Weather & Best Time to Visitin Şanlıurfa
A month-by-month guide to weather, crowds and seasonal conditions in Şanlıurfa, and how to choose when to go.
Weather & seasons
When to visit Şanlıurfa
These figures are the Turkish State Meteorological Service's own long-run statistics for the Şanlıurfa station (mgm.gov.tr, measurement period 1929-2025); they are means, not forecasts, and they describe the city rather than the hill sites. July is the hottest month, with an average high of 38.8°C, an average low of 24.4°C and about 12.3 hours of sunshine a day, and the station has recorded 46.8°C. January is the wettest month on average (85.4 mm over 11.84 rainy days). The lowest recorded temperature is -12.4°C in February, the greatest recorded snow cover is 29 cm on 25 January 1968, the highest daily rainfall is 119.5 mm on 2 January 1960, and the fastest recorded daily wind is 31.5 m/s on 22 August 2012.
Best time
The Turkish State Meteorological Service's long-run statistics for the Şanlıurfa station (1929-2025) show a very hot, almost rainless summer and a cool, wet winter. July and August average daily highs of 38.8°C and 38.4°C, with a record of 46.8°C in July; June to September together average fewer than 2 rainy days a month. April (average high 22.4°C) and October (27.1°C) sit between those extremes, and May reaches 28.8°C. From December to February average highs are 10.0°C to 12.1°C, rain falls on 10 to 12 days a month, and the station has recorded -12.4°C in February and 29 cm of snow cover on 25 January 1968. These are city-station means, not forecasts, and the hill sites outside the city may differ. No official source names a best season for the sites, so none is stated here.
January
Average high 10.0°C, low 2.2°C (mean 5.7°C)
11.84 rainy days and 85.4 mm; 4.1 hours of sunshine a day
Record high 21.6°C, record low -10.6°C.
February
Average high 12.0°C, low 3.0°C (mean 7.1°C)
10.37 rainy days and 68.2 mm; 5.1 hours of sunshine a day
Record high 25.5°C. Record low -12.4°C, the lowest of any month.
March
Average high 16.5°C, low 5.9°C (mean 11.0°C)
10.43 rainy days and 64.9 mm; 6.3 hours of sunshine a day
Record high 29.5°C, record low -7.3°C.
April
Average high 22.4°C, low 10.4°C (mean 16.4°C)
8.71 rainy days and 48.5 mm; 7.8 hours of sunshine a day
Record high 36.4°C, record low -3.2°C.
May
Average high 28.8°C, low 15.4°C (mean 22.3°C)
6.01 rainy days and 26.8 mm; 10.0 hours of sunshine a day
Record high 40.4°C, record low 2.5°C.
June
Average high 34.8°C, low 20.7°C (mean 28.2°C)
1.31 rainy days and 4.2 mm; 12.1 hours of sunshine a day
Record high 44.1°C, record low 8.3°C.
July
Average high 38.8°C, low 24.4°C (mean 32.1°C)
0.26 rainy days and 2.0 mm; 12.3 hours of sunshine a day, the most of any month
Hottest month on average. Record high 46.8°C, the station's all-time maximum; record low 15.0°C.
August
Average high 38.4°C, low 24.1°C (mean 31.6°C)
0.23 rainy days and 3.0 mm; 11.2 hours of sunshine a day
Record high 46.2°C, record low 16.0°C.
September
Average high 34.0°C, low 20.1°C (mean 27.2°C)
0.80 rainy days and 4.6 mm; 10.0 hours of sunshine a day
Record high 43.9°C, record low 10.0°C.
October
Average high 27.1°C, low 14.7°C (mean 20.6°C)
4.64 rainy days and 25.3 mm; 7.9 hours of sunshine a day
Record high 37.8°C, record low 1.9°C. Some Ministry hours may change on 1 October.
November
Average high 18.8°C, low 8.6°C (mean 13.2°C)
7.42 rainy days and 44.6 mm; 5.8 hours of sunshine a day
Record high 30.8°C, record low -6.0°C.
December
Average high 12.1°C, low 4.1°C (mean 7.7°C)
10.68 rainy days and 78.7 mm; 4.0 hours of sunshine a day, the fewest of any month
Record high 26.0°C, record low -6.4°C.
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