Nairobi climate — normals and trends
Nairobi (Kenya) has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Csb) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 18.4 °C and it receives 673 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 March (20.1 °C on average) and the coldest is July (16.6 °C). Rainfall peaks in April.
Nairobi averages 0 frost days, 2 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 131 rainy days per year.
Nairobi 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 32.0 °C (on 25 February 2005) and the coldest 7.3 °C (on 22 August 1969).
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
NairobiNairobi County
- coords
- -1.28°, 36.82°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
18.4°C
Average daily high
24.1°C
Average daily low
13.8°C
Annual rainfall
673mm
Sunshine / day
10.5h
Mean relative humidity
71%
Average peak wind
15.0km/h
Seasonal range
3.5°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
2 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
131 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
24.2 °C
Average feels-like low
13.7 °C
Average peak gust
35.8 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
0 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 = 0.58 · 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
32.0 °C
25 February 2005
Coldest day
7.3 °C
22 August 1969
Wettest day
57 mm
15 February 2011
Windiest day
28.2 km/h
7 February 1953
Strongest gust
61.9 km/h
18 January 1979
Hottest feels-like
35.1 °C
25 February 2005
Coldest feels-like
5.3 °C
6 July 1944
Sunniest day
12.1 h
18 December 1942
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 | 26.5 °C | +0.9 °C | 52 mm | +15 mm |
| Feb | 27.9 °C | +1.3 °C | 2 mm | -34 mm |
| Mar | 27.5 °C | +1.1 °C | 41 mm | -20 mm |
| Apr | 25.5 °C | +0.9 °C | 122 mm | -15 mm |
| May | 24.1 °C | +1.0 °C | 146 mm | +25 mm |
| Jun | 23.1 °C | +0.9 °C | 44 mm | -3 mm |
| Jul | 22.4 °C | +0.8 °C | 18 mm | -6 mm |
| Aug | 22.3 °C | +0.1 °C | 62 mm | +39 mm |
| Sep | 25.7 °C | +1.6 °C | 13 mm | -5 mm |
| Oct | 25.8 °C | +0.9 °C | 49 mm | +11 mm |
| Nov | 25.0 °C | +1.4 °C | 25 mm | -58 mm |
| Dec | 25.8 °C | +1.6 °C | 60 mm | +12 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 Nairobi?
Nairobi has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 18.4 °C and it receives 673 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Nairobi?
The hottest day measured in Nairobi between 1940 and 2025 was 25 February 2005, reaching 32.0 °C.
What is the coldest day in Nairobi?
The coldest day measured in Nairobi between 1940 and 2025 was 22 August 1969, at 7.3 °C.
Does it snow in Nairobi?
Almost never: Nairobi sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Nairobi warmed?
Yes: Nairobi warmed by +1.6 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Nairobi?
The wettest day measured in Nairobi between 1940 and 2025 was 15 February 2011, with 57 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Nairobi?
The windiest day measured in Nairobi between 1940 and 2025 was 7 February 1953, with winds reaching 28.2 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Nairobi?
The warmest month in Nairobi is March (20.1 °C on average); the coldest is July (16.6 °C).
How much does it rain in Nairobi?
Nairobi receives on average 673 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 131 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Nairobi?
Nairobi gets on average 10.5 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,833 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Nairobi?
Almost never: tropical nights (temperature staying above 20 °C) are virtually non-existent in Nairobi.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Nairobi?
In Nairobi, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 35.1 °C on 25 February 2005, and the lowest was 5.3 °C on 6 July 1944.
Compare Nairobi with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.
Nearby cities
The climate around Nairobi