Red Sea Weather and Climate

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Simply put, Egypt’s climate in the Red Sea region is hot and dry! There are only two seasons – winter is warm with cool nights, and summer which is hot. Rain is incredibly rare.

At the southern tip of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, Sharm El Sheikh’s coastal location on the Red Sea means it is less hot than the interior regions of Egypt. The seaside location and winds from the Mediterranean help to shield the area from the extreme temperatures seen in the desert.

The summer season runs from April till October, with high temperatures in the thirties, peaking at an average of 38°C in July. The night time sees a drop down to the mid to upper twenties. Early in the summer season there is a risk of sandstorms, when the warm ‘khamsin’ wind blows carrying sand from the Sahara, though these are infrequent.

Despite the high summer temperatures, low humidity means the heat is much less unpleasant than more humid regions of the world. Frequent sea breezes often ease the summer midday heat, and the sea – which reaches a peak temperature of 28°C in August and September – gives an excellent way to cool off. Summer visitors will value air-conditioned accommodation, and should always carry water and sun cream. Expect more than ten hours of sunshine daily in the summer from cloudless skies – the summer rainfall average is 0 mm!

In the winter season from November till March, average highs fall to 27°C in November and an annual low of 22°C in January. Night time temperatures can be quite cool – by Egyptian standards – in mid winter, with an average low of 13°C in January, but the sea warms the area much more than the inland desert where temperatures fall to freezing in the winter. Averages by day rise back to 25°C in March and this is one of the pleasant times of the year to visit the area in terms of temperature. Early and late winter are also very popular times to visit the Red Sea for diving as the water is at it’s clearest giving fantastic underwater visibility. There is a chance of rain in the winter, with heavy but brief storms on an average of one day per month.

A little further south, on the west coast of the Red Sea, Hurghada and Makadi Bay have a similar hot and sunny climate to Sharm el Sheikh with cloudless skies and virtually no rainfall.

All the Red Sea resorts share many climatic attributes, with comparable seasonal average temperatures, sea breezes and low humidity. If you are concerned about the heat of high summer, consider visiting in the months of May or October, either side of the hottest time, when average Hurghada temperatures are similar to summer holiday temperatures found in Spain and Portugal.

Inland, to the west of Red Sea, Luxor is situated on the River Nile. The city has the same general climate as the rest of Egypt, with a hot summer season and warm winters. Being away from the sea, summer temperatures are higher in Luxor than the Red Sea resorts with averages of 41°C in July and August. The absence of rainfall gives a very arid environment, with the risk of rare sandstorms, and in the spring, hot ‘khamsin’ winds can cause significant temperature changes in a matter of hours. The winter period from October to March is a popular time to visit the city of Luxor, when daytime temperatures average 25°C to 30°C.

More Information

• Hurghada resort guide
• Makadi Bay resort guide
• Sharm el Sheikh resort guide
• Luxor resort guide

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