The climate of Kobe, a Japanese city in the southern part of Honshu Island, in the Kansai region, is
, with quite mild winters and hot, moist, and rainy summers. Like the rest of Japan, the city is affected by the
: in winter, the northwest cold currents will prevail, while in summer, they will be replaced by hot and humid currents of tropical origin.
Kobe is located on the coast, in the Seto Inland Sea, an area relatively protected from both summer monsoon and typhoons. The city is stretched along the coast, with a range of low mountains behind (the Rokko Mountains), while to the east, it is practically merged with Osaka and Kyoto, in a large metropolitan area called
, there are fairly mild periods, with highs above 10 °C (50 °F), alternating with cold periods, with wind and rain, highs around 5/7 °C (41/45 °F) or less, and possible falls of sleet or snow. Snowfalls, however, are light, as are nocturnal frosts.
are hot and humid; there can be periods of good weather, with maximum temperatures around 35 °C (95 °F) or above, tropical nights and high humidity, but also periods of bad weather due to the summer monsoon. August is the hottest month, both because of the thermal inertia of the sea and because of the lower frequency of periods of bad weather.
is quite abundant, in fact it amounts to 1,280 millimeters (50 inches) per year. Winter is undoubtedly the driest season. The rainiest months are June and July, ie the first period of the rainy season (called
). In August, there is a certain decrease in rain frequency: on average, among the summer months, it is the hottest as well as the driest and sunniest.
in Kobe, all in all, is decent in winter, but it never becomes very good, however, there are two relative maxima, one in spring (April-May) and the other in August, after the Baiu rains.
in Kobe is warm enough for swimming, with a temperature of 23 °C (73 °F) or more, from July to October, and it becomes pleasantly warm in August.
From June to October (but especially from August to early October), Kobe may be affected by
, the tropical cyclones of Southeast Asia, though this area of the Seto Inland Sea is relatively sheltered (however, in September 1934, the city was hit by a typhoon that caused a lot of damage).
As regards to the climate, the best times to visit Kobe are spring and autumn, and in particular, from mid-April to mid-May and from late October to mid-November.
in Kobe reaches its peak around April the 3rd. About a week passes between the beginning and the peak of the flowering. The blooming date can vary by a few days, or even a week, earlier or later, depending on the year. Even though in some years it can get a little cold, with highs around 12 °C (54 °F), you can also take advantage of this period.
In summer, August is partly preferable to July, having more sunshine and less rainfall, but it is also true that it is hotter and there's a greater risk of typhoons.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
6.2 °C, with a minimum of
3.1 °C and a maximum of
9.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-1 °C. However, it dropped to
-4.9 °C in January 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
14.5 °C. However, it reached
17.6 °C in January 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
40 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 46% of the time.
The average humidity is 62%.
The average wind speed is of
10.4 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
16.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
February is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
6.8 °C, with a minimum of
3.4 °C and a maximum of
10.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-1 °C. However, it dropped to
-4.5 °C in February 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
16.5 °C. However, it reached
20.4 °C in February 2010.
Precipitation amounts to
55 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 41% of the time.
The average humidity is 61%.
The average wind speed is of
10.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
15.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
March is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
9.9 °C, with a minimum of
6.3 °C and a maximum of
13.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1 °C. However, it dropped to
-1.6 °C in March 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
20 °C. However, it reached
23.4 °C in March 1998.
Precipitation amounts to
95 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 43% of the time.
The average humidity is 61%.
The average wind speed is of
12 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
15.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
April is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
15.2 °C, with a minimum of
11.4 °C and a maximum of
18.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
0.9 °C in April 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
24.5 °C. However, it reached
28.5 °C in April 2005.
Precipitation amounts to
100 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 43% of the time.
The average humidity is 61%.
The average wind speed is of
12.1 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
16.8 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
May is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
20 °C, with a minimum of
16.5 °C and a maximum of
23.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
11 °C. However, it dropped to
6.5 °C in May 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
28.5 °C. However, it reached
31.7 °C in May 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
135 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 64%.
The average wind speed is of
11.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
19.4 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.
June is generally a warm to hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
23.6 °C, with a minimum of
20.6 °C and a maximum of
26.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
16 °C. However, it dropped to
13 °C in June 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31.5 °C. However, it reached
36.3 °C in June 2013.
Precipitation amounts to
175 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 25 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 34% of the time.
The average humidity is 72%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
11.1 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
22.5 °C. Therefore, the sea can be considered barely acceptable for swimming.
July is generally a very hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
27.6 °C, with a minimum of
24.7 °C and a maximum of
30.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
21 °C. However, it dropped to
17.5 °C in July 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35 °C. However, it reached
37.7 °C in July 2002.
Precipitation amounts to
190 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 10 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 40% of the time.
The average humidity is 74%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
11 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
25.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
August, the hottest month of the year, is generally a very hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
29.2 °C, with a minimum of
26.1 °C and a maximum of
32.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
22 °C. However, it dropped to
18.8 °C in August 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
36 °C. However, it reached
38.8 °C in August 1994.
Precipitation amounts to
105 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 48% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
12 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
27.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
September is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
25.7 °C, with a minimum of
22.6 °C and a maximum of
28.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
17 °C. However, it dropped to
12.4 °C in September 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33 °C. However, it reached
35.5 °C in September 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
155 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 39% of the time.
The average humidity is 67%.
The average wind speed is of
11.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
26.4 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
October is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
20 °C, with a minimum of
16.7 °C and a maximum of
23.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10.5 °C. However, it dropped to
6 °C in October 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
28 °C. However, it reached
31.9 °C in October 2013.
Precipitation amounts to
120 mm, distributed over 9 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 45% of the time.
The average humidity is 64%.
The average wind speed is of
10.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
23.7 °C. Therefore, the sea can be considered barely acceptable for swimming.
November is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
14.2 °C, with a minimum of
10.9 °C and a maximum of
17.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
5 °C. However, it dropped to
2.5 °C in November 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
22.5 °C. However, it reached
25.5 °C in November 2000.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 46% of the time.
The average humidity is 63%.
The average wind speed is of
9.7 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
21.3 °C. Therefore, the sea is cool for swimming.
December is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
8.8 °C, with a minimum of
5.7 °C and a maximum of
12 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1 °C. However, it dropped to
-2 °C in December 2005.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
18 °C. However, it reached
23.7 °C in December 2004.
Precipitation amounts to
50 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 55 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 48% of the time.
The average humidity is 62%.
The average wind speed is of
9.8 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
18.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.