Weather and Climate in Tal Afar
Home to roughly 200,000 people and resting at about 374 m above sea level, the city’s weather is governed by its hot desert climate. This page gives you the live picture for Tal Afar now, an hour-by-hour outlook for the day ahead, and a full seven-day forecast — alongside a grounded explanation of what the seasons typically deliver here.
The climate of Tal Afar is classified as hot desert (Köppen BWh). In practical terms that means a hot desert climate of long scorching summers and short, mild, occasionally wet winters. The single biggest influence on day-to-day conditions is the long, sun-dominated dry season set against a short, concentrated wet season from November through April.
Across an average year Tal Afar receives in the order of 140 mm of precipitation, almost all of it during the cooler months. Temperatures vary widely between the seasons: peak summer afternoons typically reach about 44 °C while mid-winter days hover near 16 °C, with overnight lows of roughly 27 °C in July and 4 °C in January.
Summer
From late May the heat builds quickly, and by July afternoons are genuinely extreme, with the asphalt shimmer and dry northwesterly shamal winds that lift fine dust across the plains. In Tal Afar, expect daytime highs around 44 °C at the height of summer, easing to near 27 °C overnight. Humidity is generally low, so the heat is dry rather than muggy.
Winter
January is the coolest month, with the odd cold snap pushing nights toward zero, though hard frost is rare on the plains. Through the coldest weeks, Tal Afar sees highs near 16 °C and lows around 4 °C. Hard frost is uncommon, though clear nights can still feel sharp.
Spring & Autumn
Spring is short and pleasant before the heat takes hold, and it is also the peak season for dust storms as warm winds sweep the dry interior. For Tal Afar, spring and autumn are the most comfortable windows of the year, with mild days and pleasant evenings — though the dustier stretch May through July can bring hazy skies and reduced visibility.
Rain Probability
Rain in Tal Afar is highly seasonal. The wet months run November through April, and outside that window measurable rainfall is rare — summer in particular is reliably dry. The hourly and daily panels above show the live chance of rain for the next week, so you can see at a glance whether a passing system is on the way.
Because the annual total is modest — around 140 mm concentrated into a handful of months — individual rain events matter. When fronts do arrive november through april, they can be brief but intense, occasionally enough to pond water on streets that are otherwise bone dry. Check the precipitation-probability figures above before heading out during the cool season.
Wind and Humidity
Winds in Tal Afar are shaped by the wider Mesopotamian and desert circulation. The persistent northwesterly “shamal” is the dominant summer wind, and it is the main driver of dust, with the haziest conditions most likely May through July. The live wind speed, gusts and direction in the panel above update through the day.
Humidity is generally low, which keeps the summer heat dry; relative humidity climbs mainly during and after the winter rains. Together, wind and humidity explain why two days with the same temperature can feel so different in Tal Afar — 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 Tal Afar’s weather, the rhythm is straightforward: treat the summer as a heat-management season and the winter as the only time you genuinely need to plan for rain. Light layers cover most of the cool season, with a warmer layer for clear nights. Lightweight, breathable clothing, sun protection and steady hydration are the essentials for the long warm season.
The most agreeable times to visit Tal Afar are 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 are refreshed automatically so you always have an up-to-date view before you travel or plan your day.