Kota Bharu in Spring
In spring (March, April and May), Kota Bharu sees average daytime highs around 32°C and overnight lows near 25°C, with 409 mm of rain over about 60 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the driest season of the year.
Over the season highs climb from about 30°C in early March to 32°C by late May. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time across spring, and the air most often feels miserable.
Spring is Kota Bharu's 2nd-best season to visit on our travel score. Kota Bharu has little temperature swing across the year, so its calendar seasons blur — the season framing matters less here than for a place with four distinct seasons. For the whole year in context, see Kota Bharu's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 32°C
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 25°C
- Rainfall
- 409 mm
- 60 wet days
- Avg wind
- 6 km/h
- Travel score
- 3.0
- 2nd-best season
- Months
- Mar · Apr · May
Temperature in Kota Bharu in Spring
Over the season highs climb from about 30°C in early March to 32°C by late May.
A typical spring day in Kota Bharu reaches about 32°C and drops to 25°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is May, the coolest March.
How spring really feels in Kota Bharu
Once humidity and wind are folded in, spring brings about 92 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in spring is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Kota Bharu weather by month
How the three spring months (March, April and May) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29° / 23° | 174 | 20.2 | 11.7 | 4.1 |
| Feb | 30° / 23° | 81 | 13.3 | 11.8 | 4.5 |
| Mar | 31° / 24° | 114 | 15.7 | 12 | 3.8 |
| Apr | 32° / 25° | 118 | 18.6 | 12.1 | 2.9 |
| May | 33° / 25° | 178 | 26 | 12.3 | 2.3 |
| Jun | 32° / 25° | 183 | 25 | 12.3 | 2.4 |
| Jul | 32° / 25° | 185 | 25.3 | 12.3 | 2.5 |
| Aug | 32° / 25° | 213 | 26 | 12.2 | 2.4 |
| Sep | 32° / 25° | 244 | 27.6 | 12 | 2.3 |
| Oct | 31° / 25° | 310 | 29.1 | 11.9 | 2.4 |
| Nov | 30° / 24° | 384 | 28 | 11.7 | 2.8 |
| Dec | 29° / 24° | 412 | 26 | 11.7 | 3.4 |
Cloud cover in Spring
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 14% of the time across spring.
Chance of precipitation in Spring
Kota Bharu gets around 409 mm of rain over 60 wet days across spring. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Spring
Most of spring feels miserable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Spring
Winds average 6 km/h across spring.
Sunrise & sunset in Spring
Daylight runs from about 11 h 54 min in early March to 12 h 18 min by late May. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Spring
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across spring, about 6.1 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Kota Bharu
In spring, Kota Bharu overlaps its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Kota Bharu sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.
Kota Bharu's rainy season runs August–December, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is spring a good time to visit Kota Bharu?
Our two travel scores rate spring for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
spring is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kota Bharu.
What to pack for Kota Bharu in Spring
From spring's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In spring, Kota Bharu sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 25°C. Pack light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 60 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Kota Bharu in Spring
The nearest coast averages about 30°C across spring — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 15 km away) is warmest in May at about 30°C and coldest in January near 28°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) | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | Warm |
| Feb | 28 | Warm |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 30 | Tropical |
| May | 30 | Tropical |
| Jun | 30 | Tropical |
| Jul | 30 | Tropical |
| Aug | 30 | Tropical |
| Sep | 30 | Tropical |
| Oct | 29 | Tropical |
| Nov | 29 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Tropical |
UV index in Kota Bharu in Spring
Clear-sky midday UV across spring averages around 13 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kota Bharu peaks around February 21 at about 14 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near November 22 at about 11 (extreme).
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) | 12 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | Extreme |
| Feb | 14 | Extreme |
| Mar | 14 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 13 | Extreme |
| Sep | 14 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 11 | Extreme |
Air quality in Kota Bharu in Spring
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where spring falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Kota Bharu is worst in October — around 31 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 24 | 23 | 25 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 30 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 26 | 24 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 24 | Moderate |
| Feb | 23 | Moderate |
| Mar | 25 | Moderate |
| Apr | 28 | Moderate |
| May | 28 | Moderate |
| Jun | 28 | Moderate |
| Jul | 30 | Moderate |
| Aug | 28 | Moderate |
| Sep | 30 | Moderate |
| Oct | 31 | Moderate |
| Nov | 26 | Moderate |
| Dec | 24 | Moderate |
Where is Kota Bharu?
Kota Bharu sits at 6.1°N, 102.2°E, 10 m above sea level, in Malaysia. The nearest listed city is Wakaf Baharu, 5.0 km away.
Topography around Kota Bharu
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Kota Bharu.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Kota Bharu has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 24 m around an average of 8 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 110 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,340 m.
The land around Kota Bharu is covered by artificial surfaces (57%) and trees (28%) within 3 km, trees (38%) and water (23%) within 16 km, and trees (56%) and water (37%) within 80 km.
Malaysia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type C / G / M
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 32% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $13,125
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.0 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 95%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 0.7
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 22.5
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- High
- EF EPI 581
- 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 Kota Bharu (6.1236°, 102.2433°, elevation 10 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.