Fes (Fès), Morocco's ancient imperial city, sits inland on a plain at the foot of the Middle Atlas mountains in the north of the country, around 400 metres above sea level at approximately 34.04°N, 5.00°W. Its inland, mountain-sheltered position gives it a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa) — hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters — with wider extremes than the coast.

Summer, from June to September, is hot and rainless, with July and August the hottest — highs around 35–36°C, and heatwaves that can exceed 40°C when the chergui, a hot, dry wind, blows in from the Sahara. Its inland setting, far from the ocean's moderating breezes, makes the heat more intense than in Rabat or Casablanca, though nights cool markedly.

Winter, from December to February, is cool and the wettest season, with January the coolest month — highs around 15–16°C and cool nights near 4–6°C, with frost possible on the clearest nights. Rain falls regularly, brought by Atlantic systems, and the Middle Atlas mountains just to the south stand snow-capped through much of the season.

Fes receives around 540–560 mm of rain a year — more than most Moroccan cities, thanks to its position near the mountains — almost all of it between November and April, while the summer is essentially rainless. Live rainfall, humidity, and pressure readings for the city are shown in the panels above.

Fes's inland position at the foot of the Middle Atlas gives it hotter summers and colder, wetter winters than Morocco's Atlantic cities — a genuine continental edge to its Mediterranean climate. The chergui, a searing Saharan wind, is its most punishing weather, capable of pushing summer temperatures past 40°C for days at a time.

To follow any single measurement in Fes 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.