Zinder climate
Zinder (Niger) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C81 °F, and about 417 mm16 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Zinder climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2984 | 1254 | 2069 | 00.0 |
| Feb | 3391 | 1660 | 2475 | 00.0 |
| Mar | 3698 | 2067 | 2883 | 00.0 |
| Apr | 40104 | 2475 | 3289 | 30.1 |
| May | 40104 | 2679 | 3392 | 140.6 |
| Jun | 38101 | 2679 | 3290 | 451.8 |
| Jul | 3594 | 2476 | 3085 | 1174.6 |
| Aug | 3189 | 2373 | 2781 | 1736.8 |
| Sep | 3392 | 2272 | 2882 | 542.1 |
| Oct | 3596 | 2169 | 2882 | 90.3 |
| Nov | 3391 | 1762 | 2577 | 10.1 |
| Dec | 2985 | 1356 | 2170 | 00.0 |
| Year | 40104 | 1254 | 2781 | 41716 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19% | 22% | 5.8 | 11:23 |
| Feb | 15% | 26% | 6.3 | 11:40 |
| Mar | 12% | 43% | 6.6 | 12:01 |
| Apr | 15% | 58% | 6.7 | 12:26 |
| May | 25% | 66% | 6.6 | 12:46 |
| Jun | 38% | 62% | 6.4 | 12:56 |
| Jul | 55% | 67% | 6.1 | 12:52 |
| Aug | 70% | 68% | 5.9 | 12:35 |
| Sep | 63% | 51% | 6.3 | 12:11 |
| Oct | 36% | 37% | 6.2 | 11:48 |
| Nov | 23% | 25% | 5.9 | 11:28 |
| Dec | 22% | 18% | 5.6 | 11:19 |
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 Zinder is like
The warmest month is May, with an average high of 40 °C104 °F and a low of 26 °C79 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 29 °C84 °F and lows 12 °C54 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 12.8 °C23.1 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 417 mm16 in. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 83% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: October–May. The wettest month is August (173 mm6.8 in), the driest is January (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 12% in March to 70% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 18%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in September to 14 km/h (9 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 11.3 hours in December to 12.9 hours in June.
Best time to visit Zinder
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December and January: average highs of 29 °C84 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 0 mm0.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is May, which is hot, with average highs of 40 °C104 °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 Zinder
- Wetter months (June–September) — highs 3189 to 38 °C101 °F, lows 2272 to 26 °C79 °F, about 97 mm3.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (October–May) — highs 2984 to 40 °C104 °F, lows 1254 to 26 °C79 °F, about 3 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Zinder compares
Compared with Katsina, about 175 km to the southwest, Zinder is on average 0.8 °C1.5 °F warmer and receives 40% less precipitation (417 mm16 in vs 691 mm27 in). The difference is largest in June (2.4 °C4.3 °F warmer).
Of the 6 places in Niger covered by World Climates, Zinder is the 6th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 4th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Niger climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Nguru (Nigeria, BSh), Gashua (Nigeria, BSh) and El Obeid (Sudan, BWh).
Nearby places
- Katsina 175 km · 27 °C80 °F · 691 mm27 in
- Hadejia 189 km · 28 °C82 °F · 578 mm23 in
- Nguru 189 km · 28 °C82 °F · 508 mm20 in
- Maradi 207 km · 28 °C82 °F · 552 mm22 in
- Kano 207 km · 26 °C79 °F · 628 mm25 in
- Gashua 245 km · 28 °C82 °F · 478 mm19 in
- Chakwama 260 km · 27 °C81 °F · 665 mm26 in
- Azare 271 km · 27 °C81 °F · 624 mm25 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Zinder?
May is the warmest month in Zinder, with an average high of 40 °C (104 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (79 °F).
What is the coldest month in Zinder?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F) and an average low of 12 °C (54 °F).
When does it rain the most in Zinder?
August is the wettest month with about 173 mm (6.8 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Zinder?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December and January.
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.