Erbil weather by month & the best time to visit
Iraq · major city break · semi-arid climate
The best time to visit Erbil is October — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 94/100), with November and April close behind. Erbil averages about 3,144 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 30°C / 86°F and roughly 18 mm of rain in October.
When is the best time to visit Erbil?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Erbil is October, then November and April. The dullest month is July (0/100, 1 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Erbil?
Erbil is one of the sunniest places on Earth: about 3,144 hours of sunshine a year. 94 Sunshine Score points separate October (94) from July (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #6 of 6 destinations in Iraq for annual sunshine, below the national median of 3,280 hours. Rain has a clear season: the wettest stretch, around February, carries about 46% of the annual 283 mm.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30 | 12° / 54°F | 1° / 34°F | 42 mm | 2 |
| February | 45 | 14° / 57°F | 3° / 37°F | 37 mm | 3 |
| March | 89 | 20° / 68°F | 7° / 45°F | 50 mm | 4 |
| April | 90 | 26° / 79°F | 11° / 52°F | 42 mm | 6 |
| May | 85 | 33° / 91°F | 17° / 63°F | 16 mm | 8 |
| June | 19 | 40° / 104°F | 23° / 73°F | 2 mm | 10 |
| July | 0 | 43° / 109°F | 27° / 81°F | 1 mm | 10 |
| August | 0 | 42° / 108°F | 27° / 81°F | 1 mm | 9 |
| September | 49 | 37° / 99°F | 22° / 72°F | 2 mm | 7 |
| October | 94 | 30° / 86°F | 17° / 63°F | 18 mm | 5 |
| November | 92 | 20° / 68°F | 8° / 46°F | 31 mm | 3 |
| December | 45 | 14° / 57°F | 3° / 37°F | 41 mm | 2 |
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Erbil compares month by month: Erbil vs Sulaymaniyah · Erbil vs Kermanshah · Erbil vs Urmia · Erbil vs Van · all comparisons
Erbil: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Erbil?
Erbil is a major city break in Iraq at 398 m elevation with a semi-arid climate.
How many hours of sunshine does Erbil get a year?
Erbil gets about 3,144 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around October.
When is the best time to visit Erbil?
The sunniest time to visit Erbil is October, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 94/100 (with November and April close behind). Expect daytime highs around 30°C / 86°F.
What is the least sunny month in Erbil?
July is the least sunny month in Erbil, scoring 0/100 with about 1 mm of rain.
How strong is the sun in Erbil?
The typical midday UV index in Erbil peaks around 10 (very high) in June, easing to about 2 (low) in January. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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