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Manama sits on the northeastern tip of Bahrain's main island in the Persian Gulf, at approximately 26.22°N, 50.59°E. It has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh), but its island setting sets it apart from inland Arabian deserts: the surrounding Gulf pumps moisture into the air, so the heat here feels far heavier and stickier than the dry heat found further inland. The year splits cleanly into a long, sweltering summer and a short, mild winter.
Summer is intense and runs roughly from May to September. Daytime temperatures climb rapidly after sunrise and frequently push past 40°C by midday, with July and August the peak, averaging highs around 38–40°C. The Gulf offers little nighttime relief — lows often stay above 30°C — so the heat is relentless around the clock. Because the sea keeps humidity high, the feels-like temperature in late summer can be punishing, and August and September bring the worst combination of heat and moisture.
Winter, from December to February, is the city's pleasant season. Daytime highs settle around 20°C with nights around 14–17°C, and the temperature rarely turns genuinely cold. This is comfortably the best time to be outdoors in Manama, which is why the cooler months from November to March draw the most visitors. Frost and snow are unknown here.
Manama is extremely arid, receiving only around 70–85 mm of rain in an entire year. What little falls comes almost exclusively between November and April, often in short, intense bursts that can briefly flood streets, while the months from May to October are essentially rainless. Skies stay clear and sunny for the great majority of the year. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.
A defining feature of Manama's weather is the Shamal, a northwesterly wind that sweeps down the Gulf. In summer it can briefly cut the humidity but often carries fine desert dust that hazes the sky; in winter it can reach gale force and stir up rough seas and cooler air. Sea temperatures around Bahrain are among the warmest in the world, exceeding 30°C in high summer.
To follow any single measurement in Manama more closely, use our live instruments: the online barometer for atmospheric pressure, the thermometer for temperature, the hygrometer for humidity, the anemometer for wind speed, the wind vane for wind direction, and the rain gauge for rainfall.