Kandahar climate — normals and trends
Kandahar (Afghanistan) has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 19.8 °C and it receives 216 mm of precipitation per year.
These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.
The warmest month is July (33.1 °C on average) and the coldest is January (6.1 °C). Rainfall peaks in February.
Kandahar averages 31 frost days, 169 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 28 rainy days per year.
Kandahar has warmed by +2.5 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.30 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 46.2 °C (on 4 July 2024) and the coldest -10.1 °C (on 17 January 1996).
Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.
Climate normals · ERA5
KandaharKandahar
- coords
- 31.61°, 65.71°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
19.8°C
Average daily high
27.2°C
Average daily low
12.6°C
Annual rainfall
216mm
Sunshine / day
11.2h
Mean relative humidity
35%
Average peak wind
15.1km/h
Seasonal range
27.0°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
31 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
169 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
28 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.9 cm
Average feels-like high
24.9 °C
Average feels-like low
9.5 °C
Average peak gust
27.9 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
101 d/yr
Solar radiation
21.7 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+2.5 °C
since 1940
+0.3 °C per decade · r² = 0.52 · p = < 0.001
Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).
A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.
Records for the period
Hottest day
46.2 °C
4 July 2024
Coldest day
-10.1 °C
17 January 1996
Wettest day
74 mm
8 March 1949
Windiest day
51.2 km/h
13 May 1958
Strongest gust
83.5 km/h
13 May 1958
Hottest feels-like
46.8 °C
3 July 1988
Coldest feels-like
-15.2 °C
17 January 1996
Snowiest day
6.9 cm
3 February 1954
Sunniest day
13.2 h
22 June 1940
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12.6 °C | +0.2 °C | 65 mm | +14 mm |
| Feb | 16.7 °C | +1.7 °C | 40 mm | -14 mm |
| Mar | 23.3 °C | +2.4 °C | 7 mm | -45 mm |
| Apr | 34.0 °C | +5.8 °C | 0 mm | -16 mm |
| May | 38.7 °C | +4.0 °C | 0 mm | -2 mm |
| Jun | 40.2 °C | +1.2 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Jul | 42.0 °C | +1.7 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Aug | 40.3 °C | +1.7 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Sep | 36.9 °C | +2.7 °C | 0 mm | 0 mm |
| Oct | 29.9 °C | +2.1 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Nov | 21.0 °C | +0.4 °C | 0 mm | -8 mm |
| Dec | 17.8 °C | +3.0 °C | 59 mm | +29 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of Kandahar?
Kandahar has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 19.8 °C and it receives 216 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Kandahar?
The hottest day measured in Kandahar between 1940 and 2025 was 4 July 2024, reaching 46.2 °C.
What is the coldest day in Kandahar?
The coldest day measured in Kandahar between 1940 and 2025 was 17 January 1996, at -10.1 °C.
Does it snow in Kandahar?
Almost never: Kandahar sees virtually no snow, with about 31 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Kandahar warmed?
Yes: Kandahar warmed by +2.5 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Kandahar?
The wettest day measured in Kandahar between 1940 and 2025 was 8 March 1949, with 74 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Kandahar?
The windiest day measured in Kandahar between 1940 and 2025 was 13 May 1958, with winds reaching 51.2 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Kandahar?
The warmest month in Kandahar is July (33.1 °C on average); the coldest is January (6.1 °C).
How much does it rain in Kandahar?
Kandahar receives on average 216 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 28 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Kandahar?
Kandahar gets on average 11.2 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,088 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Kandahar?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Kandahar between 1940 and 2025 was 3 February 1954, with 6.9 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Kandahar?
Yes: Kandahar has on average 101 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Kandahar?
In Kandahar, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 46.8 °C on 3 July 1988, and the lowest was -15.2 °C on 17 January 1996.
Compare Kandahar with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Kandahar