Potiskum climate — normals and trends
Potiskum (Nigeria) has a hot semi-arid climate (BSh) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 26.5 °C and it receives 577 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 May (31.1 °C on average) and the coldest is January (21.5 °C). Rainfall peaks in August.
Potiskum averages 0 frost days, 288 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 80 rainy days per year.
Potiskum has warmed by +1.2 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.14 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.
The hottest day of the period reached 43.0 °C (on 12 May 2025) and the coldest 6.4 °C (on 8 January 1957).
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
PotiskumYobe State
- coords
- 11.71°, 11.08°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
26.5°C
Average daily high
33.2°C
Average daily low
20.4°C
Annual rainfall
577mm
Sunshine / day
11.0h
Mean relative humidity
45%
Average peak wind
13.4km/h
Seasonal range
9.6°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
0 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
288 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
80 d/yr
Annual snowfall
0.0 cm
Average feels-like high
34.5 °C
Average feels-like low
19.8 °C
Average peak gust
30.2 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
225 d/yr
Solar radiation
22.8 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
+1.2 °C
since 1940
+0.1 °C per decade · r² = 0.38 · 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
43.0 °C
12 May 2025
Coldest day
6.4 °C
8 January 1957
Wettest day
162 mm
30 August 1948
Windiest day
27.5 km/h
13 April 1978
Strongest gust
58.0 km/h
2 April 2015
Hottest feels-like
46.5 °C
11 April 2016
Coldest feels-like
2.7 °C
12 January 1957
Sunniest day
12.6 h
9 July 1949
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 | 31.5 °C | +2.0 °C | 0 mm | 0 mm |
| Feb | 33.7 °C | +1.2 °C | 0 mm | 0 mm |
| Mar | 39.1 °C | +2.7 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Apr | 40.2 °C | +1.7 °C | 0 mm | -4 mm |
| May | 39.6 °C | +1.9 °C | 4 mm | -20 mm |
| Jun | 37.2 °C | +2.3 °C | 15 mm | -37 mm |
| Jul | 31.6 °C | +0.5 °C | 174 mm | +14 mm |
| Aug | 30.2 °C | +0.5 °C | 191 mm | -29 mm |
| Sep | 32.3 °C | +1.0 °C | 111 mm | +14 mm |
| Oct | 35.0 °C | +1.2 °C | 8 mm | -13 mm |
| Nov | 34.7 °C | +1.9 °C | 0 mm | -0 mm |
| Dec | 33.1 °C | +3.1 °C | 0 mm | 0 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 Potiskum?
Potiskum has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 26.5 °C and it receives 577 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Potiskum?
The hottest day measured in Potiskum between 1940 and 2025 was 12 May 2025, reaching 43.0 °C.
What is the coldest day in Potiskum?
The coldest day measured in Potiskum between 1940 and 2025 was 8 January 1957, at 6.4 °C.
Does it snow in Potiskum?
Almost never: Potiskum sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.
Has the climate of Potiskum warmed?
Yes: Potiskum warmed by +1.2 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.
What is the wettest day in Potiskum?
The wettest day measured in Potiskum between 1940 and 2025 was 30 August 1948, with 162 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Potiskum?
The windiest day measured in Potiskum between 1940 and 2025 was 13 April 1978, with winds reaching 27.5 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Potiskum?
The warmest month in Potiskum is May (31.1 °C on average); the coldest is January (21.5 °C).
How much does it rain in Potiskum?
Potiskum receives on average 577 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 80 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Potiskum?
Potiskum gets on average 11.0 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,015 hours per year over 1940-2025.
Are there tropical nights in Potiskum?
Yes: Potiskum has on average 225 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Potiskum?
In Potiskum, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 46.5 °C on 11 April 2016, and the lowest was 2.7 °C on 12 January 1957.
Compare Potiskum with another city
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Nearby cities
The climate around Potiskum