Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, sits on a promontory jutting into the eastern Mediterranean, backed closely by the Mount Lebanon range that rises steeply just inland, at approximately 33.89°N, 35.50°E. It has a Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) with hot, humid, rainless summers and mild, wet winters. The sea keeps its coastal temperatures moderate, while the nearby mountains wring heavy rain and snow from winter storms.

Summer, from June to September, is hot, humid and almost completely dry, with August the warmest month — average highs around 30–31°C and warm nights. The defining discomfort is humidity: sitting on the coast, the air is muggy and the 'feels-like' temperature runs high, though a sea breeze offers relief. Rain in high summer is essentially nonexistent, and long stretches of hot, sunny, sticky weather are the norm.

Winter, from December to February, is mild and the rainy season, with January the coolest month — average highs around 16–17°C and lows near 9–11°C, rarely approaching freezing on the coast. Sunny spells alternate with periods of heavy rain and occasional storms, and while snow never falls in the city, the mountains immediately behind Beirut are reliably snow-capped, close enough that one can ski and swim on the same day.

Beirut is fairly wet in season, receiving around 800–825 mm of rain a year, the great majority concentrated between November and March — December and January are the wettest — while June to September is effectively rainless. Winter rain often arrives in intense, concentrated downpours. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Beirut's climate is defined by the dramatic contrast between coast and mountain: the mild, humid, Mediterranean seafront sits directly below the snow-capped heights of Mount Lebanon, giving the country its famous boast that you can ski in the mountains and swim in the sea on the same winter day. Occasional hot, dusty spells arrive when the Khamsin wind blows in from the desert, most often in spring and autumn.

To follow any single measurement in Beirut 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.