Twice the size of Arizona, Kenya’s weather is hugely variable. Cross the country from west to east, or north to south, as you’ll need to in order to explore its full gambit of attractions, and you’ll encounter everything from glorious tropical beaches on the Indian Ocean to some of Africa’s only glaciers on the upper slopes of Mount Kenya.
Kenya’s most famous attraction, Big Five safaris in the Masai Mara with the chance to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration, sit within a zone of temperate weather. This stretches from the shores of Lake Victoria in the west via the likes of Nakuru and Narok to other major wildlife areas. These include Amboseli, Tsavo East, and Tsavo West national parks (represented by Voi in the tables below), lying nearer the coast. Nairobi also sits within Kenya’s temperate region, making it one of Africa’s most pleasant capitals to walk around.
The Indian Ocean coastline of Kenya, whose notable destinations include Diani Beach, Mombasa, and Lamu, has hotter and more humid weather conditions on average. Warm year-round, temperatures hit their highest in February and March, as is the case in the rest of Kenya, when conditions are powered by winds coming all the way from the Middle East. Because of its higher humidity levels, Kenya’s coastal resorts also see the highest rainfall figures in the country – albeit largely limited to the months of March to May and October to December.
Inland areas of Kenya’s north and east are also hot, but less humid than the coast. With few major tourist attractions, it’s unlikely you’ll spend any significant amount of time here.
Kenya Weather by Month
Average monthly temperatures (°F) and rainfall (inches) for select locations in Kenya are shown below.
Meru
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| High | 79.2 | 82.2 | 82.8 | 79.2 | 77.0 | 74.6 | 73.0 | 74.8 | 79.6 | 80.6 | 76.8 | 77.0 |
| Low | 53.4 | 53.8 | 57.0 | 59.0 | 58.4 | 56.0 | 54.6 | 54.8 | 55.6 | 58.0 | 58.0 | 54.6 |
| Rain | 2.8 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 9.8 | 4.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 8.4 | 12.6 | 6.1 |
Mombasa
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| High | 94.0 | 94.6 | 95.2 | 92.4 | 88.6 | 86.8 | 85.4 | 85.8 | 87.6 | 89.2 | 91.2 | 93.2 |
| Low | 76.4 | 77.2 | 78.4 | 77.8 | 75.4 | 72.6 | 70.8 | 70.6 | 71.6 | 74.0 | 76.2 | 76.6 |
| Rain | 1.3 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 6.4 | 9.4 | 3.1 | 2.8 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.0 |
Nairobi
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| High | 79.0 | 81.2 | 81.2 | 78.2 | 75.2 | 73.0 | 71.2 | 72.8 | 77.4 | 79.4 | 76.2 | 76.8 |
| Low | 53.0 | 53.2 | 56.2 | 58.0 | 56.4 | 52.0 | 50.2 | 50.4 | 51.0 | 55.0 | 56.2 | 55.2 |
| Rain | 2.5 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 8.6 | 7.0 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 6.1 | 4.0 |
Nakuru
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| High | 84.6 | 85.8 | 86.0 | 81.6 | 79.6 | 78.8 | 77.6 | 78.2 | 81.0 | 80.6 | 78.8 | 81.6 |
| Low | 47.4 | 48.4 | 49.8 | 53.2 | 52.4 | 50.4 | 50.2 | 49.6 | 47.8 | 48.2 | 50.0 | 47.8 |
| Rain | 1.1 | 1.8 | 2.7 | 5.6 | 5.1 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 1.7 |
Narok
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| High | 83.8 | 84.4 | 83.8 | 79.6 | 76.2 | 74.8 | 74.6 | 76.6 | 80.4 | 81.8 | 80.8 | 81.8 |
| Low | 48.8 | 48.8 | 50.8 | 54.8 | 55.2 | 51.0 | 48.0 | 48.6 | 48.0 | 50.2 | 49.8 | 48.8 |
| Rain | 3.1 | 2.6 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 3.0 |
Voi
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| High | 93.2 | 95.8 | 96.6 | 93.6 | 89.8 | 88.0 | 86.2 | 86.0 | 88.4 | 92.2 | 92.8 | 91.2 |
| Low | 70.2 | 70.4 | 71.6 | 70.8 | 70.0 | 66.6 | 65.0 | 64.4 | 65.2 | 67.8 | 70.2 | 70.2 |
| Rain | 1.3 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 4.2 | 4.7 |
Source: World Meteorological Organization
Kenya Travel Guide
Kenya Tours & Safaris / Kenya FAQ / Kenya Accommodations
Top Kenya Travel Destinations
Amboseli National Park / Laikipia Plateau / Masai Mara National Reserve / Meru National Park / Mombasa / Nairobi / Samburu National Reserve / Tsavo East National Park / Tsavo West National Park
The Big Five
African Elephant / Cape Buffalo / Leopard / Lion / Rhino
Weather for Other African Countries
Botswana Weather / Namibia Weather / South Africa Weather / Tanzania Weather / Zimbabwe Weather
