Weather and Climate in Rafah
With a population near 80,000 and an elevation around 70 m, Rafah has a hot semi-arid Mediterranean climate. Below you will find current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast and a seven-day outlook, followed by a clear guide to how the weather behaves through the year.
The climate of Rafah is hot semi-arid Mediterranean (Köppen BSh / Csa). In practical terms that means a mild Mediterranean climate moderated by the sea — warm humid summers and the wettest winters in Egypt. The single biggest influence on day-to-day conditions is the long, sun-dominated dry season set against a short, concentrated wet season around November through March.
Across an average year Rafah receives only about 180 mm of precipitation, almost all of it in the cooler months. Temperatures vary widely between the seasons: peak summer afternoons typically reach about 30 °C while mid-winter days hover near 18 °C, with overnight lows of roughly 23 °C in July and 9 °C in January.
That climate translates into a clear daily and yearly rhythm in Rafah: heat concentrates in the afternoon while the wide diurnal swing — close to 7 °C between the summer peak and dawn — brings real relief after dark. Reading the live values at the top of this page alongside the seasonal guide makes it easy to judge whether a given day is typical for its season or an outlier.
Summer
The sea is the great moderator here — daytime highs hover around the low thirties while the humidity, not the heat, is what defines a coastal summer. In Rafah, expect daytime highs around 30 °C at the height of summer, easing to near 23 °C overnight. Humidity makes the heat feel considerably worse than the thermometer alone suggests.
Winter
Winters are mild and, by Egyptian standards, genuinely wet. Atlantic and Mediterranean depressions sweep in between November and March, bringing the rain, grey skies and occasional storms that the rest of the country almost never sees. Through the coolest weeks, Rafah sees highs near 18 °C and lows around 9 °C. Frost is essentially unknown, and the cool season is the most comfortable stretch of the year.
Spring & Autumn
Autumn is arguably the finest season on the coast: the summer humidity eases, the sea stays warm, and clear, balmy days stretch well into November. For Rafah, spring and autumn are pleasant windows, with mild days and warm evenings — though the spring, when the Khamsin blows can bring hazy skies and a sharp, short-lived rise in temperature.
Rain Probability
Rain in Rafah is scarce and highly seasonal. The wet months run November through March, and outside that window measurable rainfall is rare — summer in particular is essentially rainless. The hourly and daily panels above show the live chance of rain for the next week.
Because the annual total is so small — around 180 mm concentrated into a handful of months — individual rain events stand out. When systems do arrive around november through march, they can be brief but locally heavy, occasionally enough to pond water on streets that are otherwise bone dry. Check the precipitation-probability figures above before heading out in the cool season.
Wind and Humidity
Winds in Rafah are shaped by Egypt’s broader desert and Nile circulation. The hot, dust-laden Khamsin is the signature wind, sweeping up from the south mainly in spring, when the Khamsin blows; it is the chief cause of hazy, reduced-visibility days. The live wind speed, gusts and direction in the panel above update through the day.
Humidity is a defining feature here: moisture off the Mediterranean can push the “feels-like” temperature well above the air temperature on summer afternoons. Together, wind and humidity explain why two days with the same temperature can feel so different in Rafah — which is why the dashboard above tracks feels-like, dew point and gusts alongside the headline reading.
Planning around the weather
If you are planning around Rafah’s weather, the rhythm is straightforward: treat the summer as a heat-management season and the brief winter as the only time you really need to plan for rain. Lightweight, breathable clothing, sun protection and steady hydration are the essentials for the long warm season, with a light layer for cooler winter evenings.
The most agreeable times to be in Rafah are the cool season and the calmer stretches of spring and autumn, when temperatures are moderate and the skies are usually clear. Whatever the season, the live conditions and seven-day forecast on this page refresh automatically so you always have an up-to-date view before you travel or plan your day.