Riyadh in Summer
In summer (June, July and August), Riyadh sees average daytime highs around 43°C and overnight lows near 28°C, with 0 mm of rain over about 0 wet days across the season. It is the warmest season of the year and the driest season of the year.
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 43°C. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 90% of the time across summer, and the air most often feels dry.
Summer is Riyadh's weakest season of the year to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Riyadh's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 43°C
- warmest season of the year
- Avg overnight low
- 28°C
- Rainfall
- 0 mm
- 0 wet days
- Avg wind
- 14 km/h
- Travel score
- 0.0
- weakest season of the year
- Months
- Jun · Jul · Aug
Temperature in Riyadh in Summer
Across summer, daytime highs hold fairly steady around 43°C.
A typical summer day in Riyadh reaches about 43°C and drops to 28°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is July, the coolest June.
How summer really feels in Riyadh
Once humidity and wind are folded in, summer brings about 92 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in summer is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.
Riyadh weather by month
How the three summer months (June, July and August) 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 | 20° / 9° | 11 | 2 | 10.6 | 8.1 |
| Feb | 23° / 11° | 5 | 1.5 | 11.1 | 8.9 |
| Mar | 28° / 15° | 11 | 1.9 | 11.8 | 7.9 |
| Apr | 33° / 20° | 14 | 2.7 | 12.6 | 4.3 |
| May | 39° / 25° | 2 | 0.6 | 13.2 | 0.9 |
| Jun | 42° / 28° | 0 | 0 | 13.5 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 43° / 29° | 0 | 0 | 13.4 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 43° / 29° | 0 | 0 | 12.9 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 40° / 26° | 0 | 0 | 12.2 | 0.4 |
| Oct | 35° / 21° | 1 | 0.2 | 11.4 | 3.8 |
| Nov | 27° / 15° | 11 | 2.1 | 10.8 | 8.0 |
| Dec | 22° / 10° | 9 | 1.7 | 10.5 | 8.6 |
Cloud cover in Summer
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 90% of the time across summer.
Chance of precipitation in Summer
Riyadh gets around 0 mm of rain over 0 wet days across summer. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Summer
Most of summer feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Summer
Winds average 14 km/h across summer.
Sunrise & sunset in Summer
Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min in early June to 12 h 30 min by late August. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Summer
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across summer, about 7.5 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Riyadh
In summer, Riyadh overlaps its dust season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Riyadh sees seasonal dust haze (February–September), heaviest in May.
Is summer a good time to visit Riyadh?
Our two travel scores rate summer for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
summer is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Riyadh.
What to pack for Riyadh in Summer
From summer's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In summer, Riyadh sees daytime highs around 43°C and nights near 28°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
UV index in Riyadh in Summer
Clear-sky midday UV across summer averages around 10 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Riyadh peaks around July 20 at about 11 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 15 at about 4 (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) | 6 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| Level | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | High |
| Feb | 7 | Very high |
| Mar | 9 | Very high |
| Apr | 7 | Very high |
| May | 10 | Extreme |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 11 | Extreme |
| Aug | 11 | Extreme |
| Sep | 9 | Very high |
| Oct | 8 | Very high |
| Nov | 5 | Moderate |
| Dec | 3 | Moderate |
Air quality in Riyadh in Summer
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where summer falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Riyadh is worst in March — around 93 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 1.8× the cleanest month (October, 51 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) | 68 | 75 | 93 | 89 | 85 | 71 | 70 | 65 | 54 | 51 | 59 | 63 |
| Level | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Poor | Unhealthy | Unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68 | Unhealthy |
| Feb | 75 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 93 | Unhealthy |
| Apr | 89 | Unhealthy |
| May | 85 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 71 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 70 | Unhealthy |
| Aug | 65 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 54 | Poor |
| Oct | 51 | Poor |
| Nov | 59 | Unhealthy |
| Dec | 63 | Unhealthy |
Where is Riyadh?
Riyadh sits at 24.7°N, 46.7°E, 612 m above sea level, in Saudi Arabia. The nearest listed city is ‘Irqah, 11 km away.
Topography around Riyadh
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Riyadh.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Riyadh has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 58 m around an average of 610 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 194 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 688 m.
The land around Riyadh is covered by artificial surfaces (86%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (74%) and bare terrain (23%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (93%) 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 Riyadh (24.6877°, 46.7219°, elevation 612 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.