Nairobi, Kenya Climate & Monthly Averages
The climate of Nairobi
There is not much of a seasonal calendar in Nairobi. Its warmest and coolest months differ by 4°C, against a dataset median nearer 15°C, which leaves 81°F (27°C) in March and 73°F (23°C) in July as the two ends of the year.
Climate quick facts
- Hottest month: March - highs near 81°F (27°C)
- Coldest month: July - highs near 73°F (23°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 89°F (32°C) high · 47°F (8°C) low
- Wettest month: April (26 rainy days) · Sunniest: February (11.3 h sun/day)
- Climate type: subtropical highland
- Annual swing: 4°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 10°C
- Average humidity: 70%
Temperatures through the year
Days and nights are about 10°C apart on average - wider than roughly 78% of the cities we track. July sits at the other end of the year: 73°F (23°C) by day, 54°F (12°C) at night. At its warmest, in March, Nairobi runs to 81°F (27°C) in the afternoon and back to 60°F (16°C) by dawn. Precipitation concentrates in April - 7.3 inches (186 mm) on 26 days - and thins out by July.
Rain, sun and snow
Between the average March and the average July lie 4°C, a narrower spread than all but 10% of the 3496 cities in our dataset. The gridded 2015-2024 daily record for this location tops out at 89°F (32°C) and bottoms at 47°F (8°C) - decade extremes, not all-time station records.
How Nairobi compares
- Nairobi sits close to the middle of our dataset on most measures: 66°F (19°C) as an annual average, 35.4 inches (900 mm) of precipitation and 10.0 hours of sun a day.
Ranked against every city in our dataset, each measured on the same ten-year window.
Monthly climate table
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 79° | 58° | 9 | 2.0 in | 11.1 h/day | 12.2 h | 29% | 64% |
| February | 81° | 59° | 8 | 1.8 in | 11.3 h/day | 12.2 h | 28% | 60% |
| March | 81° | 60° | 12 | 2.9 in | 10.8 h/day | 12.1 h | 40% | 63% |
| April | 77° | 61° | 26 | 7.3 in | 9.7 h/day | 12.1 h | 85% | 77% |
| May | 75° | 59° | 18 | 4.2 in | 10.0 h/day | 12.1 h | 58% | 77% |
| June | 74° | 56° | 9 | 1.6 in | 9.4 h/day | 12.0 h | 30% | 73% |
| July | 73° | 54° | 5 | 0.8 in | 8.3 h/day | 12.1 h | 15% | 70% |
| August | 74° | 55° | 7 | 1.0 in | 8.5 h/day | 12.1 h | 24% | 68% |
| September | 77° | 56° | 7 | 1.3 in | 9.9 h/day | 12.1 h | 23% | 66% |
| October | 79° | 58° | 14 | 3.6 in | 10.5 h/day | 12.1 h | 45% | 65% |
| November | 76° | 59° | 23 | 5.7 in | 9.8 h/day | 12.2 h | 76% | 78% |
| December | 76° | 59° | 16 | 3.3 in | 10.7 h/day | 12.2 h | 53% | 74% |
Nairobi month by month
Average high and low for each month, with the bar showing where it sits in Nairobi's year (left is the coldest night, right is the warmest afternoon).
January
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 11.1 h
- Daylight
- 12.2 h
February
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 11.3 h
- Daylight
- 12.2 h
March
- Rain
- 12 days
- Sunshine
- 10.8 h
- Daylight
- 12.1 h
April
- Rain
- 26 days
- Sunshine
- 9.7 h
- Daylight
- 12.1 h
May
- Rain
- 18 days
- Sunshine
- 10.0 h
- Daylight
- 12.1 h
June
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 9.4 h
- Daylight
- 12.0 h
July
- Rain
- 5 days
- Sunshine
- 8.3 h
- Daylight
- 12.1 h
August
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 8.5 h
- Daylight
- 12.1 h
September
- Rain
- 7 days
- Sunshine
- 9.9 h
- Daylight
- 12.1 h
October
- Rain
- 14 days
- Sunshine
- 10.5 h
- Daylight
- 12.1 h
November
- Rain
- 23 days
- Sunshine
- 9.8 h
- Daylight
- 12.2 h
December
- Rain
- 16 days
- Sunshine
- 10.7 h
- Daylight
- 12.2 h
Warmer places to go, by month: January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November · December
Seasons in Nairobi
Spring (September through November)
Through spring, Nairobi brings comfortable warmth: 77°F (25°C) by day, 58°F (14°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 44 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 10.1 hours of sun a day.
Summer (December through February)
Through summer, Nairobi brings comfortable warmth: 79°F (26°C) by day, 59°F (15°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 33 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 11.0 hours of sun a day.
Fall (March through May)
Through fall, Nairobi is mild and warm: 78°F (25°C) by day, 60°F (15°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 56 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 10.2 hours of sun a day.
Winter (June through August)
Winter in Nairobi is pleasantly warm, with daytime highs averaging 74°F (23°C) and nights around 55°F (13°C); expect showers on roughly 21 days across the season.
Climate questions, answered
Is Nairobi humid?
How sunny is Nairobi?
Are nights cold in Nairobi?
How warm is Nairobi on average?
Best time to visit Nairobi
July to September and February is the sweet spot for Nairobi - warm days, manageable rainfall and plenty of daylight line up. Expect 76°F (25°C) in the afternoon and around 7 days of rain in a typical month of it. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in July.
Pack for Nairobi with light clothing for the warm months and proper waterproofs rather than an umbrella - wet days are the norm here. March nights average 60°F (16°C), so evenings rarely match the afternoons.
Nairobi temperature records (2015-2024)
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need the precipitation in other units? The mm-to-inches rainfall converter handles it.