Climate and average weather in Balbala
In Balbala, the summers are humid, sweltering, dry, and mostly clear and the winters are warm and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Balbala typically varies from 21°C to 38°C, and is rarely below 20°C or above 40°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 Balbala for warm-weather activities are from early January to late March and early November to late December.
- Hottest
- Jul
- 38°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 21°
- Wettest
- Apr
- 35 mm
- Driest
- Jun
- 1 mm
- Rain / yr
- 231 mm
- 55 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.3–12.7 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 56 m
- 11.6°N
- Clearest
- Sep
- 23% cloud
Balbala is place in Djibouti Region, Djibouti.
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Balbala 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 early January to late March.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Balbala, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 3.7 months, from May 29 to September 18, with daily high temperatures above 35°C. The hottest month of the year in Balbala is July, with an average high of 38°C and low of 30°C.
The cool season lasts 4.0 months, from November 14 to March 16, with daily high temperatures below 29°C. The coldest month of the year in Balbala is January, with an average low of 21°C and high of 26°C.
Days typically run about 6°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 38 | 37 | 35 | 31 | 29 | 27 |
| Avg low (°C) | 21 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 25 | 23 | 22 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 21 |
| Feb | 27 | 22 |
| Mar | 29 | 23 |
| Apr | 30 | 25 |
| May | 34 | 27 |
| Jun | 37 | 30 |
| Jul | 38 | 30 |
| Aug | 37 | 30 |
| Sep | 35 | 29 |
| Oct | 31 | 25 |
| Nov | 29 | 23 |
| Dec | 27 | 22 |
How hot and cold Balbala 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, Balbala feels like about 42°C (around September 13). About 218 days a year carry some heat stress, and 142 of them tip into dangerous heat (feels-like above 39°C), peaking in September.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 26 | 28 | 31 | 35 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 35 | 30 | 27 |
| Air high (°C) | 26 | 27 | 29 | 30 | 34 | 37 | 38 | 37 | 35 | 31 | 29 | 27 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 21 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 25 | 23 | 22 |
| Air low (°C) | 21 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 25 | 23 | 22 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 26 | 21 | 21 |
| Feb | 28 | 27 | 22 | 22 |
| Mar | 31 | 29 | 23 | 23 |
| Apr | 35 | 30 | 25 | 25 |
| May | 40 | 34 | 27 | 27 |
| Jun | 41 | 37 | 30 | 30 |
| Jul | 41 | 38 | 30 | 30 |
| Aug | 41 | 37 | 30 | 30 |
| Sep | 41 | 35 | 29 | 29 |
| Oct | 35 | 31 | 25 | 25 |
| Nov | 30 | 29 | 23 | 23 |
| Dec | 27 | 27 | 22 | 22 |
Average hourly temperature in Balbala
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 38°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 21°C.
Balbala 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 | 26° / 21° | 30 | 8.3 | 11.4 | 7.1 |
| Feb | 27° / 22° | 20 | 4.9 | 11.6 | 7.4 |
| Mar | 29° / 23° | 25 | 6.6 | 11.9 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 30° / 25° | 35 | 6.7 | 12.2 | 5.4 |
| May | 34° / 27° | 15 | 3.3 | 12.5 | 3.9 |
| Jun | 37° / 30° | 1 | 0.2 | 12.7 | 1.7 |
| Jul | 38° / 30° | 6 | 1.5 | 12.6 | 1.3 |
| Aug | 37° / 30° | 14 | 3.2 | 12.4 | 1.8 |
| Sep | 35° / 29° | 9 | 2 | 12.1 | 2.9 |
| Oct | 31° / 25° | 22 | 6.1 | 11.7 | 5.1 |
| Nov | 29° / 23° | 30 | 6.8 | 11.5 | 6.7 |
| Dec | 27° / 22° | 24 | 5.8 | 11.3 | 7.6 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Balbala gets about 231 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 7.1 months, from around Oct 5 to May 7, peaking in January at about 28% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jun 20.
April is the wettest month by volume, with 35 mm over about 7 wet days; June is the driest, with 1 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 26 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 11 | 1 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 18 | 23 | 19 |
| Rain days | 8 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26 | 8 |
| Feb | 19 | 5 |
| Mar | 21 | 7 |
| Apr | 22 | 7 |
| May | 11 | 3 |
| Jun | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 5 | 2 |
| Aug | 10 | 3 |
| Sep | 8 | 2 |
| Oct | 18 | 6 |
| Nov | 23 | 7 |
| Dec | 19 | 6 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Balbala collects about 231 mm of rain across 55 wet days — roughly 19 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. April is the wettest month with 35 mm, while June is the driest at just 1 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 41% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 30 | 20 | 25 | 35 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 14 | 9 | 22 | 30 | 24 |
| Rain days | 8 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 | 8 |
| Feb | 20 | 5 |
| Mar | 25 | 7 |
| Apr | 35 | 7 |
| May | 15 | 3 |
| Jun | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 6 | 2 |
| Aug | 14 | 3 |
| Sep | 9 | 2 |
| Oct | 22 | 6 |
| Nov | 30 | 7 |
| Dec | 24 | 6 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Balbala, 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 June 22 and lasts for 6.2 months, ending around December 27. The clearest month is September, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 90% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around December 28 and lasts for 4.4 months, ending around May 10. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 36% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 64 | 65 | 67 | 72 | 79 | 78 | 80 | 89 | 90 | 86 | 85 | 81 |
| Cloudier (%) | 36 | 35 | 33 | 28 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 11 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 19 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64 | 36 |
| Feb | 65 | 35 |
| Mar | 67 | 33 |
| Apr | 72 | 28 |
| May | 79 | 21 |
| Jun | 78 | 22 |
| Jul | 80 | 20 |
| Aug | 89 | 11 |
| Sep | 90 | 10 |
| Oct | 86 | 14 |
| Nov | 85 | 15 |
| Dec | 81 | 19 |
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 7, brings about 12 h 42 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 11 h 18 min — a swing of roughly 1 h 24 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.9 | 12.2 | 12.5 | 12.7 | 12.6 | 12.4 | 12.1 | 11.7 | 11.5 | 11.3 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:35 | 6:34 | 6:20 | 6:00 | 5:48 | 5:48 | 5:55 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:00 | 6:09 | 6:24 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:59 | 6:11 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:20 | 6:28 | 6:32 | 6:23 | 6:04 | 5:45 | 5:37 | 5:44 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.4 | 6:35 | 5:59 |
| Feb | 11.6 | 6:34 | 6:11 |
| Mar | 11.9 | 6:20 | 6:15 |
| Apr | 12.2 | 6:00 | 6:15 |
| May | 12.5 | 5:48 | 6:20 |
| Jun | 12.7 | 5:48 | 6:28 |
| Jul | 12.6 | 5:55 | 6:32 |
| Aug | 12.4 | 6:00 | 6:23 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 6:00 | 6:04 |
| Oct | 11.7 | 6:00 | 5:45 |
| Nov | 11.5 | 6:09 | 5:37 |
| Dec | 11.3 | 6:24 | 5:44 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Balbala averages about 19 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 11 and 26 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.3 months, from around Jun 21 to Nov 29. The sunniest month is August, with roughly 24 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is January, down near 12 sunny days — about 49% fewer than the August peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 12 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 20 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 21 | 18 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | Mixed |
| Feb | 12 | Mixed |
| Mar | 14 | Mixed |
| Apr | 15 | Bright |
| May | 20 | Bright |
| Jun | 19 | Bright |
| Jul | 21 | Bright |
| Aug | 24 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 24 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 23 | Bright |
| Nov | 21 | Bright |
| Dec | 18 | 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.
Balbala is humid all year round — on a typical day the air feels at least humid, and there is no real dry season to wait for.
The stickiest month is April, when it feels muggy, oppressive or miserable about 97% of the time. Even in January, the mildest month, the air is dry or comfortable only 5% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Comfortable (%) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Humid (%) | 33 | 25 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 12 | 27 |
| Muggy (%) | 54 | 57 | 40 | 13 | 11 | 42 | 70 | 62 | 20 | 23 | 51 | 55 |
| Oppressive (%) | 8 | 14 | 48 | 60 | 38 | 27 | 11 | 33 | 54 | 56 | 35 | 14 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 47 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 4 | 33 | 54 | 8 | 0 |
| Feb | 0 | 3 | 25 | 57 | 14 | 0 |
| Mar | 1 | 3 | 7 | 40 | 48 | 1 |
| Apr | 0 | 1 | 3 | 13 | 60 | 24 |
| May | 0 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 38 | 47 |
| Jun | 1 | 3 | 17 | 42 | 27 | 11 |
| Jul | 0 | 1 | 18 | 70 | 11 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 | 3 | 62 | 33 | 2 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 | 1 | 20 | 54 | 24 |
| Oct | 0 | 1 | 7 | 23 | 56 | 13 |
| Nov | 0 | 2 | 12 | 51 | 35 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 4 | 27 | 55 | 14 | 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 Balbala is typically light breeze, near 12 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 2.3 months, from around Jun 24 to Aug 31. The windiest month is July, averaging about 15 km/h (light breeze).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Sep 1 to Dec 16, with September the calmest month at about 10 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
| Feels | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | calm | calm | calm | light breeze | light breeze | calm | calm | calm | light breeze |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 13 | light breeze |
| Feb | 13 | light breeze |
| Mar | 13 | light breeze |
| Apr | 12 | calm |
| May | 10 | calm |
| Jun | 11 | calm |
| Jul | 15 | light breeze |
| Aug | 14 | light breeze |
| Sep | 10 | calm |
| Oct | 11 | calm |
| Nov | 12 | calm |
| Dec | 12 | light breeze |
Hazard calendar for Balbala
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Balbala sees seasonal dust haze (June–September), heaviest in July.
Best time to visit Balbala
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Balbala throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid March, Balbala 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 time of year to visit Balbala for general outdoor tourist activities is from early November to late March, with a peak score in the third week of December.
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) | 7.1 | 7.3 | 6.5 | 5.4 | 3.9 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 5.1 | 6.7 | 7.6 |
| Rating | good | good | good | fair | fair | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair | good | ideal |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7.1 | good |
| Feb | 7.3 | good |
| Mar | 6.5 | good |
| Apr | 5.4 | fair |
| May | 3.9 | fair |
| Jun | 1.8 | poor |
| Jul | 1.3 | poor |
| Aug | 1.8 | poor |
| Sep | 2.9 | poor |
| Oct | 5.1 | fair |
| Nov | 6.7 | good |
| Dec | 7.6 | ideal |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Balbala for hot-weather activities is from mid September to late May, with a peak score in the first week of November.
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 Balbala, 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 38°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 26°C), pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection.
In July, Balbala sees daytime highs around 38°C and nights near 30°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection.
Sea temperature near Balbala
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea offshore is warmest in June at about 31°C and coldest in February near 26°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 27 | 26 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 29 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 27 | Warm |
| Feb | 26 | Warm |
| Mar | 27 | Warm |
| Apr | 29 | Tropical |
| May | 31 | Tropical |
| Jun | 31 | Tropical |
| Jul | 30 | Tropical |
| Aug | 30 | Tropical |
| Sep | 31 | Tropical |
| Oct | 31 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Warm |
UV index (midday) in Balbala 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 Balbala peaks around March 23 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 11 at about 8 (very high).
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) | 10 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | Extreme |
| Feb | 12 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Extreme |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Extreme |
| Nov | 8 | Very high |
| Dec | 8 | Very high |
Average hourly UV index in Balbala
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 March the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 8 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6 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) | 7 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5.5 | 5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 5 |
| Feb | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Mar | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 8 | 6 |
| May | 8 | 6 |
| Jun | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Jul | 7.5 | 5 |
| Aug | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Oct | 7 | 5 |
| Nov | 6.5 | 4 |
| Dec | 6.5 | 4 |
Air quality in Balbala 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 Balbala is worst in July — around 42 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.1× the cleanest month (November, 20 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) | 25 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 25 | 36 | 42 | 37 | 29 | 21 | 20 | 21 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | Moderate |
| Feb | 26 | Moderate |
| Mar | 26 | Moderate |
| Apr | 22 | Moderate |
| May | 25 | Moderate |
| Jun | 36 | Poor |
| Jul | 42 | Poor |
| Aug | 37 | Poor |
| Sep | 29 | Moderate |
| Oct | 21 | Moderate |
| Nov | 20 | Moderate |
| Dec | 21 | Moderate |
Growing season
Balbala is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
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. Balbala banks about 6,814 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) | 426 | 401 | 491 | 531 | 634 | 707 | 748 | 726 | 663 | 570 | 474 | 443 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 426 |
| Feb | 401 |
| Mar | 491 |
| Apr | 531 |
| May | 634 |
| Jun | 707 |
| Jul | 748 |
| Aug | 726 |
| Sep | 663 |
| Oct | 570 |
| Nov | 474 |
| Dec | 443 |
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.
Balbala receives about 5.8 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.8 and 6.6 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 3.3 months, from around Mar 2 to Jun 8. The brightest month is May, averaging about 6.4 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is January, down near 4.9 kWh/m² — roughly 24% less than the May peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.8 | 5.5 | 6.1 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 6.2 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.8 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.5 | Bright |
| Mar | 6.1 | Intense |
| Apr | 6.5 | Intense |
| May | 6.5 | Intense |
| Jun | 5.7 | Bright |
| Jul | 5.8 | Bright |
| Aug | 6.2 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.2 | Intense |
| Oct | 6.1 | Intense |
| Nov | 5.5 | Bright |
| Dec | 5.0 | Bright |
Where is Balbala?
Balbala sits at 11.6°N, 43.1°E, 56 m above sea level, in Djibouti. The nearest listed city is Djibouti, 5.0 km away.
Topography around Balbala
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Balbala.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Balbala has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 123 m around an average of 38 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 355 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,924 m.
The land around Balbala is covered by bare terrain (54%) and artificial surfaces (34%) within 3 km, bare terrain (47%) and water (46%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (61%) and water (32%) within 80 km.
Djibouti travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type C / E
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 46% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $3,906
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.4 / 10
- World Happiness, 2014
- Road deaths
- 23.5
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- 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 Balbala (11.5619°, 43.1067°, elevation 56 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. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).