The Red Sea in August
The hottest sea of the year and the hardest month to be outside in. Come for the water, plan for the heat.
Air, daytime
35–37°C
Air, night
25–27°C
Sea
around 30°C
August matches July for air temperature and beats it for humidity and sea warmth. At around 30°C the water offers no relief at all — you get out warmer than you got in.
The practical shape of an August day here is: outside before ten, indoors or in the shade until late afternoon, outside again from six. Every resident does this and every first-time visitor learns it the hard way on day two.
It is also the most expensive and most crowded month, which is a difficult combination to recommend. If you have any flexibility at all, September does almost everything August does for less money and several degrees less.
Wind, crowds and prices
- Wind
- Strong, and the only reason it is survivable.
- Crowds
- Peak. School holidays across Europe and peak domestic travel.
- Prices
- The most expensive of the year in most resorts.
Good for
- Diving in the warmest water of the year
- Families with no choice about dates
In the water
The warmest sea of the year at around 30°C — bath-warm, and warm enough that a long dive can leave you overheating on the boat rather than chilled. No wetsuit is needed for thermal reasons at all. This is also the peak of the summer plankton, so visibility is at its annual low, which on this coast still means twenty metres or better.
How long the days are
About thirteen hours and shortening. Sunset comes earlier each week, which is the first hint that the season is turning even though nothing about the temperature agrees yet.
The catch
It is the worst value month of the year: the highest prices, the biggest crowds and the hardest conditions all at once. If your dates are movable, move them.
Or the month either side
September is the same sea a degree cooler, the same wind, a slightly cooler air temperature and a fraction of the people. July is marginally less hot and no less crowded. There is essentially no reason to choose August over September except school holidays — which is, of course, why August is busy.
Typical Hurghada figures, rounded. Marsa Alam runs a couple of degrees warmer. Last reviewed 26 July 2026. Something off?