January brings 25°C daytime highs, 38mm of precipitation across about 4 wet days and 12.1 hours of daylight — best for reliable sunshine. The strongest run of the year is July to September. April is the quietest month: wetter, but peaceful, and still good for green season and quiet and local.
Long-run climate normals for Nairobi. Month ratings compare months within Nairobi only — they are not a ranking of Nairobi against other destinations, and they are not a forecast for a specific year.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Best month | January — Reliable sunshine |
| Best 3-month window | July–September |
| Quietest month | April — Wetter, but peaceful |
| Driest month | July — 15mm |
| Wettest month | April — 211mm |
| Warmest / coolest | January 25°C / September 22°C |
| Seasonality | Fairly even across the year |
| Annual rainfall | 869mm over roughly 105 rain days |
April gets roughly 455% more precipitation than January — 211mm against 38mm. That difference, more than temperature, is what changes how a day here feels.
Daytime highs only move 3°C across the whole year (22–25°C), so timing matters far less here than rainfall does.
July is the driest month at 15mm across roughly 2 wet days, while April peaks at 211mm.
July is almost as good as January, but usually quieter and cheaper. If your dates are flexible, it is the easier trip.
Nairobi stays fairly consistent all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Ratings compare months within Nairobi, not against destinations worldwide: five stars means the best time to be here, not that Nairobi beats anywhere else. Tags describe what the conditions actually suit.
| Month | Rating | High / Low | Precipitation | Wet days | Sun | Daylight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ★★★★★ | 25°C / 13°C | 38mm | 4 | 11h | 12.1h | Reliable sunshine |
| February | ★★★★★ | 25°C / 13°C | 64mm | 7 | 11h | 12h | Reliable sunshine |
| March | ★★☆☆☆ | 25°C / 13°C | 125mm | 14 | 7h | 12h | Green season · Quiet and local |
| April | ★★☆☆☆ | 24°C / 12°C | 211mm | 23 | 4h | 12h | Green season · Quiet and local |
| May | ★★☆☆☆ | 23°C / 11°C | 158mm | 17 | 4h | 11.9h | Quiet and local |
| June | ★★★★☆ | 22°C / 10°C | 46mm | 5 | 5h | 11.9h | Hiking · Cycling |
| July | ★★★★★ | 22°C / 10°C | 15mm | 2 | 8h | 11.9h | Hiking · Cycling |
| August | ★★★★★ | 22°C / 10°C | 23mm | 3 | 8h | 12h | Hiking · Cycling |
| September | ★★★★★ | 22°C / 10°C | 31mm | 3 | 8h | 12h | Hiking · Cycling |
| October | ★★★★☆ | 23°C / 11°C | 53mm | 6 | 6h | 12h | Hiking · Cycling |
| November | ★★☆☆☆ | 24°C / 12°C | 109mm | 12 | 4h | 12.1h | Hiking · Cycling · Quiet and local |
| December | ★★★☆☆ | 25°C / 13°C | 86mm | 9 | 7h | 12.1h | Quiet and local |
| You are planning | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun & beach days | January | 11h daily sunshine, 25°C highs and only 4 rain days. |
| City walking & sightseeing | July | 22°C highs with 11.9h of daylight — long days without heat fatigue. |
| Photography & light | January | 11h of sun and 12.1h daylight give the widest window for golden-hour work. |
| Value & fewer crowds | September | Scores 85/100 — close to peak conditions but outside the busiest window. |
| Cooler-weather travel | July | 22°C highs and 10°C nights suit anyone who dislikes heat. |
Each month in Nairobi is described from long-run climate normals and then rated relative to the other eleven months in the same city. A five-star January in a cold destination means January is one of the best times to be there — not that it beats a Mediterranean summer.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Described | Average daytime high and overnight low for the month, shown as measured rather than judged. |
| Precipitation | Described | Monthly millimetres and wet-day count, labelled as snow or rain/snow where temperatures make that the likely phase. |
| Sunshine & daylight | Described | Average daily sunshine hours and astronomical daylight length at mid-month, from the city’s latitude. |
| “Best for” tags | Derived | Applied only when the conditions genuinely support the activity — snow depth-friendly cold for skiing, 13–24°C and low rain risk for hiking, dark evenings at high latitude for aurora. A month with few strong use cases gets fewer tags rather than padded ones. |
| Star rating | Relative | Ranks the month against the other eleven months in the same city. Never a comparison between cities. |
Figures are long-run climate averages, not a forecast for a specific year. Where a month lacks sourced rainfall or humidity, the value is modelled from temperature range and rain frequency.
January is the best all-round month in Nairobi: 25°C highs, 38mm of precipitation and 12.1 hours of daylight, which suits reliable sunshine. The strongest three-month window is July to September.
April — 24°C highs, 211mm of precipitation over roughly 23 days and 12 hours of daylight. It is the cheapest and least crowded time to go, and it still works for green season and quiet and local.
July is the driest month at 15mm over about 2 rain days, against 211mm in April. Across the year Nairobi records around 869mm.
Yes — conditions in Nairobi stay fairly even all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Daylight ranges from 11.9 hours in May to 12.1 hours in January, calculated from the city's latitude.