Istanbul vs Dubai: Weather & Climate Compared
🇹🇷 Istanbul, Turkey · 🇦🇪 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Warmer overall
Dubai
Sunnier
Dubai
More rainy days
Istanbul
Istanbul vs Dubai weather right now
At this moment, Dubai is the warmer of the two by 27°F (15°C).
The short answer
If warmth is the deciding factor, Dubai wins: 83°F (28°C) on the annual mean against 60°F (15°C) in Istanbul, a gap of 23.0°F (12.8°C).
Head to head
- Sunshine: Dubai collects 10.8 hours of daily sun across the year; Istanbul manages 9.4.
- Rain: the rain gauge favors Dubai: 10 wet days a year to Istanbul's 106.
- Snow: only Istanbul sees regular snowfall - roughly 6 days of it annually.
- Peak heat: Istanbul tops out in August (84°F (29°C) highs); Dubai peaks in July (109°F (43°C)).
- Coldest nights: winter bottoms out at 39°F (4°C) in Istanbul (January) and 57°F (14°C) in Dubai (January).
Istanbul vs Dubai month by month
| Month | Istanbul high / low | Dubai high / low | Istanbul rain days | Dubai rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° / 39° | 76° / 57° | 13 | 2 |
| February | 51° / 40° | 79° / 59° | 11 | 2 |
| March | 54° / 42° | 85° / 64° | 11 | 2 |
| April | 62° / 47° | 94° / 70° | 9 | 1 |
| May | 70° / 56° | 102° / 76° | 8 | 0 |
| June | 79° / 65° | 107° / 82° | 8 | 0 |
| July | 84° / 69° | 109° / 87° | 5 | 0 |
| August | 84° / 71° | 109° / 86° | 3 | 0 |
| September | 78° / 65° | 105° / 81° | 8 | 0 |
| October | 68° / 57° | 98° / 75° | 7 | 1 |
| November | 61° / 50° | 88° / 68° | 9 | 1 |
| December | 53° / 44° | 80° / 61° | 12 | 1 |
Who's warmer, month by month?
Dubai is warmer in every single month - the question is never which city is milder, only by how much. Come May the difference peaks near 32°F (18°C); by August Istanbul almost catches up.
Sunshine, daylight and rain chance
| Month | Istanbul sun | Dubai sun | Istanbul daylight | Dubai daylight | Istanbul wet-day chance | Dubai wet-day chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5.5 h | 9.8 h | 9.5 h | 10.7 h | 43% | 6% |
| February | 6.8 h | 10.0 h | 10.6 h | 11.3 h | 38% | 6% |
| March | 7.8 h | 10.2 h | 11.8 h | 11.9 h | 36% | 6% |
| April | 10.2 h | 11.1 h | 13.3 h | 12.7 h | 30% | 3% |
| May | 11.7 h | 12.1 h | 14.5 h | 13.4 h | 27% | 1% |
| June | 12.9 h | 12.4 h | 15.1 h | 13.7 h | 28% | 0% |
| July | 13.5 h | 11.5 h | 14.8 h | 13.6 h | 15% | 2% |
| August | 12.6 h | 11.4 h | 13.8 h | 13.0 h | 11% | 0% |
| September | 10.9 h | 11.3 h | 12.4 h | 12.3 h | 26% | 1% |
| October | 8.4 h | 10.7 h | 11.0 h | 11.5 h | 24% | 2% |
| November | 7.1 h | 9.9 h | 9.8 h | 10.9 h | 29% | 3% |
| December | 5.5 h | 9.7 h | 9.2 h | 10.6 h | 40% | 4% |
Seasons compared
| Months | Istanbul high / low | Dubai high / low | Istanbul rain days | Dubai rain days | Istanbul sun | Dubai sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December - February | 51° / 41° | 78° / 59° | 37 | 5 | 5.9 h | 9.8 h |
| March - May | 62° / 48° | 94° / 70° | 29 | 3 | 9.9 h | 11.1 h |
| June - August | 82° / 68° | 108° / 85° | 17 | 1 | 13.0 h | 11.8 h |
| September - November | 69° / 57° | 97° / 75° | 24 | 2 | 8.8 h | 10.6 h |
Best months for sightseeing
Counting months with average highs between 64°F and 82°F (18-28°C) and fewer than 12 wet days:
- Istanbul: May, June, September, October (4 months)
- Dubai: January, February, December (3 months)
Records, distance and time difference
- Istanbul records (2015-2024): high of 102° in July, low of 20° in March.
- Dubai records (2015-2024): high of 118° in August, low of 46° in January.
- Distance: Istanbul and Dubai are about 1,870 miles (3,009 km) apart as the crow flies.
- Time difference: Dubai is 1 hour ahead of Istanbul right now.
Istanbul vs Dubai: quick answers
Is Istanbul warmer than Dubai?
No - Dubai is warmer on annual average by about 23.0°F (12.8°C). The month-by-month table shows where the gap widens.
Which city is sunnier, Istanbul or Dubai?
Dubai takes it: 10.8 sun hours a day averaged across the year, versus 9.4 for Istanbul.
Which city gets more rain?
Istanbul is the wetter city, logging about 106 rain days annually to Dubai's 10.
Dig deeper
More comparisons with Istanbul
More comparisons with Dubai