Afghanistan climate

World Climates covers 11 places in Afghanistan. By annual mean temperature, the warmest is Jalalabad (23 °C73 °F) and the coolest is Gardez (11 °C51 °F). The wettest is Gardez with 615 mm24 in of precipitation per year, the driest Kandahar with 161 mm6.3 in.

The most common climate types (Köppen classification computed from these averages) are hot desert (BWh, 3 places), hot semi-arid (BSh, 3 places), cold semi-arid (BSk, 2 places) and humid subtropical (Cfa, 1 place).

The highest monthly average high is in Kandahar (42 °C107 °F in July); the lowest monthly average low is in Ghazni (−8 °C18 °F in January).

Across the places in Afghanistan, the months that most often rank as the most comfortable are March, April and October (7, 8 and 9 of 11 places respectively).

Temperature and rainfall across Afghanistan

Annual mean temperatures in Afghanistan range from 11 °C51 °F to 23 °C73 °F. The typical place (the median of all 11) has a year average of 19 °C66 °F. Annual precipitation ranges from 161 mm6.3 in to 615 mm24 in. The median place receives about 254 mm10.0 in in an average year.

In 6 places of 11, the coldest month has an average low below 0 °C (32 °F). In 11 places, the warmest month has an average high above 30 °C (86 °F). 5 places get less than 250 mm (10 in) of precipitation a year, which is very dry. None gets more than 2,000 mm (79 in) a year.

Averaged over all 11 places, July is the warmest month, with a mean of 29 °C85 °F. January is the coldest, with 4 °C40 °F. The wettest month on average is March (54 mm2.1 in). The driest is October (14 mm0.5 in). Single places can differ a lot from this average, so check the page of each city.

The table below lists the places sorted by population. The largest ones covered here are Kabul, Herat and Mazar-e Sharif. Each city page has a chart and a table for every month. It also shows the best time to visit and what to pack. The figures are 25-year averages for 2001–2025 from NASA POWER. They describe grid cells of roughly 50–70 km, not single weather stations.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the warmest place in Afghanistan?

By annual mean temperature, the warmest place in Afghanistan is Jalalabad at 23 °C73 °F. The coolest is Gardez at 11 °C51 °F.

Where does it rain the most in Afghanistan?

Gardez gets the most precipitation, 615 mm24 in in an average year. The driest place is Kandahar with 161 mm6.3 in.

How many places in Afghanistan does this site cover?

World Climates has climate data for 11 places in Afghanistan. Each one has a page with monthly averages for temperature, rainfall, humidity and daylight.

When is the best time to visit Afghanistan?

It depends on the place. Across Afghanistan, the months that most often rank as the most comfortable are March, April and October. Check the page of each city for its own best months.