Kenya does not have a single climate. Ask what the weather is like in Nairobi in July and you will hear "cool, grey mornings, jumper weather"; ask the same question about Mombasa and the answer is "hot, humid, warm well before nine in the morning." Both are correct. The country's weather is shaped less by the calendar and more by altitude, and understanding that one fact will do more for your packing list and your itinerary than any amount of guesswork.
This piece sets out what the weather actually does across Kenya's main safari and coastal regions, month by month, with the caveats that other guides tend to skip: the difference between the "long rains" and "short rains", why Nairobi nights are colder than most first-time visitors expect, and how a shifting rainfall pattern in recent years has made the old rules of thumb less reliable than they used to be. It draws on data published by the Kenya Meteorological Department and the travel advisories issued by the UK and US governments, and it is date-stamped so you know how current it is.
Quick answer
Kenya's weather is temperate rather than uniformly tropical, because most of the safari circuit sits at altitudes of roughly 1,500–2,100 metres. Nairobi and the Maasai Mara typically see daytime highs of around 22–27°C with cool, sometimes cold, nights, especially from June to September. The coast (Mombasa, Diani, Lamu) is genuinely tropical, hot and humid year-round, usually somewhere in the high twenties to low thirties Celsius. Rain falls mainly in two windows: the "long rains" (roughly March to May) and the "short rains" (roughly October to December), though both have become less predictable in recent years.
What is the temperature in Kenya right now?
There is no single answer, because temperature in Kenya varies by region on any given day, not just by season. For a live reading, the Kenya Meteorological Department publishes current conditions and short-range forecasts for Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu and other stations, and this is a more reliable source for temperature in Kenya today than a global weather app defaulting to a single "Kenya" data point.
What shapes Kenya's weather
Three things matter more than the month on your calendar.
Altitude. Nairobi sits at around 1,700 metres above sea level, and the Maasai Mara, the central highlands and much of the Rift Valley sit at comparable heights. Altitude cools the air significantly: as a rough rule of thumb, for every roughly 150 metres of elevation gained, expect the temperature to drop by about one degree Celsius. This is why safari-goers who expect "Africa hot" often find themselves reaching for a fleece at a Mara dawn game drive.
Distance from the equator, not latitude alone. Kenya sits directly on the equator, which means day length barely changes across the year and there is no real winter or summer in the temperate sense. What changes instead is rainfall, driven by the seasonal shift of a band of converging tropical air called the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone. As this band moves north and south across the equator through the year, it brings Kenya's two rainy seasons.
Geography. The coast is warmed and humidified by the Indian Ocean. The arid north (Samburu, Turkana, Marsabit) sits in a rain shadow and stays hot and dry for most of the year, often the hottest part of the country. Western Kenya, around Lake Victoria, has its own more equatorial, wetter pattern. Treating "Kenya weather" as one climate is the single most common misunderstanding we see among first-time travellers.
Kenya's weather month by month
Rather than a single seasonal label, it helps to walk through the year region by region.
January–February. This is Kenya's hottest and driest stretch in most of the safari areas. Nairobi and the Mara are dry, dusty, and warm by day (often in the high twenties Celsius), with clear skies good for photography and generally comfortable nights. The coast is hot and increasingly humid as the season progresses. This period overlaps with the tail end of the wildebeest presence in the southern Mara ecosystem and the calving season further south in the Serengeti, so it is a popular and often busier window.
March–May: the long rains. Rainfall becomes the defining feature. Afternoon downpours are common, sometimes heavy enough to affect dirt roads and river crossings in the Mara and Amboseli. Many camps in the more remote conservancies close or reduce rates during April and May, which is worth knowing if your priority is value rather than guaranteed dry-season game viewing. The coast remains warm but noticeably more humid and rain-prone during this window too.
June–September. Confusingly, this is often called Kenya's "cool dry season," and it is the period when Nairobi and the Mara see the lowest overnight temperatures of the year, sometimes dropping into single digits Celsius before dawn, even though daytime highs stay pleasant in the low-to-mid twenties. This is driven by a persistent cloud cover phenomenon locals sometimes call the "Nairobi grey," which keeps mornings overcast without necessarily producing rain. It is also the peak of the wildebeest migration's presence in the northern Mara, so it is the busiest and typically most expensive period of the year to visit.
October–December: the short rains. Rain returns, usually in shorter, more localised bursts than the long rains rather than sustained multi-day downpours, though this pattern has become less reliable in recent seasons (more on that below). Landscapes green up quickly, wildlife disperses, and birdlife is at its best as migratory species arrive. Late December through early January often brings a dry, warm interlude before the calendar turns.
Our companion piece on the best time to travel to Kenya goes further into how these weather windows intersect with wildlife viewing and pricing; this article focuses specifically on what the weather itself does.
Timing: when to go, and how weather affects cost and crowds
Weather in Kenya is inseparable from safari pricing and crowding patterns, and this is worth spelling out plainly rather than leaving to a booking agent's discretion.
The June–September dry window and the January–February dry window both command premium rates precisely because reliable weather means reliable game viewing: firm roads, concentrated wildlife around dwindling water sources, and predictable river crossings during the migration months. Camps in the Mara and Amboseli that might discount by a third or more during April and May will often be fully booked and at their highest rates in August. If your priority is photographic light and dry, dusty savannah rather than lush green scenery, the trade-off is worth understanding before you commit to dates.
Conversely, the "green season" (roughly November through March, with the caveat of the short rains sitting inside it) offers lower rates, quieter camps, and a landscape many photographers actually prefer: dramatic skies, newborn animals, and birdlife in full breeding plumage. The cost is a real chance of rain disrupting a day or two of your itinerary, and some remote camps closing altogether during the wettest weeks of April and May. We would rather tell you this trade-off exists than pretend one season is simply "better."
Regional weather in detail
Nairobi. Daytime temperatures hover in a narrow band most of the year, typically around 22–27°C, with the coolest nights (sometimes below 12°C) falling between June and September. Rain is heaviest during the long rains, but Nairobi rarely sees the sustained flooding some travellers expect from an equatorial capital; short, sharp afternoon storms are more typical.
The Maasai Mara and southern circuit (Amboseli, Tsavo). Similar temperature pattern to Nairobi, moderated by altitude, but with more dust and heat in the dry months given the more open, lower-lying terrain in parts of Amboseli and Tsavo. Expect daytime highs in the high twenties even in the cooler months, and be prepared for cold, sometimes genuinely chilly, early-morning game drives regardless of season; a fleece or light down layer is not optional kit here, it is standard.
The coast (Mombasa, Diani, Watamu, Lamu). Hot and humid essentially year-round, with daytime temperatures rarely dropping below the high twenties and often reaching into the low thirties Celsius between December and March. Humidity, not heat alone, is what catches visitors out; the sea breeze offers some relief, but this is a different climate entirely from the highlands, and packing for the Mara will leave you overdressed and uncomfortable on the coast.
Northern Kenya (Samburu, Turkana, Marsabit). The hottest and driest region for most of the year, with daytime temperatures commonly climbing well above 30°C and minimal seasonal rainfall relief. This is arid, semi-desert country, and travellers heading north after a Mara safari should expect a marked jump in heat.
Lake Victoria and western Kenya. A wetter, more equatorial pattern with rain spread more evenly across the year rather than confined to two clear windows. Less visited by safari travellers, but relevant if your itinerary extends to Kisumu or the western forests.
A note on shifting patterns
We would be doing readers a disservice if we presented Kenya's rainfall calendar as fixed. The Kenya Meteorological Department and regional climate researchers have both documented increasingly erratic rainy seasons over the past decade or so: delayed onsets, shorter but more intense rainfall events, and, in some years, a partial or near-total failure of one of the two rainy seasons. The prolonged drought that affected much of the Horn of Africa in the early 2020s was a stark example, with knock-on effects for wildlife, pastoralist communities, and water availability that were still being felt in subsequent seasons. Our climate in Kenya article covers this longer-term picture in more depth, including what it means for conservation and water access in the parks.
The practical upshot for a traveller booking months ahead: treat the month-by-month pattern above as a strong guide to probability, not a guarantee. Build in flexibility where you can, and ask your operator directly what conditions have looked like in the specific weeks you're considering over the past two or three years, rather than relying on long-run averages alone.
What to pack, given all this
Because temperature in Kenya swings more with altitude and time of day than with season, packing sensibly means layering rather than choosing "hot country" or "cool country" clothing exclusively.
- A fleece or light down jacket for early morning and evening game drives, useful even in the supposedly hot months.
- Breathable, neutral-toned clothing for daytime, per the guidance in our colors to wear on safari piece.
- A light rain shell if you're travelling anywhere near the long or short rains windows, even if your dates fall just outside them.
- Sun protection regardless of season; Kenya's equatorial sun is strong even on overcast, "cool" Mara mornings.
- Lighter, more breathable fabrics if your itinerary includes coastal time, where humidity rather than heat is the main discomfort.
Frequently asked questions
What is the weather like in Kenya generally?
Kenya's weather is temperate across most of the safari highlands (Nairobi, the Mara, the central Rift Valley) thanks to altitudes of roughly 1,500–2,100 metres, with daytime temperatures typically in the low-to-high twenties Celsius and cool nights. The coast is tropical and humid year-round, while the arid north stays hot and dry for most of the year. There is no true winter or summer; rainfall, not temperature, defines Kenya's seasons.
How hot is it in Kenya?
Daytime temperatures in Kenya's main safari regions typically sit somewhere in the low-to-high twenties Celsius, cooler than many visitors expect given Kenya's equatorial location, because of the altitude of the highlands and Rift Valley. The coast is genuinely hot, often high twenties to low thirties with high humidity, and the arid north is hotter still, regularly climbing well above 30°C. There is no single "how hot is Kenya" answer independent of region.
What is the temperature in Nairobi, Kenya?
Nairobi's temperature typically ranges from daytime highs of around 22–27°C to overnight lows that can drop below 12°C, particularly between June and September. This makes Nairobi noticeably cooler after dark than most travellers expect from an African capital, and a light jacket is worth packing even for a short stopover.
When are the rainy seasons in Kenya?
Kenya has two rainy seasons: the long rains from roughly March to May, and the short rains from roughly October to December. Both have become less predictable in onset and intensity over the past decade or so, according to monitoring by the Kenya Meteorological Department, so travellers should treat these windows as probable rather than certain.
Is Kenya hot or cold?
Kenya is neither uniformly hot nor cold; it depends entirely on altitude and region. The highland safari areas, including Nairobi and the Maasai Mara, are warm by day and can be genuinely cold at night, while the coast and the arid north are consistently hot. This variability by elevation, rather than by season, is the single most useful thing to understand about Kenya's climate before you pack.
What should I wear given Kenya's weather?
Layering is the practical answer: breathable daywear for warm afternoons, a fleece or down layer for cold mornings and evenings on safari, and lighter, humidity-friendly fabrics if your trip includes coastal time. Our full guide to colors to wear on safari covers colour choice as well as fabric.
Sources and further reading
This article draws on publicly available forecasting and climate data from the Kenya Meteorological Department, and on general regional climate reporting referenced by government travel advisories including the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Kenya travel advice and the US Department of State Kenya travel advisory. For planning that connects weather patterns to wildlife viewing and cost, see our best time to travel to Kenya guide and our longer-range climate in Kenya piece.
When we update this article
Weather patterns and forecasting data are reviewed and refreshed periodically to keep the seasonal guidance current. This is not a static reference: rainfall onset dates, drought conditions and temperature averages shift from year to year, and we would rather flag that honestly than present a single fixed calendar as permanent fact. For the latest figures, check current data from the Kenya Meteorological Department directly rather than relying solely on the ranges quoted above.