Antananarivo climate
Antananarivo (Madagascar) has a subtropical highland (dry winter) climate (Köppen Cwb). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C64 °F, and about 2,383 mm94 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Antananarivo climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2475 | 1661 | 2068 | 47519 |
| Feb | 2475 | 1661 | 2068 | 37915 |
| Mar | 2474 | 1660 | 2067 | 30412 |
| Apr | 2373 | 1457 | 1865 | 1596.3 |
| May | 2169 | 1254 | 1662 | 853.4 |
| Jun | 1865 | 1050 | 1458 | 843.3 |
| Jul | 1864 | 949 | 1356 | 853.4 |
| Aug | 1966 | 949 | 1457 | 582.3 |
| Sep | 2170 | 1051 | 1660 | 461.8 |
| Oct | 2475 | 1355 | 1865 | 963.8 |
| Nov | 2577 | 1558 | 2067 | 2228.7 |
| Dec | 2577 | 1661 | 2069 | 38815 |
| Year | 2577 | 949 | 1864 | 2,38394 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87% | 80% | 6.0 | 13:09 |
| Feb | 88% | 77% | 5.9 | 12:44 |
| Mar | 89% | 68% | 5.7 | 12:15 |
| Apr | 88% | 52% | 5.3 | 11:41 |
| May | 88% | 42% | 4.5 | 11:14 |
| Jun | 88% | 39% | 4.1 | 10:00 |
| Jul | 87% | 42% | 4.3 | 11:06 |
| Aug | 85% | 40% | 5.1 | 11:29 |
| Sep | 82% | 40% | 6.1 | 12:01 |
| Oct | 80% | 49% | 6.7 | 12:34 |
| Nov | 80% | 61% | 6.8 | 13:02 |
| Dec | 84% | 71% | 6.6 | 13:16 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Antananarivo is like
The warmest month is December, with an average high of 25 °C77 °F and a low of 16 °C61 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 18 °C64 °F and lows 9 °C49 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 7 °C12.5 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is very wet, receiving about 2,383 mm94 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 52% of the annual total. The wettest month is January (475 mm19 in), the driest is September (46 mm1.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 80% in October to 89% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 39%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in December to 10 km/h (6 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 11.0 hours in June to 13.3 hours in December.
Best time to visit Antananarivo
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and August–October: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 24 °C75 °F with 46 mm1.8 in to 96 mm3.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (475 mm19 in).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Antananarivo
- Wetter months (November–March) — highs 2474 to 25 °C77 °F, lows 1558 to 16 °C61 °F, about 354 mm14 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (April–October) — highs 1864 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 949 to 14 °C57 °F, about 88 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
How Antananarivo compares
Of the 7 places in Madagascar covered by World Climates, Antananarivo is the 6th warmest by annual mean temperature and the wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Madagascar climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Curitiba (Brazil, Cfb), Xalapa de Enríquez (Mexico, Cfb) and Baguio (Philippines, Cwb).
Nearby places
- Antsirabe 118 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,910 mm75 in
- Toamasina 214 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,952 mm77 in
- Fianarantsoa 286 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,774 mm70 in
- Mahajanga 378 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,457 mm57 in
- Toliara 636 km · 26 °C79 °F · 600 mm24 in
- Mamoudzou 725 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,003 mm39 in
- Antsiranana 757 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,104 mm43 in
- Saint-Paul 841 km · 26 °C78 °F · 632 mm25 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Antananarivo?
December is the warmest month in Antananarivo, with an average high of 25 °C (77 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
What is the coldest month in Antananarivo?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 18 °C (64 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (49 °F).
When does it rain the most in Antananarivo?
January is the wettest month with about 475 mm (18.7 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 46 mm (1.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Antananarivo?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and August–October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,425 m, while Antananarivo lies at about 1,274 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1 °C1.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.