Sulaymaniyah weather in October

In October, Sulaymaniyah sees average daytime highs of 27°C and overnight lows near 12°C, with 38 mm of rain across 3.8 wet days and about 11.1 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 23°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 69% of the time in October, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Sulaymaniyah's 5th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sulaymaniyah's year-round climate.

Daytime high
27°
6th warmest
Overnight low
12°
7th coldest
Rainfall
38 mm
3.8 wet days
Daylight
11 h 06 min
6:11 AM – 5:16 PM
Cloud cover
28%
5th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.53 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.5
out of 10

Sulaymaniyah is city in Iraq.

Founded
1784

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 30°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.

A typical October day in Sulaymaniyah reaches about 27°C in the afternoon and slips back to 12°C overnight — a 15°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 23°C and 31°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 7°C cooler than September and about 9°C warmer than November.

10°20°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
13114
23114
33014
43014
53014
63014
73014
82913
92913
102913
112913
122813
132813
142813
152812
162712
172712
182712
192612
202611
212611
222511
232511
242511
252411
262410
272310
282310
292310
302210
31229

How October really feels in Sulaymaniyah

Once humidity and wind are folded in, October averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

October sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Sulaymaniyah weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 6th-warmest and 7th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -0°13112.249.91.9
Feb11° / 13212.12.910.72.7
Mar16° / 12111.70.911.74.8
Apr21° / 8810.20.112.96.6
May28° / 13°305.3013.87.1
Jun34° / 18°10.3014.43.8
Jul39° / 22°00014.21.0
Aug39° / 21°00013.30.9
Sep34° / 17°10.3012.24.1
Oct27° / 12°383.8011.17.5
Nov18° / 837.80.210.16.1
Dec12° / 10910.11.39.63.2

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 69% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 18%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
1955
2955
3937
4937
5919
6919
78911
88911
98713
108713
118515
128515
138317
148317
158119
168119
177921
187921
197921
207822
217723
227723
237624
247624
257525
267426
277426
287228
297228
307228
317030

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Sulaymaniyah gets around 38 mm of rain over 3.8 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 12% and peaks near 26% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
13
23
33
44
54
64
75
85
96
106
117
128
138
149
1510
1611
1712
1813
1913
2014
2116
2217
2318
2419
2520
2621
2722
2823
2924
3025
3126

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the dry band about 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
11000
21000
31000
41000
51000
61000
71000
81000
91000
101000
111000
121000
131000
141000
151000
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
21991
22991
23991
24991
25991
26991
27991
28991
29991
30991
31991

Wind in October

Winds average 6 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
17calm
27calm
37calm
47calm
57calm
67calm
77calm
87calm
97calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
316calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 36 min at the start of October to 10 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 5:58 AM to 6:25 AM, and sunset from 5:37 PM to 4:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.65:585:37
211.65:595:35
311.66:005:34
411.56:005:32
511.56:015:31
611.56:025:29
711.46:035:28
811.46:045:27
911.36:055:25
1011.36:055:24
1111.36:065:22
1211.26:075:21
1311.26:085:20
1411.26:095:18
1511.16:105:17
1611.16:115:16
1711.06:125:15
1811.06:135:13
1911.06:145:12
2010.96:145:11
2110.96:155:10
2210.96:165:08
2310.86:175:07
2410.86:185:06
2510.86:195:05
2610.76:205:04
2710.76:215:03
2810.76:225:02
2910.66:235:01
3010.66:245:00
3110.66:254:59

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 4.53 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.44 kWh/m² to a high of 7.98 kWh/m² in June across the year — October's 4.53 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.1Bright
75.1Bright
85.0Bright
94.9Bright
104.9Bright
114.8Bright
124.8Bright
134.7Bright
144.7Bright
154.6Bright
164.5Bright
174.5Bright
184.4Bright
194.4Bright
204.3Bright
214.2Bright
224.2Bright
234.1Bright
244.1Bright
254.0Bright
263.9Moderate
273.9Moderate
283.8Moderate
293.8Moderate
303.7Moderate
313.7Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Sulaymaniyah

In seasonPeak

None of Sulaymaniyah's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Sulaymaniyah's rainy season runs November–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Sulaymaniyah sees seasonal dust haze (May), heaviest in May.

Rainy season
Dust
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Sulaymaniyah?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

7.5
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
7.7
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

October is one of the better times to visit Sulaymaniyah for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Sulaymaniyah in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Sulaymaniyah sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 12°C. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 4 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Sulaymaniyah in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 5 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sulaymaniyah peaks around June 18 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 12 at about 2 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateVery highVery highModerateJun 18UV 10Jan 12UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May9Very high
Jun11Extreme
Jul10Very high
Aug10Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Sulaymaniyah in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Sulaymaniyah is worst in May — around 41 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateMay 1141 µg/m³Dec 1229 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan30Moderate
Feb33Moderate
Mar41Poor
Apr41Poor
May41Poor
Jun37Poor
Jul35Moderate
Aug34Moderate
Sep33Moderate
Oct33Moderate
Nov29Moderate
Dec29Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sulaymaniyah?

Sulaymaniyah sits at 35.6°N, 45.4°E, 847 m above sea level, in Iraq. The nearest listed city is Baynjiwayn, 47 km away.

ShūrashJamjamālBānehSardashtHalabjaMarīvānQeładizê

Topography around Sulaymaniyah

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Sulaymaniyah.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sulaymaniyah has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 257 m around an average of 862 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,093 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,652 m.

The land around Sulaymaniyah is covered by artificial surfaces (84%) within 3 km, grassland (57%) and cropland (23%) within 16 km, and grassland (73%) within 80 km.

3 km
257 m
16 km
1,093 m
80 km
2,652 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Baynjiwayn 47 km · Shūrash 54 km · Jamjamāl 54 km · Bāneh 63 km · Sardasht 66 km · Halabja 66 km · Marīvān 68 km · Qeładizê 74 km

Iraq travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / D / G
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 38% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,410
2025
Happiness
5.2 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
60%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
9.5
per 100k, 2013
Road deaths
27.3
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 406
Religion
Christian 1%

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 Sulaymaniyah (35.565°, 45.4329°, elevation 847 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).