Best Time to Visit Aba

December to January: the dry sweet spot

If you want the easiest weather, come in December or January. Both months get only a few rainy days, and the sun shines for about seven hours a day. Days are warm, around 30°C, and the nights are pleasant. The air is still humid, so you'll feel sticky by mid-afternoon, but it's nothing like the wet months.

This is also the Harmattan season, when dusty wind blows down from the Sahara. In Aba it usually means hazier skies and drier air, so mornings can look a bit grey even when it's dry. It's a good time to walk the markets without wading through puddles.

Expect crowds too. Many Igbo families come home for Christmas and New Year, so roads in and out of Aba get busy and transport costs climb. Visit on a weekday if you can. Traders in Ariaria International Market and the shoe and garment workshops of Aba's famous "Made in Aba" scene are still busy then, but the city feels more relaxed once the holiday rush ends.

February to May: the rains build

February is still fairly dry, with rain on about ten days, so it's a fair month for a city break. From March the weather turns. Rain falls on most days, skies stay grey, and the sun appears for only two or three hours a day.

These months are fine if you're here for business or family visits and don't mind sudden downpours. Many Aba roads flood quickly and get muddy, so give yourself extra time to cross town. Sightseeing is the weak point. Outdoor plans, like day trips to nearby Umuahia or Ngwa villages, are hit and miss.

June to October: the heart of the wet season

This is the wettest stretch, and September is the wettest month, with 388 mm. Rain falls on almost every day from June to October, and the humidity sits around 90%. It's heavy, warm rain, often in long bursts rather than a quick shower. Sun is rare, down to about an hour and a half a day in July, August and September.

Travelling then is a trade-off. You'll find fewer visitors and calmer streets, but you'll lose time to traffic and flooding. If you must come, keep your plans flexible and focus on indoor things like markets, workshops and eating pepper soup or ukwa (breadfruit seed porridge) in a dry spot.

November: the in-between month

November is a turning point. Rain eases to about 18 days and the sun returns for more hours. It's not yet as dry as December, but it's a good time to arrive if you want to beat the Christmas crowds and still get decent weather.