Sabha climate
Sabha (Libya) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C73 °F, and about 29 mm1.1 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Sabha climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1763 | 438 | 1051 | 30.1 | 1 |
| Feb | 2069 | 542 | 1355 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Mar | 2679 | 1050 | 1865 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Apr | 3289 | 1660 | 2475 | 10.0 | 0 |
| May | 3697 | 2068 | 2883 | 40.2 | 0 |
| Jun | 39103 | 2374 | 3188 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Jul | 40103 | 2476 | 3289 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Aug | 39103 | 2476 | 3290 | 00.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 3799 | 2373 | 3086 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 3188 | 1864 | 2476 | 40.2 | 0 |
| Nov | 2476 | 1152 | 1864 | 40.1 | 0 |
| Dec | 1965 | 642 | 1254 | 50.2 | 0 |
| Year | 40103 | 438 | 2373 | 291.1 | 2 |
“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 | 48% | 22% | 4.3 | 10:37 |
| Feb | 39% | 22% | 5.2 | 11:12 |
| Mar | 29% | 21% | 6.3 | 11:56 |
| Apr | 23% | 27% | 7.0 | 12:46 |
| May | 21% | 27% | 7.5 | 13:28 |
| Jun | 20% | 15% | 8.0 | 13:50 |
| Jul | 20% | 5% | 8.1 | 13:41 |
| Aug | 22% | 7% | 7.6 | 13:05 |
| Sep | 25% | 11% | 6.6 | 12:17 |
| Oct | 32% | 20% | 5.4 | 11:28 |
| Nov | 38% | 23% | 4.4 | 10:46 |
| Dec | 49% | 26% | 3.9 | 10:27 |
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 Sabha is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 39 °C103 °F and a low of 24 °C76 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 17 °C63 °F and lows 4 °C38 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 21.5 °C38.6 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is very dry, with only 29 mm1.1 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is October–December, which brings 45% of the annual total. The wettest month is December (5 mm0.2 in), the driest is July (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 20% in June to 49% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 5%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in December to 13 km/h (8 mph) in May. Daylight lasts from about 10.4 hours in December to 13.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Sabha
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are February and March and November and December: average highs of 19 °C65 °F to 26 °C79 °F with 2 mm0.1 in to 5 mm0.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 40 °C103 °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 Sabha
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1763 to 20 °C69 °F, lows 438 to 6 °C42 °F, about 3 mm0.1 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 2679 to 36 °C97 °F, lows 1050 to 20 °C68 °F, about 2 mm0.1 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 39103 to 40 °C103 °F, lows 2374 to 24 °C76 °F, about 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2476 to 37 °C99 °F, lows 1152 to 23 °C73 °F, about 3 mm0.1 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.
How Sabha compares
Of the 13 places in Libya covered by World Climates, Sabha is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 13th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Libya climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Tabuk (Saudi Arabia, BWh), Bani Suwayf (Egypt, BWh) and Sakakah (Saudi Arabia, BWh).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Al Jadid (pop. 126,386). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Sabha, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Sirte 509 km · 21 °C70 °F · 150 mm5.9 in
- Misratah 597 km · 21 °C70 °F · 272 mm11 in
- Zliten 604 km · 21 °C70 °F · 250 mm9.9 in
- Qasr Bin Ghashir 639 km · 21 °C71 °F · 280 mm11 in
- Az Zawiyah 657 km · 21 °C69 °F · 221 mm8.7 in
- Tripoli 661 km · 21 °C70 °F · 254 mm10 in
- Al Jumayl 686 km · 21 °C69 °F · 192 mm7.6 in
- Ajdabiya 699 km · 21 °C70 °F · 168 mm6.6 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Sabha?
August is the warmest month in Sabha, with an average high of 39 °C (103 °F) and an average low of 24 °C (76 °F).
What is the coldest month in Sabha?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 17 °C (63 °F) and an average low of 4 °C (38 °F).
When does it rain the most in Sabha?
December is the wettest month with about 5 mm (0.2 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Sabha?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are February and March and November and December.
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.