Best time to visit Kenya

Kenya in this dataset covers 3 cities with distinct NASA POWER grid cells (plus nearby cities that share a cell). Annual rainfall among those cities runs from 602 mm in Nairobi to 1949 mm in Kakamega. The monthly-average temperature swing is 3.0–5.1°C depending on the city.

Kenya is not one climate: the cities here include a monsoon climate with a sharp wet-dry split; a mild oceanic climate; a Mediterranean pattern: dry summers and wetter winters.

Regional contrasts in Kenya

The hottest peak in the sample is Mombasa in February (29.8°C). The coldest monthly average is Kakamega in July (18.0°C). Kakamega takes the most rain (1949 mm a year, wettest in April); Nairobi takes the least (602 mm).

Warmest-month averages in the set range from 21.4°C to 29.8°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 22.4°C and about 602 mm of rain a year. Best-scoring months — Nairobi (February, July, and September).

In-between rainfall: typical hottest-month average 29.8°C and about 894 mm of rain a year. Best-scoring months — Mombasa (February, July, and August).

Wetter cities: typical hottest-month average 21.4°C and about 1949 mm of rain a year. Best-scoring months — Kakamega (February, March, and April).

Kakamega in Kenya

Kakamega sits at 0.28°, 34.75°. It is a monsoon climate with a sharp wet-dry split. March is the warmest month at 21.4°C (high 28.1°C); July is the coolest at 18.0°C (low 13.9°C). The gap between those monthly averages is 3.4°C.

The monsoon runs from March to November. The three highest-scoring months for a visit are February, March, and April. That ranking uses the same 22°C / low-rain / 60% humidity score as the city pages. Population in the GeoNames record is 1,867,579. The wettest month is April (275 mm, 23 days with at least 1 mm); the driest is February (49 mm).

Mombasa in Kenya

Mombasa sits at -4.05°, 39.66°. It is a mild oceanic climate. February is the warmest month at 29.8°C (high 35.5°C); July is the coolest at 24.7°C (low 20.8°C). The gap between those monthly averages is 5.1°C.

The rainy season runs from April to May. The three highest-scoring months for a visit are February, July, and August. That ranking uses the same 22°C / low-rain / 60% humidity score as the city pages. Population in the GeoNames record is 1,208,333. The wettest month is May (217 mm, 23 days with at least 1 mm); the driest is February (15 mm).

Nairobi in Kenya

Nairobi sits at -1.28°, 36.82°. It is a Mediterranean pattern: dry summers and wetter winters. March is the warmest month at 22.4°C (high 29.3°C); July is the coolest at 19.4°C (low 12.6°C). The gap between those monthly averages is 3.0°C.

The rainy season runs from April to May. The three highest-scoring months for a visit are February, July, and September. That ranking uses the same 22°C / low-rain / 60% humidity score as the city pages. Population in the GeoNames record is 4,397,073. The wettest month is April (114 mm, 21 days with at least 1 mm); the driest is July (17 mm).