Rafah climate — normals and trends

Q: What is the climate of Rafah?

Rafah has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 20.3 °C and it receives 154 mm of precipitation per year.

Q: What is the hottest day ever recorded in Rafah?

The hottest day measured in Rafah between 1940 and 2025 was 21 May 1970, reaching 45.8 °C.

Q: What is the coldest day in Rafah?

The coldest day measured in Rafah between 1940 and 2025 was 15 January 2008, at -1.4 °C.

Q: Does it snow in Rafah?

Almost never: Rafah sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Q: Has the climate of Rafah warmed?

Yes: Rafah warmed by +2.1 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

Q: What is the wettest day in Rafah?

The wettest day measured in Rafah between 1940 and 2025 was 20 February 1975, with 36 mm of rain in 24 hours.

Q: What was the windiest day in Rafah?

The windiest day measured in Rafah between 1940 and 2025 was 29 February 2012, with winds reaching 55.7 km/h.

Q: What is the warmest month in Rafah?

The warmest month in Rafah is August (27.2 °C on average); the coldest is January (12.5 °C).

Q: How much does it rain in Rafah?

Rafah receives on average 154 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 39 rainy days.

Q: Is it sunny in Rafah?

Rafah gets on average 11.1 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,052 hours per year over 1940-2025.

Rafah (Palestine) has a hot desert climate (BWh) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 20.3 °C and it receives 154 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 August (27.2 °C on average) and the coldest is January (12.5 °C). Rainfall peaks in January.

Rafah averages 0 frost days, 120 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 39 rainy days per year.

Rafah has warmed by +2.1 °C between 1940 and 2025, or +0.25 °C per decade. This trend is statistically significant.

The hottest day of the period reached 45.8 °C (on 21 May 1970) and the coldest -1.4 °C (on 15 January 2008).

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

RafahGaza Strip

coords: 31.30°, 34.24°
period: 1940–2025 · 86 yrs

BWhHot desertWarmest monthAugustColdest monthJanuaryWettest monthJanuaryDriest monthAugust

Mean daily temperature

20.3°C

Average daily high

25.7°C

Average daily low

15.6°C

Annual rainfall

154mm

Sunshine / day

11.1h

Mean relative humidity

66%

Average peak wind

19.9km/h

Seasonal range

14.7°C

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

120 d/yr

Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)

39 d/yr

Annual snowfall

0.0 cm

Average feels-like high

25.7 °C

Average feels-like low

15.5 °C

Average peak gust

36.1 km/h

Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)

109 d/yr

Solar radiation

19.9 MJ/m²

Has the climate changed?

One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025

+2.1 °C

since 1940

+0.3 °C per decade · r² = 0.59 · p = < 0.001

19402025

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

45.8 °C

21 May 1970

Coldest day

-1.4 °C

15 January 2008

Wettest day

36 mm

20 February 1975

Windiest day

55.7 km/h

29 February 2012

Strongest gust

94.3 km/h

29 February 2012

Hottest feels-like

43.8 °C

8 September 2023

Coldest feels-like

-5.4 °C

15 January 2008

Snowiest day

0.5 cm

5 February 1950

Sunniest day

13.6 h

29 June 1953

Year	Hottest day	Coldest day	Annual mean	Rainfall	Hot days	Frost days
2025	41.9 °C17 May 2025	2.6 °C25 February 2025	21.6 °C	145 mm	150	0
2024	42.5 °C25 April 2024	5.1 °C16 December 2024	21.9 °C	106 mm	148	0
2023	42.7 °C2 June 2023	5.8 °C17 February 2023	22.0 °C	124 mm	145	0
2022	38.3 °C17 April 2022	3.2 °C18 January 2022	21.1 °C	155 mm	138	0
2021	41.6 °C19 April 2021	4.4 °C25 January 2021	22.0 °C	94 mm	135	0
2020	42.2 °C19 May 2020	4.2 °C26 January 2020	21.6 °C	190 mm	140	0
2019	44.1 °C23 May 2019	3.6 °C11 January 2019	21.3 °C	166 mm	152	0
2018	42.2 °C16 June 2018	6.4 °C21 January 2018	22.2 °C	199 mm	158	0
2017	38.5 °C9 May 2017	3.5 °C20 February 2017	21.3 °C	73 mm	133	0
2016	41.7 °C15 May 2016	3.3 °C28 January 2016	21.7 °C	108 mm	149	0
2015	44.2 °C27 May 2015	3.8 °C6 December 2015	21.1 °C	193 mm	132	0
2014	42.5 °C4 June 2014	4.9 °C7 February 2014	21.2 °C	142 mm	127	0
2013	39.6 °C8 June 2013	1.7 °C15 December 2013	21.2 °C	128 mm	137	0
2012	39.4 °C1 August 2012	3.4 °C9 February 2012	21.2 °C	146 mm	156	0
2011	38.6 °C18 April 2011	4.6 °C12 December 2011	20.8 °C	143 mm	129	0
2010	39.5 °C20 October 2010	5.2 °C7 February 2010	22.4 °C	107 mm	163	0
2009	39.1 °C4 May 2009	4.5 °C4 January 2009	21.4 °C	108 mm	154	0
2008	41.4 °C23 April 2008	-1.4 °C15 January 2008	21.2 °C	106 mm	147	1
2007	41.4 °C10 June 2007	3.0 °C31 December 2007	20.8 °C	94 mm	135	0
2006	40.2 °C29 September 2006	3.9 °C17 December 2006	20.5 °C	130 mm	139	0
2005	36.8 °C16 September 2005	4.6 °C30 December 2005	20.7 °C	104 mm	130	0
2004	39.0 °C10 May 2004	5.2 °C1 December 2004	20.7 °C	148 mm	132	0
2003	44.4 °C29 May 2003	6.1 °C29 December 2003	20.9 °C	135 mm	144	0
2002	42.2 °C8 June 2002	4.9 °C11 January 2002	21.2 °C	163 mm	136	0
2001	41.6 °C6 May 2001	3.6 °C28 January 2001	21.0 °C	105 mm	143	0
2000	39.9 °C12 April 2000	3.7 °C31 January 2000	20.4 °C	162 mm	127	0
1999	39.2 °C23 May 1999	4.2 °C4 December 1999	21.0 °C	62 mm	128	0
1998	40.6 °C13 October 1998	3.9 °C10 January 1998	21.1 °C	109 mm	127	0
1997	39.5 °C8 June 1997	2.1 °C9 February 1997	20.2 °C	157 mm	120	0
1996	41.9 °C12 May 1996	4.2 °C14 January 1996	20.5 °C	162 mm	120	0
1995	38.3 °C8 June 1995	5.2 °C21 January 1995	20.1 °C	88 mm	120	0
1994	42.2 °C22 April 1994	4.2 °C10 December 1994	20.5 °C	202 mm	135	0
1993	41.2 °C6 June 1993	0.7 °C18 January 1993	19.9 °C	151 mm	117	0
1992	38.2 °C20 June 1992	2.2 °C26 January 1992	19.1 °C	204 mm	95	0
1991	38.2 °C15 May 1991	3.1 °C18 December 1991	19.9 °C	195 mm	104	0
1990	38.2 °C17 June 1990	3.3 °C25 January 1990	20.0 °C	142 mm	108	0
1989	38.2 °C14 June 1989	1.7 °C5 February 1989	19.7 °C	162 mm	127	0
1988	43.6 °C15 May 1988	4.2 °C20 January 1988	20.0 °C	184 mm	123	0
1987	40.2 °C7 May 1987	3.6 °C8 January 1987	19.7 °C	130 mm	122	0
1986	37.5 °C7 June 1986	3.3 °C24 December 1986	19.9 °C	179 mm	120	0
1985	41.0 °C23 May 1985	3.3 °C4 January 1985	20.1 °C	142 mm	120	0
1984	38.7 °C13 May 1984	3.7 °C11 December 1984	19.7 °C	100 mm	117	0
1983	36.8 °C31 May 1983	2.5 °C29 January 1983	19.1 °C	157 mm	105	0
1982	37.8 °C21 April 1982	3.2 °C8 February 1982	19.3 °C	169 mm	116	0
1981	37.6 °C23 April 1981	4.5 °C19 January 1981	19.9 °C	75 mm	120	0
1980	41.7 °C20 April 1980	3.9 °C2 February 1980	20.0 °C	155 mm	115	0
1979	42.1 °C2 April 1979	5.0 °C6 January 1979	20.4 °C	165 mm	121	0
1978	40.6 °C27 May 1978	1.9 °C14 January 1978	20.0 °C	113 mm	123	0
1977	38.6 °C5 June 1977	3.6 °C14 January 1977	20.0 °C	187 mm	125	0
1976	43.2 °C15 April 1976	2.2 °C2 March 1976	20.0 °C	83 mm	111	0
1975	37.4 °C11 June 1975	3.7 °C13 February 1975	19.9 °C	172 mm	108	0
1974	38.4 °C15 April 1974	3.5 °C5 February 1974	19.9 °C	241 mm	130	0
1973	37.7 °C28 September 1973	0.8 °C3 January 1973	19.9 °C	126 mm	124	0
1972	37.3 °C19 June 1972	1.6 °C27 December 1972	19.7 °C	215 mm	112	0
1971	36.6 °C24 May 1971	3.5 °C17 December 1971	19.9 °C	317 mm	102	0
1970	45.8 °C21 May 1970	1.7 °C21 December 1970	20.0 °C	151 mm	106	0
1969	41.7 °C22 May 1969	5.0 °C11 January 1969	20.5 °C	150 mm	121	0
1968	43.7 °C18 May 1968	4.8 °C27 January 1968	20.1 °C	175 mm	103	0
1967	40.2 °C21 June 1967	3.3 °C24 January 1967	19.4 °C	243 mm	100	0
1966	38.7 °C18 May 1966	4.0 °C9 January 1966	20.6 °C	170 mm	109	0
1965	41.2 °C13 June 1965	5.6 °C3 February 1965	20.1 °C	173 mm	113	0
1964	39.2 °C29 May 1964	0.6 °C21 January 1964	19.5 °C	154 mm	96	0
1963	42.4 °C7 June 1963	2.4 °C28 December 1963	20.7 °C	163 mm	126	0
1962	38.5 °C3 May 1962	4.9 °C23 February 1962	20.7 °C	99 mm	119	0
1961	45.4 °C7 June 1961	4.6 °C1 March 1961	19.7 °C	171 mm	95	0
1960	40.0 °C16 April 1960	3.9 °C24 January 1960	20.7 °C	121 mm	118	0
1959	41.0 °C22 April 1959	1.0 °C7 February 1959	19.1 °C	167 mm	73	0
1958	38.0 °C31 March 1958	4.8 °C2 February 1958	20.1 °C	88 mm	79	0
1957	40.3 °C15 April 1957	1.4 °C24 January 1957	19.9 °C	173 mm	89	0
1956	37.0 °C24 July 1956	3.7 °C17 December 1956	19.7 °C	159 mm	86	0
1955	35.4 °C2 April 1955	4.5 °C4 January 1955	20.2 °C	130 mm	74	0
1954	39.9 °C20 May 1954	2.2 °C14 January 1954	19.8 °C	176 mm	92	0
1953	39.9 °C16 June 1953	0.6 °C15 January 1953	19.3 °C	283 mm	96	0
1952	41.4 °C2 June 1952	3.9 °C17 January 1952	19.9 °C	141 mm	102	0
1951	38.0 °C17 May 1951	2.6 °C18 January 1951	19.9 °C	217 mm	107	0
1950	40.8 °C18 May 1950	-0.3 °C8 February 1950	19.5 °C	183 mm	113	3
1949	40.9 °C10 May 1949	-0.1 °C8 January 1949	18.8 °C	185 mm	64	1
1948	36.5 °C6 June 1948	2.1 °C1 March 1948	19.1 °C	228 mm	88	0
1947	35.8 °C5 August 1947	4.6 °C9 January 1947	20.2 °C	130 mm	119	0
1946	40.0 °C25 May 1946	4.2 °C10 February 1946	20.0 °C	158 mm	127	0
1945	38.0 °C8 October 1945	1.0 °C3 January 1945	19.2 °C	140 mm	111	0
1944	43.3 °C14 June 1944	1.9 °C12 February 1944	19.6 °C	220 mm	119	0
1943	42.1 °C30 September 1943	2.5 °C8 March 1943	19.4 °C	146 mm	112	0
1942	42.0 °C6 May 1942	0.6 °C5 January 1942	19.7 °C	154 mm	126	0
1941	42.0 °C10 May 1941	3.0 °C3 January 1941	20.1 °C	195 mm	131	0
1940	41.4 °C18 May 1940	2.9 °C16 January 1940	19.6 °C	147 mm	105	0

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?

Year

Across the whole year

Average daily high

27.1 °C

+1.4 °C

Hot days (≥ 30 °C)

150 d/yr

+30

Frost days (< 0 °C)

0 d/yr

Annual rainfall

145 mm

-9 mm

Month by month

	High	vs. normal	Precipitation	vs. normal
Jan	20.4 °C	+2.9 °C	14 mm	-20 mm
Feb	17.3 °C	-1.3 °C	19 mm	-7 mm
Mar	23.9 °C	+2.5 °C	15 mm	-7 mm
Apr	26.6 °C	+1.4 °C	5 mm	-3 mm
May	29.1 °C	+0.8 °C	3 mm	+1 mm
Jun	30.8 °C	+0.2 °C	0 mm	-1 mm
Jul	33.8 °C	+1.7 °C	0 mm	-1 mm
Aug	33.7 °C	+1.4 °C	0 mm	0 mm
Sep	31.6 °C	+0.7 °C	0 mm	-1 mm
Oct	29.5 °C	+1.1 °C	1 mm	-8 mm
Nov	27.5 °C	+3.5 °C	20 mm	-1 mm
Dec	20.7 °C	+1.4 °C	66 mm	+38 mm

The year's extremes

Hottest day

41.9 °C

17 May 2025

Coldest day

2.6 °C

25 Feb 2025

Wettest day

11.9 mm

28 Dec 2025

Windiest day

43.4 km/h

29 Dec 2025

Strongest gust

64.8 km/h

6 Feb 2025

Hottest feels-like

42.7 °C

13 Aug 2025

Coldest feels-like

-0.9 °C

25 Feb 2025

Sunniest day

13.5 h

7 Jul 2025

What was the weather like that day?

Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.

Date

Frequently asked questions

What is the climate of Rafah?

Rafah has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 20.3 °C and it receives 154 mm of precipitation per year.

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Rafah?

The hottest day measured in Rafah between 1940 and 2025 was 21 May 1970, reaching 45.8 °C.

What is the coldest day in Rafah?

The coldest day measured in Rafah between 1940 and 2025 was 15 January 2008, at -1.4 °C.

Does it snow in Rafah?

Almost never: Rafah sees virtually no snow, with about 0 frost days per year.

Has the climate of Rafah warmed?

Yes: Rafah warmed by +2.1 °C between 1940 and 2025, a statistically significant trend.

What is the wettest day in Rafah?

The wettest day measured in Rafah between 1940 and 2025 was 20 February 1975, with 36 mm of rain in 24 hours.

What was the windiest day in Rafah?

The windiest day measured in Rafah between 1940 and 2025 was 29 February 2012, with winds reaching 55.7 km/h.

What is the warmest month in Rafah?

The warmest month in Rafah is August (27.2 °C on average); the coldest is January (12.5 °C).

How much does it rain in Rafah?

Rafah receives on average 154 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 39 rainy days.

Is it sunny in Rafah?

Rafah gets on average 11.1 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 4,052 hours per year over 1940-2025.

What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Rafah?

The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Rafah between 1940 and 2025 was 5 February 1950, with 0.5 cm.

Are there tropical nights in Rafah?

Yes: Rafah has on average 109 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.

What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Rafah?

In Rafah, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 43.8 °C on 8 September 2023, and the lowest was -5.4 °C on 15 January 2008.

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