Climate and average weather in Kandahār
In Kandahār, the summers are sweltering, dry, and clear and the winters are cool and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Kandahār typically varies from 1°C to 41°C, and is rarely below -4°C or above 44°C. July is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Kandahār for warm-weather activities are from mid March to mid April and mid October to early December.
- Hottest
- Jul
- 41°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 1°
- Wettest
- Feb
- 48 mm
- Driest
- Sep
- 0 mm
- Rain / yr
- 184 mm
- 24 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.9–14.1 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 1,007 m
- 31.6°N
- Clearest
- Sep
- 2% cloud
Kandahār is city in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.
- Density
- 654/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Kandahār weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around mid October to early December.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Kandahār, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 4.5 months, from May 7 to September 20, with daily high temperatures above 34°C. The hottest month of the year in Kandahār is July, with an average high of 41°C and low of 26°C.
The cool season lasts 3.2 months, from November 27 to March 2, with daily high temperatures below 19°C. The coldest month of the year in Kandahār is January, with an average low of 1°C and high of 13°C.
Days typically run about 15°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 17°C) in September.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 13 | 16 | 22 | 29 | 35 | 39 | 41 | 39 | 35 | 28 | 21 | 16 |
| Avg low (°C) | 1 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 2 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | 1 |
| Feb | 16 | 3 |
| Mar | 22 | 8 |
| Apr | 29 | 14 |
| May | 35 | 19 |
| Jun | 39 | 23 |
| Jul | 41 | 26 |
| Aug | 39 | 24 |
| Sep | 35 | 18 |
| Oct | 28 | 12 |
| Nov | 21 | 6 |
| Dec | 16 | 2 |
How hot and cold Kandahār really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the hottest afternoons, once humidity is folded in, Kandahār feels like about 41°C (around July 8). About 157 days a year carry some heat stress, and 69 of them tip into dangerous heat (feels-like above 39°C), peaking in July.
On the coldest nights, wind chill pulls the feels-like down to about -2°C (around January 12), with roughly 53 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 0°C), worst in January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 13 | 16 | 22 | 29 | 35 | 39 | 41 | 39 | 35 | 28 | 21 | 16 |
| Air high (°C) | 13 | 16 | 22 | 29 | 35 | 39 | 41 | 39 | 35 | 28 | 21 | 16 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | -1 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 18 | 12 | 5 | 0 |
| Air low (°C) | 1 | 3 | 8 | 14 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 24 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 2 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | 13 | -1 | 1 |
| Feb | 16 | 16 | 1 | 3 |
| Mar | 22 | 22 | 7 | 8 |
| Apr | 29 | 29 | 14 | 14 |
| May | 35 | 35 | 19 | 19 |
| Jun | 39 | 39 | 23 | 23 |
| Jul | 41 | 41 | 26 | 26 |
| Aug | 39 | 39 | 24 | 24 |
| Sep | 35 | 35 | 18 | 18 |
| Oct | 28 | 28 | 12 | 12 |
| Nov | 21 | 21 | 5 | 6 |
| Dec | 16 | 16 | 0 | 2 |
Average hourly temperature in Kandahār
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on July afternoons, near 41°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 1°C.
Kandahār weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13° / 1° | 42 | 5.5 | 10.2 | 4.5 |
| Feb | 16° / 3° | 48 | 5.7 | 10.8 | 5.7 |
| Mar | 22° / 8° | 45 | 5.7 | 11.8 | 7.6 |
| Apr | 29° / 14° | 13 | 2.7 | 12.8 | 6.8 |
| May | 35° / 19° | 2 | 0.3 | 13.6 | 3.1 |
| Jun | 39° / 23° | 2 | 0.1 | 14 | 0.5 |
| Jul | 41° / 26° | 2 | 0.3 | 13.9 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 39° / 24° | 0 | 0.1 | 13.2 | 0.6 |
| Sep | 35° / 18° | 0 | 0 | 12.2 | 3.7 |
| Oct | 28° / 12° | 1 | 0.2 | 11.2 | 8.0 |
| Nov | 21° / 6° | 9 | 1.4 | 10.4 | 8.6 |
| Dec | 16° / 2° | 22 | 2.4 | 10 | 6.3 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Kandahār gets about 184 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is mostly dry, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 4.4 months, from around Dec 8 to Apr 21, peaking in January at about 21% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jun 1.
February is the wettest month by volume, with 48 mm over about 6 wet days; September is the driest, with 0 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 17 | 21 | 18 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 8 |
| Rain days | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 | 6 |
| Feb | 21 | 6 |
| Mar | 18 | 6 |
| Apr | 9 | 3 |
| May | 1 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 1 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 1 | 0 |
| Nov | 5 | 1 |
| Dec | 8 | 2 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Kandahār collects about 184 mm of rain across 24 wet days — roughly 15 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. February is the wettest month with 48 mm, while September is the driest at just 0 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 73% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 42 | 48 | 45 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 22 |
| Rain days | 6 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 6 |
| Feb | 48 | 6 |
| Mar | 45 | 6 |
| Apr | 13 | 3 |
| May | 2 | 0 |
| Jun | 2 | 0 |
| Jul | 2 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 1 | 0 |
| Nov | 9 | 1 |
| Dec | 22 | 2 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Kandahār, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around May 5 and lasts for 6.3 months, ending around November 13. The clearest month is September, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 99% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around November 14 and lasts for 5.7 months, ending around May 4. The cloudiest month is March, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 29% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 72 | 71 | 71 | 78 | 91 | 99 | 98 | 98 | 99 | 97 | 87 | 82 |
| Cloudier (%) | 28 | 29 | 29 | 22 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 18 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 72 | 28 |
| Feb | 71 | 29 |
| Mar | 71 | 29 |
| Apr | 78 | 22 |
| May | 91 | 9 |
| Jun | 99 | 1 |
| Jul | 98 | 2 |
| Aug | 98 | 2 |
| Sep | 99 | 1 |
| Oct | 97 | 3 |
| Nov | 87 | 13 |
| Dec | 82 | 18 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 17, brings about 14 h 06 min of light; the shortest, around December 16, only 9 h 54 min — a swing of roughly 4 h 12 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.2 | 10.8 | 11.8 | 12.8 | 13.6 | 14.0 | 13.9 | 13.2 | 12.2 | 11.2 | 10.4 | 10.0 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:12 | 6:56 | 6:24 | 5:44 | 5:15 | 5:06 | 5:17 | 5:36 | 5:56 | 6:16 | 6:42 | 7:05 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:21 | 5:47 | 6:10 | 6:31 | 6:52 | 7:09 | 7:09 | 6:46 | 6:07 | 5:29 | 5:03 | 5:02 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.2 | 7:12 | 5:21 |
| Feb | 10.8 | 6:56 | 5:47 |
| Mar | 11.8 | 6:24 | 6:10 |
| Apr | 12.8 | 5:44 | 6:31 |
| May | 13.6 | 5:15 | 6:52 |
| Jun | 14.0 | 5:06 | 7:09 |
| Jul | 13.9 | 5:17 | 7:09 |
| Aug | 13.2 | 5:36 | 6:46 |
| Sep | 12.2 | 5:56 | 6:07 |
| Oct | 11.2 | 6:16 | 5:29 |
| Nov | 10.4 | 6:42 | 5:03 |
| Dec | 10.0 | 7:05 | 5:02 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Kandahār averages about 24 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 17 and 30 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 6.1 months, from around May 10 to Nov 11. The sunniest month is September, with roughly 30 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is March, down near 17 sunny days — about 42% fewer than the September peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 19 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 26 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 24 | 23 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 19 | Bright |
| Feb | 16 | Bright |
| Mar | 18 | Bright |
| Apr | 20 | Bright |
| May | 26 | Brilliant |
| Jun | 29 | Brilliant |
| Jul | 30 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 30 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 30 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 29 | Brilliant |
| Nov | 24 | Brilliant |
| Dec | 23 | Bright |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Kandahār, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in August, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 1% of the time — humidity is not something you need to plan around here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 99 | 99 | 100 | 99 | 96 | 97 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 99 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 96 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Aug | 97 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Kandahār is typically calm, near 9 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 6.9 months, from around Feb 6 to Sep 3. The windiest month is May, averaging about 11 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Sep 4 to Feb 5, with November the calmest month at about 7 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 8 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | calm |
| Feb | 9 | calm |
| Mar | 9 | calm |
| Apr | 10 | calm |
| May | 11 | calm |
| Jun | 11 | calm |
| Jul | 10 | calm |
| Aug | 10 | calm |
| Sep | 8 | calm |
| Oct | 7 | calm |
| Nov | 7 | calm |
| Dec | 7 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Kandahār
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Kandahār sees seasonal dust haze (July–August), heaviest in July.
Best time to visit Kandahār
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Kandahār throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late November, Kandahār is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Kandahār for general outdoor tourist activities run from mid March to mid April and again from mid October to early December, with a peak score in the last week of October.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 4.6 | 5.7 | 7.6 | 6.7 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 3.7 | 7.9 | 8.5 | 6.3 |
| Rating | fair | good | ideal | good | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair | ideal | ideal | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.6 | fair |
| Feb | 5.7 | good |
| Mar | 7.6 | ideal |
| Apr | 6.7 | good |
| May | 3.1 | poor |
| Jun | 0.6 | poor |
| Jul | 0.0 | poor |
| Aug | 0.7 | poor |
| Sep | 3.7 | fair |
| Oct | 7.9 | ideal |
| Nov | 8.5 | ideal |
| Dec | 6.3 | good |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Kandahār for hot-weather activities run from early April to mid May and again from mid September to early November, with a peak score in the second week of October.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Kandahār, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around July (highs near 41°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 13°C), pack a warm layer.
In July, Kandahār sees daytime highs around 41°C and nights near 26°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
UV index (midday) in Kandahār by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kandahār peaks around June 19 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 4 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Level | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | Moderate |
| Feb | 6 | High |
| Mar | 7 | Very high |
| Apr | 8 | Very high |
| May | 9 | Very high |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 10 | Very high |
| Oct | 7 | Very high |
| Nov | 4 | Moderate |
| Dec | 3 | Moderate |
Average hourly UV index in Kandahār
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in June the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8.5 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 3 | 5 | 6.5 | 7 | 8 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 6 | 3.5 | 2.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3.5 | 5 | 6.5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | 0 |
| Feb | 5 | 0 |
| Mar | 6.5 | 3 |
| Apr | 7 | 3.5 |
| May | 8 | 5 |
| Jun | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 6 |
| Aug | 8 | 6 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 6 | 3 |
| Nov | 3.5 | 0 |
| Dec | 2.5 | 0 |
Air quality in Kandahār by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Kandahār is worst in July — around 34 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (November, 14 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 17 | 20 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 20 | 34 | 30 | 26 | 22 | 14 | 15 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 | Moderate |
| Feb | 20 | Moderate |
| Mar | 22 | Moderate |
| Apr | 25 | Moderate |
| May | 26 | Moderate |
| Jun | 20 | Moderate |
| Jul | 34 | Moderate |
| Aug | 30 | Moderate |
| Sep | 26 | Moderate |
| Oct | 22 | Moderate |
| Nov | 14 | Moderate |
| Dec | 15 | Moderate |
Growing season
Kandahār is mild enough that a frost-free day stays more likely than not even in midwinter. Nights are reliably above freezing from about February 25 to November 28 (277 days); outside that window a hard frost is an occasional risk.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 63 | 81 | 98 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 97 | 73 |
| Frost nights | 31 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 31 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 63 | 31 |
| Feb | 81 | 25 |
| Mar | 98 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 97 | 3 |
| Dec | 73 | 31 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Kandahār banks about 3,985 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 0 | 8 | 153 | 341 | 538 | 642 | 718 | 661 | 493 | 315 | 113 | 2 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 8 |
| Mar | 153 |
| Apr | 341 |
| May | 538 |
| Jun | 642 |
| Jul | 718 |
| Aug | 661 |
| Sep | 493 |
| Oct | 315 |
| Nov | 113 |
| Dec | 2 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Kandahār receives about 6.0 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.5 and 8.2 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.3 months, from around Mar 22 to Sep 29. The brightest month is June, averaging about 8.2 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 3.6 kWh/m² — roughly 56% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 3.6 | 4.5 | 5.8 | 7.1 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 6.5 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 3.5 |
| Level | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.6 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4.5 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.8 | Bright |
| Apr | 7.1 | Intense |
| May | 8.0 | Intense |
| Jun | 8.2 | Intense |
| Jul | 7.8 | Intense |
| Aug | 7.4 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.5 | Intense |
| Oct | 5.4 | Bright |
| Nov | 4.2 | Bright |
| Dec | 3.5 | Moderate |
Where is Kandahār?
Kandahār sits at 31.6°N, 65.7°E, 1,007 m above sea level, in Afghanistan. The nearest listed city is Gereshk, 110 km away.
Topography around Kandahār
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Kandahār.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Kandahār has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 56 m around an average of 1,010 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 809 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,877 m.
The land around Kandahār is covered by artificial surfaces (60%) and bare terrain (23%) within 3 km, bare terrain (46%) and cropland (44%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (89%) within 80 km.
Afghanistan travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 4
- Do Not Travel
- Power plugs
- Type C / F
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 17% of US
- price level, 2024
- GDP per capita
- $417
- 2024
- Happiness
- 1.4 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 31%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 4
- per 100k, 2021
- Road deaths
- 15.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Low
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 446
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Kandahār (31.6133°, 65.7101°, elevation 1,007 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).