Climate and average weather in Mecca
In Mecca, the summers are sweltering, dry, and clear and the winters are hot and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Mecca typically varies from 18°C to 42°C, and is rarely below 14°C or above 45°C. June is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit Mecca for warm-weather activities is from early December to late February.
- Hottest
- Jun
- 42°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 18°
- Wettest
- Jan
- 42 mm
- Driest
- Jul
- 0 mm
- Rain / yr
- 131 mm
- 21 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.7–13.3 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 333 m
- 21.4°N
- Clearest
- Jun
- 13% cloud
Mecca is Saudi Arabian city and capital of the Makkah province.
- Density
- 2,077/km²
- people per km²
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Mecca 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 December to late February.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Mecca, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 5.5 months, from April 30 to October 12, with daily high temperatures above 39°C. The hottest month of the year in Mecca is June, with an average high of 42°C and low of 28°C.
The cool season lasts 2.4 months, from December 7 to February 18, with daily high temperatures below 31°C. The coldest month of the year in Mecca is January, with an average low of 18°C and high of 29°C.
Days typically run about 12°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 14°C) in June.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 29 | 31 | 34 | 37 | 40 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 38 | 34 | 30 |
| Avg low (°C) | 18 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 22 | 19 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 18 |
| Feb | 31 | 19 |
| Mar | 34 | 21 |
| Apr | 37 | 24 |
| May | 40 | 27 |
| Jun | 42 | 28 |
| Jul | 41 | 29 |
| Aug | 41 | 29 |
| Sep | 40 | 28 |
| Oct | 38 | 25 |
| Nov | 34 | 22 |
| Dec | 30 | 19 |
How hot and cold Mecca 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, Mecca feels like about 44°C (around September 4). About 273 days a year carry some heat stress, and 171 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) | 29 | 31 | 34 | 37 | 40 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 40 | 34 | 30 |
| Air high (°C) | 29 | 31 | 34 | 37 | 40 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 38 | 34 | 30 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | 18 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 22 | 19 |
| Air low (°C) | 18 | 19 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 25 | 22 | 19 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29 | 29 | 18 | 18 |
| Feb | 31 | 31 | 19 | 19 |
| Mar | 34 | 34 | 21 | 21 |
| Apr | 37 | 37 | 24 | 24 |
| May | 40 | 40 | 27 | 27 |
| Jun | 42 | 42 | 28 | 28 |
| Jul | 42 | 41 | 29 | 29 |
| Aug | 43 | 41 | 29 | 29 |
| Sep | 44 | 40 | 28 | 28 |
| Oct | 40 | 38 | 25 | 25 |
| Nov | 34 | 34 | 22 | 22 |
| Dec | 30 | 30 | 19 | 19 |
Average hourly temperature in Mecca
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 June afternoons, near 42°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 18°C.
Mecca 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 | 29° / 18° | 42 | 3.7 | 10.8 | 7.0 |
| Feb | 31° / 19° | 4 | 1 | 11.3 | 6.2 |
| Mar | 34° / 21° | 9 | 1.3 | 11.8 | 4.2 |
| Apr | 37° / 24° | 12 | 2 | 12.5 | 1.9 |
| May | 40° / 27° | 6 | 2.2 | 13 | 0.2 |
| Jun | 42° / 28° | 1 | 0.3 | 13.3 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 41° / 29° | 0 | 0.1 | 13.2 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 41° / 29° | 2 | 0.7 | 12.7 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 40° / 28° | 4 | 1.3 | 12.1 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 38° / 25° | 6 | 2.6 | 11.5 | 1.3 |
| Nov | 34° / 22° | 20 | 2.7 | 11 | 4.2 |
| Dec | 30° / 19° | 24 | 2.9 | 10.7 | 6.1 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Mecca gets about 131 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 3.0 months, from around Nov 5 to Feb 3, peaking in January at about 13% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jun 24.
January is the wettest month by volume, with 42 mm over about 4 wet days; July is the driest, with 0 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 11 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| Rain days | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | 4 |
| Feb | 4 | 1 |
| Mar | 4 | 1 |
| Apr | 7 | 2 |
| May | 7 | 2 |
| Jun | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 2 | 1 |
| Sep | 5 | 1 |
| Oct | 8 | 3 |
| Nov | 9 | 3 |
| Dec | 10 | 3 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Mecca collects about 131 mm of rain across 21 wet days — roughly 11 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. January is the wettest month with 42 mm, while July is the driest at just 0 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 66% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 42 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 20 | 24 |
| Rain days | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 4 |
| Feb | 4 | 1 |
| Mar | 9 | 1 |
| Apr | 12 | 2 |
| May | 6 | 2 |
| Jun | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 2 | 1 |
| Sep | 4 | 1 |
| Oct | 6 | 3 |
| Nov | 20 | 3 |
| Dec | 24 | 3 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Mecca, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around August 15 and lasts for 3.4 months, ending around November 24. The clearest month is September, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 97% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around November 25 and lasts for 4.7 months, ending around April 15. The cloudiest month is January, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 20% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 80 | 88 | 89 | 91 | 93 | 96 | 90 | 92 | 97 | 95 | 93 | 84 |
| Cloudier (%) | 20 | 12 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 16 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80 | 20 |
| Feb | 88 | 12 |
| Mar | 89 | 11 |
| Apr | 91 | 9 |
| May | 93 | 7 |
| Jun | 96 | 4 |
| Jul | 90 | 10 |
| Aug | 92 | 8 |
| Sep | 97 | 3 |
| Oct | 95 | 5 |
| Nov | 93 | 7 |
| Dec | 84 | 16 |
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 13 h 18 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 10 h 42 min — a swing of roughly 2 h 36 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.8 | 11.3 | 11.8 | 12.5 | 13.0 | 13.3 | 13.2 | 12.7 | 12.1 | 11.5 | 11.0 | 10.7 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:05 | 6:57 | 6:35 | 6:06 | 5:46 | 5:42 | 5:51 | 6:03 | 6:11 | 6:21 | 6:37 | 6:56 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:55 | 6:13 | 6:26 | 6:36 | 6:48 | 7:00 | 7:02 | 6:47 | 6:19 | 5:51 | 5:35 | 5:38 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.8 | 7:05 | 5:55 |
| Feb | 11.3 | 6:57 | 6:13 |
| Mar | 11.8 | 6:35 | 6:26 |
| Apr | 12.5 | 6:06 | 6:36 |
| May | 13.0 | 5:46 | 6:48 |
| Jun | 13.3 | 5:42 | 7:00 |
| Jul | 13.2 | 5:51 | 7:02 |
| Aug | 12.7 | 6:03 | 6:47 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 6:11 | 6:19 |
| Oct | 11.5 | 6:21 | 5:51 |
| Nov | 11.0 | 6:37 | 5:35 |
| Dec | 10.7 | 6:56 | 5:38 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Mecca averages about 25 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 20 and 28 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 2.9 months, from around Aug 25 to Nov 20. The sunniest month is September, with roughly 27 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is January, down near 20 sunny days — about 24% fewer than the September peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 21 | 22 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 22 |
| Sky | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21 | Bright |
| Feb | 22 | Brilliant |
| Mar | 25 | Brilliant |
| Apr | 26 | Brilliant |
| May | 27 | Brilliant |
| Jun | 27 | Brilliant |
| Jul | 25 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 24 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 27 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 28 | Brilliant |
| Nov | 25 | Brilliant |
| Dec | 22 | 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 Mecca, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 4.6 months, from around July 29 to December 16. The muggiest month is October, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 84% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around December 17 to July 28, and March is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 73% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 41 | 51 | 47 | 33 | 33 | 38 | 36 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 24 |
| Comfortable (%) | 22 | 18 | 26 | 30 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 15 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 23 |
| Humid (%) | 27 | 22 | 21 | 27 | 26 | 22 | 16 | 18 | 16 | 26 | 34 | 32 |
| Muggy (%) | 10 | 9 | 5 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 15 | 21 | 32 | 42 | 38 | 20 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 29 | 32 | 16 | 5 | 1 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 22 | 27 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 51 | 18 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 47 | 26 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 33 | 30 | 27 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 33 | 27 | 26 | 12 | 2 | 0 |
| Jun | 38 | 26 | 22 | 13 | 1 | 0 |
| Jul | 36 | 23 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 1 |
| Aug | 13 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 29 | 4 |
| Sep | 6 | 9 | 16 | 32 | 32 | 4 |
| Oct | 7 | 9 | 26 | 42 | 16 | 0 |
| Nov | 8 | 16 | 34 | 38 | 5 | 0 |
| Dec | 24 | 23 | 32 | 20 | 1 | 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 Mecca is typically calm, near 11 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 7.2 months, from around Feb 1 to Sep 7. The windiest month is June, averaging about 12 km/h (light breeze).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Sep 8 to Jan 31, with November the calmest month at about 9 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | light breeze | light breeze | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10 | calm |
| Feb | 11 | calm |
| Mar | 12 | calm |
| Apr | 11 | calm |
| May | 11 | calm |
| Jun | 12 | light breeze |
| Jul | 12 | light breeze |
| Aug | 12 | calm |
| Sep | 10 | calm |
| Oct | 9 | calm |
| Nov | 9 | calm |
| Dec | 9 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Mecca
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Mecca sees seasonal dust haze (April–September), heaviest in June.
Best time to visit Mecca
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Mecca throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around mid December, Mecca is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
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 Mecca for general outdoor tourist activities is from early December to late February, with a peak score in the third week of January.
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) | 6.9 | 6.1 | 4.2 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 4.2 | 6.1 |
| Rating | good | good | fair | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | poor | fair | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6.9 | good |
| Feb | 6.1 | good |
| Mar | 4.2 | fair |
| Apr | 1.9 | poor |
| May | 0.2 | poor |
| Jun | 0.0 | poor |
| Jul | 0.0 | poor |
| Aug | 0.0 | poor |
| Sep | 0.0 | poor |
| Oct | 1.3 | poor |
| Nov | 4.2 | fair |
| Dec | 6.1 | good |
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 Mecca for hot-weather activities is from early November to late March, with a peak score in the first week of February.
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 Mecca, 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 June (highs near 42°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 29°C), pack light clothes.
In June, Mecca sees daytime highs around 42°C and nights near 28°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
UV index (midday) in Mecca 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 Mecca peaks around April 20 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 14 at about 5 (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) | 7 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 4 |
| Level | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Very high |
| Feb | 9 | Very high |
| Mar | 10 | Extreme |
| Apr | 11 | Extreme |
| May | 11 | Extreme |
| Jun | 11 | Extreme |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 10 | Very high |
| Sep | 10 | Extreme |
| Oct | 9 | Very high |
| Nov | 6 | High |
| Dec | 4 | Moderate |
Average hourly UV index in Mecca
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 5.5 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) | 6 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7 | 5.5 | 4.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 3 | 4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | 3 |
| Feb | 6.5 | 4 |
| Mar | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Apr | 8 | 5.5 |
| May | 8 | 6 |
| Jun | 8 | 6 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 6 |
| Aug | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Oct | 7 | 4.5 |
| Nov | 5.5 | 0 |
| Dec | 4.5 | 0 |
Air quality in Mecca 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 Mecca is worst in March — around 56 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), 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) | 46 | 49 | 56 | 55 | 48 | 47 | 39 | 42 | 44 | 40 | 35 | 45 |
| Level | Poor | Poor | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Poor | Moderate | Poor |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 46 | Poor |
| Feb | 49 | Poor |
| Mar | 56 | Unhealthy |
| Apr | 55 | Unhealthy |
| May | 48 | Poor |
| Jun | 47 | Poor |
| Jul | 39 | Poor |
| Aug | 42 | Poor |
| Sep | 44 | Poor |
| Oct | 40 | Poor |
| Nov | 35 | Moderate |
| Dec | 45 | Poor |
Growing season
Mecca 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. Mecca banks about 7,370 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) | 411 | 413 | 535 | 618 | 727 | 742 | 775 | 773 | 719 | 664 | 534 | 459 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 411 |
| Feb | 413 |
| Mar | 535 |
| Apr | 618 |
| May | 727 |
| Jun | 742 |
| Jul | 775 |
| Aug | 773 |
| Sep | 719 |
| Oct | 664 |
| Nov | 534 |
| Dec | 459 |
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.
Mecca receives about 6.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — intense — with a clear seasonal swing between 4.3 and 7.4 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.7 months, from around Mar 7 to Sep 27. The brightest month is June, averaging about 7.4 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is January, down near 4.5 kWh/m² — roughly 39% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 4.4 | 5.4 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 6.3 | 5.7 | 4.9 | 4.3 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4.4 | Bright |
| Feb | 5.4 | Bright |
| Mar | 6.4 | Intense |
| Apr | 7.1 | Intense |
| May | 7.4 | Intense |
| Jun | 7.4 | Intense |
| Jul | 7.1 | Intense |
| Aug | 6.8 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.3 | Intense |
| Oct | 5.7 | Bright |
| Nov | 4.9 | Bright |
| Dec | 4.3 | Bright |
Where is Mecca?
Mecca sits at 21.4°N, 39.8°E, 333 m above sea level, in Saudi Arabia. The nearest listed city is Al Jumūm, 25 km away.
What Mecca looks like
Topography around Mecca
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Mecca.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Mecca has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 328 m around an average of 336 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 778 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,588 m.
The land around Mecca is covered by artificial surfaces (53%) and bare terrain (46%) within 3 km, bare terrain (76%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (85%) within 80 km.
Saudi Arabia travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 3
- Reconsider Travel
- Power plugs
- Type G
- 230 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 47% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $34,537
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 0.9
- per 100k, 2019
- Road deaths
- 35.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 404
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 Mecca (21.4266°, 39.8256°, elevation 333 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).