Nairobi records about 869mm of rain across roughly 105 wet days a year, which is a 29% chance on an average day. April is the wettest month at 211mm (24% of the annual total) and July the driest at 15mm. Local rain type: brief showers. Pack rain gear for March through May (long rains) and October-November (short rains). June through September is mostly dry and ideal for safari.
Chance of rain on an average day: 29%
Rainfall climatology for Nairobi. The live hour-by-hour answer for today loads at the top of this page from Open-Meteo and refreshes through the day — the figures below describe a typical year, not today.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Annual rainfall | 869mm |
| Rain days per year | 105 |
| Odds on an average day | 29% |
| Wettest month | April — 211mm over 23 days |
| Driest month | July — 15mm over 2 days |
| Rain type | brief showers |
| Best dry window | June through September offers dry, mild weather ideal for safari and outdoor activities. |
| Worst rain window | April is the wettest month — daily afternoon downpours that can make dirt roads in parks impassable. |
April delivers 1307% more rain than July (211mm vs 15mm). That gap is the difference between planning around showers and ignoring them.
24% of the year's rain falls in April alone, so Nairobi has a genuine wet season rather than evenly spread showers.
Nairobi rain typically comes as discrete showers, so a compact umbrella and a flexible plan are usually enough.
Rain falls on about 23 days in April against 2 in July — the frequency swing matters more for planning than the millimetre totals.
Climate normals. Use them to judge whether today's live forecast at the top of the page is typical or unusual for the season.
| Month | Rainfall | Rain days | Chance on a given day | Highs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38mm | 4 | 13% | 25°C |
| February | 64mm | 7 | 23% | 25°C |
| March | 125mm | 14 | 47% | 25°C |
| April | 211mm | 23 | 77% | 24°C |
| May | 158mm | 17 | 57% | 23°C |
| June | 46mm | 5 | 17% | 22°C |
| July | 15mm | 2 | 7% | 22°C |
| August | 23mm | 3 | 10% | 22°C |
| September | 31mm | 3 | 10% | 22°C |
| October | 53mm | 6 | 20% | 23°C |
| November | 109mm | 12 | 40% | 24°C |
| December | 86mm | 9 | 30% | 25°C |
Rain probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm falls at your location — not how long it rains. For Nairobi we combine the hourly probability curve, expected volume in millimetres, and the city's own rainfall record into a single umbrella verdict.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly probability | 40% | Peak and sustained chance of measurable rain across the next 24 hours. |
| Expected volume | 30% | Total millimetres, which separates a passing shower from a genuine soaking. |
| Timing & duration | 20% | When rain starts, when it eases, and the longest continuous dry window. |
| Local rain type | 10% | Drizzle, brief showers, thunderstorms or monsoon — each needs different gear. |
Live hourly values come from Open-Meteo and refresh through the day. Monthly rainfall figures are climate normals, so they describe a typical year rather than a forecast.
Nairobi records rain on roughly 105 days a year — about a 29% chance on any given day — totalling around 869mm.
April, with about 211mm over 23 rain days. That is 24% of the entire year's rainfall in a single month.
July is the driest month at 15mm across roughly 2 days. June through September offers dry, mild weather ideal for safari and outdoor activities.
Pack rain gear for March through May (long rains) and October-November (short rains). June through September is mostly dry and ideal for safari.
No. Probability is the chance that at least 0.2mm of rain falls at your location at some point in the period. Check the expected millimetres alongside it: 40% with 0.4mm is a passing shower, 40% with 12mm is a soaking.