The Red Sea in February
The sea’s coldest point of the year, and the land at its most agreeable. A good month to be here and a poor one to be in the water for long.
Air, daytime
22–24°C
Air, night
12–14°C
Sea
around 21–22°C
The water lags the air by about a month, so February — not January — is when the sea is coldest. Around 21°C is fine for a swim and cold for a dive without a proper suit; centres will have 5mm suits and you will want one.
Above the surface it is close to ideal. Warm afternoons, cool nights, low humidity, and the coast at its emptiest between half terms.
It is also the last quiet month before the season builds, which makes it the sweet spot for anyone whose priority is space rather than heat.
Wind, crowds and prices
- Wind
- Still changeable; the northerlies ease towards the end of the month.
- Crowds
- Quiet, apart from European half-term weeks.
- Prices
- Low, outside half term.
Good for
- Value
- Sightseeing and desert trips
- Anyone who dislikes crowds
In the water
The coldest sea of the year, marginally colder than January because the water lags the air by about six weeks. That is the one fact people get wrong when they book February expecting spring. Visibility is superb; a 5mm suit is not optional for a three-dive day.
How long the days are
Just over eleven hours of light and lengthening quickly. Boat days stop feeling rushed towards the end of the month, and the late-afternoon light on the water is the best of the winter.
The catch
If your holiday is mostly about being in the sea, this is the month it is coldest. Divers should budget for a thicker suit and shorter dives; snorkellers get cold faster than they expect.
Or the month either side
March is the upgrade: two degrees of air, the same sea, and the wind beginning to settle. If you are choosing between February and November, November has a sea seven degrees warmer for very similar air — it is the better half of the same weather.
Typical Hurghada figures, rounded. Marsa Alam runs a couple of degrees warmer. Last reviewed 26 July 2026. Something off?