Arusha climate
Arusha (Tanzania) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 20 °C69 °F, and about 869 mm34 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Arusha climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2984 | 1661 | 2272 | 883.5 |
| Feb | 2985 | 1661 | 2373 | 732.9 |
| Mar | 2883 | 1661 | 2272 | 1054.1 |
| Apr | 2678 | 1560 | 2169 | 1475.8 |
| May | 2475 | 1457 | 1966 | 903.5 |
| Jun | 2475 | 1254 | 1864 | 180.7 |
| Jul | 2475 | 1152 | 1864 | 90.3 |
| Aug | 2578 | 1254 | 1966 | 140.5 |
| Sep | 2882 | 1355 | 2069 | 170.7 |
| Oct | 2883 | 1458 | 2170 | 662.6 |
| Nov | 2781 | 1560 | 2171 | 1335.2 |
| Dec | 2882 | 1661 | 2271 | 1104.3 |
| Year | 2985 | 1152 | 2069 | 86934 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64% | 57% | 6.3 | 12:18 |
| Feb | 63% | 57% | 6.5 | 12:13 |
| Mar | 69% | 66% | 6.1 | 12:08 |
| Apr | 77% | 74% | 5.2 | 12:02 |
| May | 79% | 67% | 4.6 | 11:58 |
| Jun | 74% | 61% | 4.4 | 11:56 |
| Jul | 69% | 55% | 4.7 | 11:57 |
| Aug | 65% | 55% | 5.2 | 12:00 |
| Sep | 60% | 44% | 6.1 | 12:06 |
| Oct | 62% | 55% | 6.2 | 12:11 |
| Nov | 70% | 65% | 5.8 | 12:16 |
| Dec | 69% | 64% | 6.0 | 12:19 |
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 Arusha is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 29 °C85 °F and a low of 16 °C61 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 24 °C75 °F and lows 11 °C52 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4.9 °C8.9 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 869 mm34 in. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 39% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–September. The wettest month is April (147 mm5.8 in), the driest is July (9 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 60% in September to 79% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 44%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in January to 14 km/h (9 mph) in September.
Best time to visit Arusha
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–October. Average highs then reach 24 °C75 °F to 28 °C83 °F. Precipitation is 9 mm0.3 in to 90 mm3.5 in per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is humid (77% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means 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 Arusha
- Wetter months (November–May) — highs 2475 to 29 °C85 °F, lows 1457 to 16 °C61 °F, about 107 mm4.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (June–October) — highs 2475 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1152 to 14 °C58 °F, about 25 mm1.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Arusha compares
The nearest larger place is Nairobi, about 232 km to the north. Compared with it, Arusha is on average 0.6 °C1.1 °F warmer. It receives 44% more precipitation (869 mm34 in vs 602 mm24 in). The difference is largest in December (2.1 °C3.8 °F warmer).
World Climates covers 34 places in Tanzania. By annual mean temperature, Arusha is the 27th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 32nd wettest. See all of them on the Tanzania climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Nairobi (Kenya, Aw), Ruiru (Kenya, Aw) and Thika (Kenya, Aw).
Nearby places
- Climate in Moshi 72 km · 24 °C75 °F · 699 mm28 in
- Climate in Nairobi 232 km · 20 °C68 °F · 602 mm24 in
- Climate in Mwala 240 km · 22 °C71 °F · 656 mm26 in
- Climate in Ruiru 249 km · 21 °C69 °F · 788 mm31 in
- Climate in Thika 263 km · 21 °C69 °F · 788 mm31 in
- Climate in Singida 269 km · 20 °C69 °F · 964 mm38 in
- Climate in Handeni 273 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,455 mm57 in
- Climate in Karuri 302 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,192 mm47 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Arusha?
February is the warmest month in Arusha. Its average high is 29 °C (85 °F) and its average low is 16 °C (61 °F).
What is the coldest month in Arusha?
July is the coldest month. Its average high is 24 °C (75 °F) and its average low is 11 °C (52 °F).
When does it rain the most in Arusha?
April is the wettest month with about 147 mm (5.8 in) of precipitation. July is the driest with about 9 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Arusha?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–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. The gaps are largest 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 1,202 m, while Arusha lies at about 1,415 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −1.4 °C2.5 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.