Sanaa climate
Sanaa (Yemen) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C66 °F, and about 35 mm1.4 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Sanaa climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2374 | 744 | 1559 | 10.0 |
| Feb | 2577 | 847 | 1762 | 10.0 |
| Mar | 2679 | 1152 | 1966 | 20.1 |
| Apr | 2781 | 1355 | 2068 | 80.3 |
| May | 2883 | 1559 | 2271 | 30.1 |
| Jun | 3086 | 1662 | 2374 | 00.0 |
| Jul | 3085 | 1762 | 2374 | 60.2 |
| Aug | 2984 | 1662 | 2373 | 80.3 |
| Sep | 2882 | 1458 | 2170 | 10.0 |
| Oct | 2475 | 1050 | 1762 | 20.1 |
| Nov | 2373 | 745 | 1559 | 20.1 |
| Dec | 2272 | 642 | 1457 | 20.1 |
| Year | 3086 | 642 | 1966 | 351.4 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37% | 34% | 5.8 | 11:18 |
| Feb | 33% | 35% | 6.4 | 11:37 |
| Mar | 36% | 43% | 6.8 | 12:01 |
| Apr | 37% | 52% | 6.9 | 12:28 |
| May | 31% | 49% | 7.2 | 12:50 |
| Jun | 26% | 51% | 7.0 | 13:02 |
| Jul | 38% | 66% | 6.3 | 12:57 |
| Aug | 41% | 63% | 6.4 | 12:38 |
| Sep | 30% | 49% | 6.8 | 12:12 |
| Oct | 31% | 40% | 6.7 | 11:46 |
| Nov | 38% | 38% | 6.0 | 11:24 |
| Dec | 38% | 33% | 5.6 | 11:13 |
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 Sanaa is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 30 °C85 °F and a low of 17 °C62 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 22 °C72 °F and lows 6 °C42 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 9.3 °C16.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is very dry, with only 35 mm1.4 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 42% of the annual total. The wettest month is April (8 mm0.3 in), the driest is June (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 26% in June to 41% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 33%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in January to 12 km/h (7 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.2 hours in December to 13.0 hours in June.
Best time to visit Sanaa
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are all year: average highs of 22 °C72 °F to 30 °C86 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation per month.
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.
Sanaa weather by month
- January23 °C74 °F / 7 °C44 °F
- February25 °C77 °F / 8 °C47 °F
- March26 °C79 °F / 11 °C52 °F
- April27 °C81 °F / 13 °C55 °F
- May28 °C83 °F / 15 °C59 °F
- June30 °C86 °F / 16 °C62 °F
- July30 °C85 °F / 17 °C62 °F
- August29 °C84 °F / 16 °C62 °F
- September28 °C82 °F / 14 °C58 °F
- October24 °C75 °F / 10 °C50 °F
- November23 °C73 °F / 7 °C45 °F
- December22 °C72 °F / 6 °C42 °F
What to pack for Sanaa
- Wetter months (April, July and August) — highs 2781 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 1355 to 17 °C62 °F, about 7 mm0.3 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.
- Drier months (September–March, May and June) — highs 2272 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 642 to 16 °C62 °F, about 1 mm0.1 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 Sanaa compares
Of the 7 places in Yemen covered by World Climates, Sanaa is the 6th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 6th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Yemen climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Abha (Saudi Arabia, BWh), Khamis Mushait (Saudi Arabia, BWh) and Alto Hospicio (Chile, BWh).
Nearby places
- Dhamar 93 km · 18 °C64 °F · 85 mm3.3 in
- Al Hudaydah 148 km · 32 °C89 °F · 158 mm6.2 in
- Ibb 154 km · 21 °C69 °F · 171 mm6.7 in
- Taiz 198 km · 23 °C74 °F · 258 mm10 in
- Najran 238 km · 25 °C77 °F · 22 mm0.9 in
- Jizan 246 km · 31 °C88 °F · 158 mm6.2 in
- Sabya 261 km · 31 °C87 °F · 158 mm6.2 in
- Aden 300 km · 30 °C85 °F · 131 mm5.1 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Sanaa?
July is the warmest month in Sanaa, with an average high of 30 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (62 °F).
What is the coldest month in Sanaa?
December is the coldest month, with an average high of 22 °C (72 °F) and an average low of 6 °C (42 °F).
When does it rain the most in Sanaa?
April is the wettest month with about 8 mm (0.3 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Sanaa?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are all year.
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 2,320 m, while Sanaa lies at about 2,253 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.4 °C0.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.