Riohacha climate — normals and trends
Riohacha (Colombia) has a tropical savanna climate (Aw) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 27.2 °C and it receives 1,077 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 (28.4 °C on average) and the coldest is January (26.3 °C). Rainfall peaks in October.
Riohacha averages 0 frost days, 236 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 168 rainy days per year.
Riohacha has warmed by +1.6 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.19 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 37.3 °C (on 18 May 2010) and the coldest 20.1 °C (on 10 January 1956).
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
RiohachaLa Guajira Department
- coords
- 11.54°, -72.91°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
27.2°C
Average daily high
30.7°C
Average daily low
24.8°C
Annual rainfall
1,077mm
Sunshine / day
10.7h
Mean relative humidity
77%
Average peak wind
21.5km/h
Seasonal range
2.1°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
236 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
168 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
34.5 °C
Average feels-like low
27.7 °C
Average peak gust
37.9 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
364 d/yr
Solar radiation
19.9 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.6 °C
since 1940
+0.2 °C per decade · r² = 0.63 · 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
37.3 °C
18 May 2010
Coldest day
20.1 °C
10 January 1956
Wettest day
197 mm
14 May 2011
Windiest day
39.4 km/h
10 January 2020
Strongest gust
72.4 km/h
10 January 2020
Hottest feels-like
43.2 °C
8 June 2024
Coldest feels-like
21.0 °C
17 January 2000
Sunniest day
12.2 h
6 June 1940
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
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Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31.3 °C | +1.4 °C | 28 mm | +10 mm |
| Feb | 31.1 °C | +0.9 °C | 8 mm | -7 mm |
| Mar | 31.6 °C | +1.0 °C | 9 mm | -8 mm |
| Apr | 31.4 °C | +0.6 °C | 50 mm | -7 mm |
| May | 31.4 °C | +0.6 °C | 161 mm | +11 mm |
| Jun | 33.0 °C | +1.5 °C | 44 mm | -54 mm |
| Jul | 34.1 °C | +1.8 °C | 7 mm | -45 mm |
| Aug | 33.7 °C | +1.7 °C | 69 mm | -31 mm |
| Sep | 31.7 °C | +0.9 °C | 105 mm | -62 mm |
| Oct | 30.2 °C | +0.3 °C | 288 mm | +72 mm |
| Nov | 31.6 °C | +1.9 °C | 51 mm | -88 mm |
| Dec | 31.2 °C | +1.5 °C | 22 mm | -28 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 Riohacha?
Riohacha has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen Aw). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 27.2 °C and it receives 1,077 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Riohacha?
The hottest day measured in Riohacha between 1940 and 2025 was 18 May 2010, reaching 37.3 °C.
What is the coldest day in Riohacha?
The coldest day measured in Riohacha between 1940 and 2025 was 10 January 1956, at 20.1 °C.
Does it snow in Riohacha?
Almost never: Riohacha sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Riohacha warmed?
Yes: Riohacha warmed by +1.6 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Riohacha?
The wettest day measured in Riohacha between 1940 and 2025 was 14 May 2011, with 197 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Riohacha?
The windiest day measured in Riohacha between 1940 and 2025 was 10 January 2020, with winds reaching 39.4 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Riohacha?
The warmest month in Riohacha is July (28.4 °C on average); the coldest is January (26.3 °C).
How much does it rain in Riohacha?
Riohacha receives on average 1,077 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 168 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Riohacha?
Riohacha gets on average 10.7 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,905 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Riohacha?
Yes: Riohacha has on average 364 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Riohacha?
In Riohacha, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 43.2 °C on 8 June 2024, and the lowest was 21.0 °C on 17 January 2000.
Compare Riohacha with another city
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Nearby cities
The climate around Riohacha