Bujumbura climate
Bujumbura (Burundi) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C78 °F, and about 1,808 mm71 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Bujumbura climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2985 | 2271 | 2678 | 2027.9 |
| Feb | 3086 | 2272 | 2679 | 1686.6 |
| Mar | 3086 | 2272 | 2679 | 2198.6 |
| Apr | 2985 | 2271 | 2678 | 2138.4 |
| May | 2984 | 2170 | 2577 | 943.7 |
| Jun | 2984 | 2068 | 2476 | 291.1 |
| Jul | 2985 | 1967 | 2476 | 150.6 |
| Aug | 3187 | 2169 | 2678 | 421.7 |
| Sep | 3289 | 2271 | 2780 | 943.7 |
| Oct | 3188 | 2272 | 2780 | 1726.8 |
| Nov | 2985 | 2271 | 2678 | 34113 |
| Dec | 2985 | 2271 | 2578 | 2198.6 |
| Year | 3289 | 1967 | 2678 | 1,80871 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76% | 82% | 4.8 | 12:18 |
| Feb | 74% | 81% | 5.2 | 12:13 |
| Mar | 76% | 81% | 5.1 | 12:08 |
| Apr | 79% | 84% | 4.8 | 12:02 |
| May | 76% | 72% | 4.7 | 11:58 |
| Jun | 70% | 53% | 4.9 | 11:56 |
| Jul | 63% | 44% | 5.3 | 11:57 |
| Aug | 60% | 54% | 5.4 | 12:00 |
| Sep | 61% | 66% | 5.4 | 12:06 |
| Oct | 67% | 79% | 5.0 | 12:11 |
| Nov | 76% | 83% | 4.6 | 12:16 |
| Dec | 77% | 82% | 4.6 | 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 Bujumbura is like
The warmest month is September, with an average high of 32 °C89 °F and a low of 22 °C71 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 29 °C85 °F and lows 19 °C67 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.5 °C4.5 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,808 mm71 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 42% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: July. The wettest month is November (341 mm13 in), the driest is July (15 mm0.6 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 60% in August to 79% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 44%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 3 km/h (2 mph) in January to 5 km/h (3 mph) in August.
Best time to visit Bujumbura
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June and July: average highs of 29 °C84 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 15 mm0.6 in to 29 mm1.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is November, which is very wet (341 mm13 in) and humid (76% relative humidity).
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 Bujumbura
- Wetter months (October–April) — highs 2985 to 31 °C88 °F, lows around 22 °C71 °F, about 219 mm8.6 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 (May–September) — highs 2984 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1967 to 22 °C71 °F, about 55 mm2.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Bujumbura compares
Compared with Bukavu, about 115 km to the northwest, Bujumbura is on average 5.8 °C10.4 °F warmer and receives 6% more precipitation (1,808 mm71 in vs 1,705 mm67 in). The difference is largest in September (6.4 °C11.6 °F warmer).
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Warri (Nigeria, Aw), Sapele (Nigeria, Aw) and Duekoué (Ivory Coast, Aw).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Uvira (pop. 407,092). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Bujumbura, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Gitega 63 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,339 mm53 in
- Bukavu 115 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,705 mm67 in
- Kasulu 156 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,167 mm46 in
- Kigoma 169 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,183 mm47 in
- Kigali 177 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,291 mm51 in
- Gisenyi 187 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,692 mm67 in
- Nyagatare 255 km · 21 °C71 °F · 1,137 mm45 in
- Kalemie 286 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,143 mm45 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Bujumbura?
September is the warmest month in Bujumbura, with an average high of 32 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (71 °F).
What is the coldest month in Bujumbura?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 29 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (67 °F).
When does it rain the most in Bujumbura?
November is the wettest month with about 341 mm (13.4 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 15 mm (0.6 in).
What is the best time to visit Bujumbura?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June and July.
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 1,493 m, while Bujumbura lies at about 807 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +4.5 °C8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.