Været i Cairo i mars

March is when the Cairo forum starts talking about the khamsin - the wind season that can run from March to late May but concentrates from late March into April. Regulars keep the frequency in proportion: one sandstorm day in a two-week stay is a typical report, it varies wildly from year to year, and the advice when one arrives is to stay indoors with the windows shut, because the dust is worse for you than the wind. The rest of the month is the part posters are fond of - the sense of coming out of winter, spring flowers, a freshness the other eleven months lack. The record: 24.9C days, 14.2C nights, 0.8 precipitation days, humidity 49 percent, 10.6 hours of sun and AQI 74, worth weighing if your chest is sensitive.

Regulars name the khamsin, a hot desert wind carrying dust that peaks between March and May, as the real wildcard here, though one regular's own two-week April visit saw only a single sandstorm day, calling the rest of the month genuinely pleasant. Our row backs the warm, dry read, 29.5C over 17C nights feeling 15C, with rain essentially absent at 0.9mm across 0.2 days and humidity down to 44 percent. Regulars are consistent that Cairo itself runs noticeably cooler than Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada or Sharm at this point in the year, so anyone finding Cairo's heat manageable should expect those southern cities to run hotter still. Early April is generally rated more comfortable than the end of the month. The record: 11.7 hours of sun, a 19.2 kph wind and AQI 67.

Regulars name October through January as this city's best stretch, and November sits in the middle of it: one visitor who came specifically for the pyramids called the weather perfect, in contrast with a summer plateau they describe as hot, humid and shadeless. Our row backs the comfortable read, 26.3C reading as 25C at 57.3 percent humidity, over 17.1C nights - the swing regulars pack for with jeans and a cardigan once the sun goes down. Rain is essentially absent, 0.8mm across a fifth of a day. Winter proper can turn cold, they note, but daytime sightseeing stays pleasant even then, which makes November the easier season to plan without needing to hedge. The record: 9.4 hours of sun, a 14.8 kph wind and AQI 76.

December is the month regulars recommend for sightseeing here, warm and sunny by day without the heat that makes summer hard - our row gives 21.7C, feeling like 19C. Their practical note is the clock. The sun goes at about five and the temperature drops quickly after it, with evenings at 17 to 20C and nights that can reach 5C between November and February, so a jacket comes out early and late even on a day spent looking for shade. Wind can make it feel colder than the number. Rain is essentially absent at 2.6mm. The figure to weigh is the air, at AQI 83. The record: 13.3C nights, 8.9 hours of sun inside 10.2 of daylight.

February in Cairo is warm days and cool nights, with the forum's regional figures of 20 to 25C running a touch above our row's 21.5C for the city itself. Two things make it feel colder than the number. The temperature drops fast once the sun goes, so a hoody or a jacket is not optional after dark; and a strong north wind turns up often enough that regulars mention it unprompted - our row's feels-like high of 18C against that 21.5C is the wind in one figure. Rain is close to nothing at 5.6mm across 1.3 days, though a light sandstorm is possible. On dress, the standing advice is long sleeves and covered knees for the streets, which doubles as the evening layer. The record: 11.8C nights, humidity 56 percent, 9.6 hours of sun and AQI 68.