Climate and average weather in Port Harcourt
In Port Harcourt, the weather is oppressive, hot, wet, and partly cloudy and remarkably steady, with daytime highs holding near hot levels all year. The wettest stretch peaks around June.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Port Harcourt typically varies from 23°C to 32°C, and is rarely below 21°C or above 34°C. February is the hottest month of the year, while August is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Port Harcourt for warm-weather activities are from early January to late January and mid July to late August.
- Hottest
- Feb
- 32°
- Coldest
- Aug
- 23°
- Wettest
- Jun
- 341 mm
- Driest
- Jan
- 49 mm
- Rain / yr
- 2616 mm
- 305 wet days
- Daylight
- 11.7–12.3 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 16 m
- 4.8°N
- Clearest
- Dec
- 57% cloud
Port Harcourt is capital of Rivers State, Nigeria.
- Density
- 5,889/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1912
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Port Harcourt 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 July to late August.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Port Harcourt, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
Temperatures in Port Harcourt stay fairly even through the year, without a distinct hot or cool season. The warmest month is February, with an average high of 32°C and low of 24°C; the coolest is August, with an average low of 23°C and high of 28°C.
Days typically run about 6°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 8°C) in January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Avg low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32 | 24 |
| Feb | 32 | 24 |
| Mar | 31 | 25 |
| Apr | 31 | 25 |
| May | 30 | 24 |
| Jun | 29 | 24 |
| Jul | 28 | 23 |
| Aug | 28 | 23 |
| Sep | 28 | 23 |
| Oct | 29 | 23 |
| Nov | 30 | 24 |
| Dec | 31 | 24 |
How hot and cold Port Harcourt 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, Port Harcourt feels like about 40°C (around February 26). About 271 days a year carry some heat stress, and 34 of them tip into dangerous heat (feels-like above 39°C), peaking in February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 37 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 37 | 33 | 31 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 36 | 37 |
| Air high (°C) | 32 | 32 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
| Air low (°C) | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 32 | 24 | 24 |
| Feb | 39 | 32 | 24 | 24 |
| Mar | 39 | 31 | 25 | 25 |
| Apr | 39 | 31 | 25 | 25 |
| May | 37 | 30 | 24 | 24 |
| Jun | 33 | 29 | 24 | 24 |
| Jul | 31 | 28 | 23 | 23 |
| Aug | 31 | 28 | 23 | 23 |
| Sep | 32 | 28 | 23 | 23 |
| Oct | 33 | 29 | 23 | 23 |
| Nov | 36 | 30 | 24 | 24 |
| Dec | 37 | 31 | 24 | 24 |
Average hourly temperature in Port Harcourt
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 February afternoons, near 32°C, and coldest before dawn in August, near 23°C.
Port Harcourt 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 | 32° / 24° | 49 | 13.2 | 11.8 | 3.7 |
| Feb | 32° / 24° | 79 | 17.9 | 11.8 | 3.0 |
| Mar | 31° / 25° | 177 | 27.2 | 12 | 2.5 |
| Apr | 31° / 25° | 231 | 27.6 | 12.1 | 2.5 |
| May | 30° / 24° | 281 | 29.5 | 12.2 | 2.6 |
| Jun | 29° / 24° | 341 | 29.1 | 12.3 | 2.9 |
| Jul | 28° / 23° | 324 | 29.1 | 12.2 | 3.3 |
| Aug | 28° / 23° | 265 | 28.5 | 12.2 | 3.5 |
| Sep | 28° / 23° | 324 | 29.7 | 12 | 2.9 |
| Oct | 29° / 23° | 315 | 30.8 | 11.9 | 2.7 |
| Nov | 30° / 24° | 177 | 26.6 | 11.8 | 2.9 |
| Dec | 31° / 24° | 54 | 15.5 | 11.7 | 3.9 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Port Harcourt gets about 2616 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 8.5 months, from around Mar 8 to Nov 21, peaking in September at about 100% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jan 2.
June is the wettest month by volume, with 341 mm over about 29 wet days; January is the driest, with 49 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 43 | 65 | 87 | 92 | 95 | 97 | 94 | 92 | 99 | 99 | 88 | 50 |
| Rain days | 13 | 18 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 16 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43 | 13 |
| Feb | 65 | 18 |
| Mar | 87 | 27 |
| Apr | 92 | 28 |
| May | 95 | 30 |
| Jun | 97 | 29 |
| Jul | 94 | 29 |
| Aug | 92 | 29 |
| Sep | 99 | 30 |
| Oct | 99 | 31 |
| Nov | 88 | 27 |
| Dec | 50 | 16 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Port Harcourt collects about 2616 mm of rain across 305 wet days — roughly 218 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. June is the wettest month with 341 mm, while January is the driest at just 49 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 38% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 49 | 79 | 177 | 231 | 281 | 341 | 324 | 265 | 324 | 315 | 177 | 54 |
| Rain days | 13 | 18 | 27 | 28 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 27 | 16 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 13 |
| Feb | 79 | 18 |
| Mar | 177 | 27 |
| Apr | 231 | 28 |
| May | 281 | 30 |
| Jun | 341 | 29 |
| Jul | 324 | 29 |
| Aug | 265 | 29 |
| Sep | 324 | 30 |
| Oct | 315 | 31 |
| Nov | 177 | 27 |
| Dec | 54 | 16 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Port Harcourt, 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 November 13 and lasts for 3.9 months, ending around March 10. The clearest month is December, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 54% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around March 11 and lasts for 8.1 months, ending around November 12. The cloudiest month is September, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 99% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 45 | 33 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 54 |
| Cloudier (%) | 55 | 67 | 86 | 91 | 93 | 97 | 98 | 97 | 99 | 96 | 80 | 46 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | 55 |
| Feb | 33 | 67 |
| Mar | 14 | 86 |
| Apr | 9 | 91 |
| May | 7 | 93 |
| Jun | 3 | 97 |
| Jul | 2 | 98 |
| Aug | 3 | 97 |
| Sep | 1 | 99 |
| Oct | 4 | 96 |
| Nov | 20 | 80 |
| Dec | 54 | 46 |
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. Close to the equator, Port Harcourt barely changes through the year: days stay near 12 h 18 min of light in every season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 11.8 | 11.8 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.2 | 12.3 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.0 | 11.9 | 11.8 | 11.7 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:49 | 6:51 | 6:43 | 6:29 | 6:22 | 6:24 | 6:30 | 6:31 | 6:25 | 6:20 | 6:24 | 6:36 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:34 | 6:42 | 6:41 | 6:35 | 6:35 | 6:40 | 6:45 | 6:41 | 6:27 | 6:14 | 6:11 | 6:20 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11.8 | 6:49 | 6:34 |
| Feb | 11.8 | 6:51 | 6:42 |
| Mar | 12.0 | 6:43 | 6:41 |
| Apr | 12.1 | 6:29 | 6:35 |
| May | 12.2 | 6:22 | 6:35 |
| Jun | 12.3 | 6:24 | 6:40 |
| Jul | 12.2 | 6:30 | 6:45 |
| Aug | 12.2 | 6:31 | 6:41 |
| Sep | 12.0 | 6:25 | 6:27 |
| Oct | 11.9 | 6:20 | 6:14 |
| Nov | 11.8 | 6:24 | 6:11 |
| Dec | 11.7 | 6:36 | 6:20 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Port Harcourt averages about 2 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 0 and 11 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 3.3 months, from around Nov 22 to Mar 2. The sunniest month is December, with roughly 9 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is June, down near 0 sunny days — about 100% fewer than the December peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 8 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| Sky | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Gloomy |
| Feb | 4 | Gloomy |
| Mar | 1 | Gloomy |
| Apr | 0 | Gloomy |
| May | 0 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 0 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 0 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 0 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 0 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 0 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 2 | Gloomy |
| Dec | 9 | Mixed |
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.
Port Harcourt 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 February, when it feels muggy, oppressive or miserable about 99% of the time. Even in January, the mildest month, the air is dry or comfortable only 3% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comfortable (%) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Muggy (%) | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Oppressive (%) | 53 | 32 | 10 | 6 | 15 | 63 | 94 | 99 | 92 | 66 | 41 | 50 |
| Miserable (%) | 34 | 65 | 89 | 94 | 85 | 37 | 5 | 1 | 8 | 34 | 59 | 45 |
| Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | 3 | 7 | 53 | 34 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 65 |
| Mar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 89 |
| Apr | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 94 |
| May | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 85 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 | 0 | 63 | 37 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 | 1 | 94 | 5 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99 | 1 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 | 0 | 92 | 8 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 | 0 | 66 | 34 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 59 |
| Dec | 0 | 1 | 3 | 50 | 45 |
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.
Wind in Port Harcourt is steady company: average speeds sit near 7 km/h — calm — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | calm |
| Feb | 7 | calm |
| Mar | 7 | calm |
| Apr | 7 | calm |
| May | 6 | calm |
| Jun | 6 | calm |
| Jul | 7 | calm |
| Aug | 8 | calm |
| Sep | 7 | calm |
| Oct | 6 | calm |
| Nov | 6 | calm |
| Dec | 6 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Port Harcourt
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Port Harcourt sees seasonal dust haze (January–April), heaviest in February.
Best time to visit Port Harcourt
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Port Harcourt throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid August, Port Harcourt 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 Port Harcourt for general outdoor tourist activities run from mid July to late August and again from early December to late January, with a peak score in the last 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) | 3.7 | 3.0 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3.9 |
| Rating | fair | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.7 | fair |
| Feb | 3.0 | poor |
| Mar | 2.5 | poor |
| Apr | 2.5 | poor |
| May | 2.6 | poor |
| Jun | 2.9 | poor |
| Jul | 3.3 | poor |
| Aug | 3.5 | poor |
| Sep | 2.9 | poor |
| Oct | 2.7 | poor |
| Nov | 2.9 | poor |
| Dec | 3.9 | fair |
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 Port Harcourt for hot-weather activities is from early December to early February, with a peak score in the last week of December.
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 Port Harcourt, 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.
Port Harcourt packs about the same all year — highs hold near 32°C. Across the year the things worth having are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection.
In February, Port Harcourt sees daytime highs around 32°C and nights near 24°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 18 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Port Harcourt
Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 46 km away) is warmest in March at about 29°C and coldest in August 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) | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 |
| Comfort | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Tropical | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Tropical | Tropical |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 28 | Tropical |
| Feb | 29 | Tropical |
| Mar | 29 | Tropical |
| Apr | 29 | Tropical |
| May | 29 | Tropical |
| Jun | 28 | Warm |
| Jul | 27 | Warm |
| Aug | 26 | Warm |
| Sep | 27 | Warm |
| Oct | 27 | Warm |
| Nov | 28 | Tropical |
| Dec | 28 | Tropical |
UV index (midday) in Port Harcourt 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 Port Harcourt peaks around April 9 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 1 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) | 8 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
| Level | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Very high |
| Feb | 10 | Extreme |
| Mar | 13 | Extreme |
| Apr | 13 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Extreme |
| Jul | 10 | Extreme |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 12 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 10 | Very high |
| Dec | 8 | Very high |
Average hourly UV index in Port Harcourt
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 April 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 | 8 | 8 | 7.5 | 7 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 4 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 4 |
| Feb | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Mar | 8 | 6 |
| Apr | 8 | 6 |
| May | 8 | 5.5 |
| Jun | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Jul | 7.5 | 5 |
| Aug | 7.5 | 5 |
| Sep | 8 | 6 |
| Oct | 8 | 6 |
| Nov | 7.5 | 5 |
| Dec | 7 | 4 |
Air quality in Port Harcourt 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 Port Harcourt is worst in January — around 95 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 3.7× the cleanest month (August, 25 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) | 95 | 84 | 53 | 45 | 34 | 32 | 29 | 25 | 27 | 33 | 40 | 79 |
| Level | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 95 | Unhealthy |
| Feb | 84 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 53 | Poor |
| Apr | 45 | Poor |
| May | 34 | Moderate |
| Jun | 32 | Moderate |
| Jul | 29 | Moderate |
| Aug | 25 | Moderate |
| Sep | 27 | Moderate |
| Oct | 33 | Moderate |
| Nov | 40 | Poor |
| Dec | 79 | Unhealthy |
Growing season
Port Harcourt 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. Port Harcourt banks about 6,165 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around February.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 550 | 511 | 560 | 532 | 536 | 488 | 482 | 481 | 473 | 504 | 509 | 539 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 550 |
| Feb | 511 |
| Mar | 560 |
| Apr | 532 |
| May | 536 |
| Jun | 488 |
| Jul | 482 |
| Aug | 481 |
| Sep | 473 |
| Oct | 504 |
| Nov | 509 |
| Dec | 539 |
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.
Port Harcourt receives about 4.3 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.4 and 5.2 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.1 months, from around Nov 8 to May 12. The brightest month is January, averaging about 5.2 kWh/m² (bright).
The dimmest month is July, down near 3.4 kWh/m² — roughly 35% less than the January peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.2 | 5.2 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 4.4 | 4.9 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.2 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.2 | Bright |
| Mar | 4.8 | Bright |
| Apr | 4.6 | Bright |
| May | 4.2 | Bright |
| Jun | 3.5 | Moderate |
| Jul | 3.4 | Moderate |
| Aug | 3.6 | Moderate |
| Sep | 3.7 | Moderate |
| Oct | 4.0 | Moderate |
| Nov | 4.4 | Bright |
| Dec | 4.9 | Bright |
Where is Port Harcourt?
Port Harcourt sits at 4.8°N, 7.0°E, 16 m above sea level, in Nigeria. The nearest listed city is Okrika, 9.0 km away.
Topography around Port Harcourt
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Port Harcourt.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Port Harcourt has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 18 m around an average of 7 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 38 m; within 80 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 131 m.
The land around Port Harcourt is covered by artificial surfaces (57%) and mangroves (21%) within 3 km, mangroves (35%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 16 km, and trees (49%) and water (22%) within 80 km.
Nigeria travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type D / G
- 230 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 13% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $1,224
- 2025
- Happiness
- 4.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 30%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 15.7
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 20.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Lower middle
- World Bank
- English
- High
- EF EPI 569
- 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 Port Harcourt (4.7774°, 7.0134°, elevation 16 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).