Best time to visit Iraq

Iraq in this dataset covers 5 cities with distinct NASA POWER grid cells (plus nearby cities that share a cell). Annual rainfall among those cities runs from 86 mm in Basrah to 315 mm in Mosul. The monthly-average temperature swing is 26.5–28.4°C depending on the city.

Iraq is not one climate: the cities here include a dry, semi-arid climate; a desert climate with almost no rain; a Mediterranean pattern: dry summers and wetter winters.

Regional contrasts in Iraq

The hottest peak in the sample is Basrah in July (39.0°C). The coldest monthly average is Mosul in January (6.8°C). Mosul takes the most rain (315 mm a year, wettest in March); Basrah takes the least (86 mm).

Warmest-month averages in the set range from 35.2°C to 39.0°C. Use the city pages for the month-by-month table; this page is the contrast between places.

Best months by region

Drier cities: typical hottest-month average 37.7°C and about 103 mm of rain a year. Best-scoring months — Basrah (March, April, and November); Karbala (March, April, and November).

In-between rainfall: typical hottest-month average 36.3°C and about 242 mm of rain a year. Best-scoring months — Baghdad (April, October, and November); Erbil (April, May, and October).

Wetter cities: typical hottest-month average 35.2°C and about 315 mm of rain a year. Best-scoring months — Mosul (May, September, and October).

Baghdad in Iraq

Baghdad sits at 33.34°, 44.40°. It is a dry, semi-arid climate. July is the warmest month at 37.3°C (high 45.6°C); January is the coolest at 10.1°C (low 3.8°C). The gap between those monthly averages is 27.2°C.

The year is dry: only 201 mm, with January the least-dry month at 36 mm. The three highest-scoring months for a visit are April, October, and November. That ranking uses the same 22°C / low-rain / 60% humidity score as the city pages. Population in the GeoNames record is 7,216,000. The wettest month is January (36 mm, 6 days with at least 1 mm); the driest is June (0 mm).

Basrah in Iraq

Basrah sits at 30.51°, 47.78°. It is a desert climate with almost no rain. July is the warmest month at 39.0°C (high 47.0°C); January is the coolest at 12.5°C (low 6.3°C). The gap between those monthly averages is 26.5°C.

The year is dry: only 86 mm, with January the least-dry month at 21 mm. The three highest-scoring months for a visit are March, April, and November. That ranking uses the same 22°C / low-rain / 60% humidity score as the city pages. Population in the GeoNames record is 1,326,564. The wettest month is January (21 mm, 3 days with at least 1 mm); the driest is September (0 mm).

Erbil in Iraq

Erbil sits at 36.19°, 44.01°. It is a Mediterranean pattern: dry summers and wetter winters. July is the warmest month at 35.3°C (high 43.4°C); January is the coolest at 7.6°C (low 2.3°C). The gap between those monthly averages is 27.7°C.

Rainfall totals 283 mm, heaviest in March (50 mm) and lightest in August (1 mm). The three highest-scoring months for a visit are April, May, and October. That ranking uses the same 22°C / low-rain / 60% humidity score as the city pages. Population in the GeoNames record is 1,612,700. The wettest month is March (50 mm, 9 days with at least 1 mm); the driest is August (1 mm).

Karbala in Iraq

Karbala sits at 32.62°, 44.02°. It is a desert climate with almost no rain. July is the warmest month at 36.4°C (high 43.7°C); January is the coolest at 9.7°C (low 4.1°C). The gap between those monthly averages is 26.7°C.

The year is dry: only 120 mm, with January the least-dry month at 22 mm. The three highest-scoring months for a visit are March, April, and November. That ranking uses the same 22°C / low-rain / 60% humidity score as the city pages. Population in the GeoNames record is 1,218,732. The wettest month is January (22 mm, 5 days with at least 1 mm); the driest is June (0 mm).

Mosul in Iraq

Mosul sits at 36.34°, 43.12°. It is a Mediterranean pattern: dry summers and wetter winters. July is the warmest month at 35.2°C (high 43.2°C); January is the coolest at 6.8°C (low 1.6°C). The gap between those monthly averages is 28.4°C.

The wet season runs from March to April. The three highest-scoring months for a visit are May, September, and October. That ranking uses the same 22°C / low-rain / 60% humidity score as the city pages. Population in the GeoNames record is 1,683,000. The wettest month is March (54 mm, 9 days with at least 1 mm); the driest is July (1 mm).