Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, sits on a plateau in the central highlands of the country at around 1,700–1,800 metres above sea level, just south of the equator at approximately 1.29°S, 36.82°E. Despite its equatorial latitude, its high altitude gives it a mild, temperate subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb / Cfb) — warm days and cool nights year-round — where the year is shaped not by hot and cold seasons but by alternating wet and dry periods.

There is no summer in the temperate sense: temperatures vary little through the year, with daytime highs generally around 24–27°C. The warmest, sunniest stretch comes in the dry months of January and February, just before the main rains, when highs reach the high 20s°C. The equatorial sun is strong at altitude, but the elevation keeps the heat pleasant rather than oppressive, and humidity is moderate.

Nor is there a true winter, but the altitude makes the middle of the year — June, July and August — the coolest and driest time, when overcast skies and cool, misty mornings are common and nights can drop to around 10–12°C. Daytime highs still reach the mid-20s°C, but this cooler, cloudier season feels markedly fresher than the warm months, and Nairobi never experiences frost or extreme cold.

Nairobi receives around 700–900 mm of rain a year, falling in two distinct wet seasons typical of equatorial East Africa: the 'long rains' from March to May, when April is the wettest month, and the shorter 'short rains' of October to December. The intervening months, especially July to September and January to February, are much drier. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Nairobi's weather is governed by altitude and the equatorial rain belt rather than by season: at nearly 1,800 metres it enjoys spring-like temperatures all year, with near-constant twelve-hour days and a bimodal rainfall pattern driven by the sun crossing the equator twice a year. The elevation also keeps it far cooler and fresher than the hot Kenyan coast, and its afternoons can turn quickly from bright sunshine to cool showers during the rains.

To follow any single measurement in Nairobi 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.