37 |
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 Riyadh is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 44 °C111 °F and a low of 28 °C82 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 21 °C70 °F and lows 7 °C44 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 22.2 °C40 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is very dry, with only 31 mm1.2 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 59% of the annual total. The wettest month is November (7 mm0.3 in), the driest is June (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 11% in June to 43% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 11%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in October to 12 km/h (7 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 10.6 hours in December to 13.7 hours in June.
Best time to visit Riyadh
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–March: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 2 mm0.1 in to 7 mm0.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 44 °C111 °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.
Riyadh weather by month
- January21 °C70 °F / 7 °C44 °F
- February24 °C76 °F / 9 °C48 °F
- March29 °C84 °F / 13 °C56 °F
- April34 °C94 °F / 19 °C66 °F
- May40 °C104 °F / 24 °C75 °F
- June43 °C109 °F / 26 °C79 °F
- July44 °C111 °F / 28 °C82 °F
- August44 °C110 °F / 28 °C82 °F
- September40 °C104 °F / 25 °C76 °F
- October35 °C94 °F / 20 °C67 °F
- November27 °C81 °F / 14 °C57 °F
- December22 °C71 °F / 8 °C47 °F
What to pack for Riyadh
- Winter (December–February) — highs 2170 to 24 °C76 °F, lows 744 to 9 °C48 °F, about 5 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2984 to 40 °C104 °F, lows 1356 to 24 °C75 °F, about 3 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 43109 to 44 °C111 °F, lows 2679 to 28 °C82 °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 2781 to 40 °C104 °F, lows 1457 to 25 °C76 °F, about 2 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Riyadh compares
Of the 26 places in Saudi Arabia covered by World Climates, Riyadh is the 12th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 15th 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: Hawalli (Kuwait, BWh), Kuwait City (Kuwait, BWh) and Al Ahmadi (Kuwait, BWh).
Nearby places
- Al Kharj 86 km · 27 °C81 °F · 30 mm1.2 in
- Az Zulfi 262 km · 25 °C77 °F · 32 mm1.3 in
- Al Hufuf 298 km · 27 °C81 °F · 33 mm1.3 in
- Unaizah 315 km · 25 °C77 °F · 29 mm1.2 in
- Buraydah 330 km · 25 °C78 °F · 30 mm1.2 in
- Al Jubayl 389 km · 27 °C81 °F · 47 mm1.8 in
- Dammam 391 km · 27 °C81 °F · 46 mm1.8 in
- Hafar Al-Batin 423 km · 25 °C78 °F · 36 mm1.4 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Riyadh?
July is the warmest month in Riyadh, with an average high of 44 °C (111 °F) and an average low of 28 °C (82 °F).
What is the coldest month in Riyadh?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 21 °C (70 °F) and an average low of 7 °C (44 °F).
When does it rain the most in Riyadh?
November is the wettest month with about 7 mm (0.3 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Riyadh?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–March.
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.