Doha
Long-term averages for Doha: the mean daily high, the mean overnight low and the mean monthly rainfall across 30 years of ERA5 reanalysis data (1995–2024).
Show the monthly table
| Month | Day (°C) | Night (°C) | Rain (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22 | 14 | 15 |
| February | 23 | 15 | 8 |
| March | 27 | 17 | 12 |
| April | 32 | 21 | 5 |
| May | 38 | 26 | 1 |
| June | 40 | 28 | 0 |
| July | 41 | 30 | 1 |
| August | 41 | 30 | 0 |
| September | 39 | 28 | 0 |
| October | 35 | 25 | 1 |
| November | 29 | 21 | 8 |
| December | 24 | 16 | 12 |
What the numbers mean for a trip
Doha's summer is the constraint on everything else: 40-41 °C highs from June to August with nights near 30 °C. November to March is the season the country is built around.
- June to September is extreme, not merely hot: mean highs of 39-41 °C and mean overnight lows of 28-30 °C, so the night gives nothing back.
- November to March is the comfortable half of the year - highs of 22-29 °C and nights of 14-21 °C, which is when outdoor life, sport and festivals happen.
- Rain is negligible and irregular. The wettest month averages 15 mm; several summer months average zero. Whole years pass with almost nothing.
- The heat is the reason for the timetable: sightseeing early or after dark, the middle of the day indoors. Everything indoors is air conditioned hard.
- A cover-up is not only cultural. Loose long sleeves are cooler than bare skin in this kind of sun, and the same clothing suits the dress expectations of mosques and government buildings.
One season to avoid, one to aim for
The table above is unusually blunt for a climate summary. From June to September, mean daily maxima run 39-41 °C and the mean overnight minimum sits at 28-30 °C: nights do not cool down, so the heat accumulates across a stay rather than resetting each morning. This is the half of the year when outdoor plans are made at 06:00 or after sunset, and when the walk between an air-conditioned car and an air-conditioned door is the only time you are outside.
From November to March the same city reads completely differently: 22-29 °C by day, 14-21 °C at night. Anyone with a choice travels then.
| Period | Day | Night | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| June-September | 39-41 °C | 28-30 °C | Indoors by default; outdoor plans at dawn or after dark |
| April-May, October | 32-38 °C | 21-26 °C | Manageable early and late; midday is not |
| November-March | 22-29 °C | 14-21 °C | Comfortable all day; evenings need a layer in January |
Rain is not part of the planning
Annual rainfall totals here are what a wet European city collects in a fortnight: the wettest month in the table averages 15 mm, and several summer months average 0. What little falls arrives in short, sometimes intense bursts, and the practical problem is drainage rather than the rain itself - a heavy shower can flood a road for an afternoon precisely because it is so rare.
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