Bukoba climate
Bukoba (Tanzania) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 24 °C74 °F, and about 1,324 mm52 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Bukoba climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2679 | 2272 | 2475 | 893.5 |
| Feb | 2679 | 2373 | 2576 | 1074.2 |
| Mar | 2678 | 2272 | 2475 | 1706.7 |
| Apr | 2576 | 2272 | 2374 | 1907.5 |
| May | 2476 | 2272 | 2374 | 1425.6 |
| Jun | 2576 | 2271 | 2373 | 341.3 |
| Jul | 2576 | 2170 | 2373 | 240.9 |
| Aug | 2577 | 2271 | 2474 | 491.9 |
| Sep | 2678 | 2272 | 2475 | 983.9 |
| Oct | 2577 | 2271 | 2474 | 1415.6 |
| Nov | 2476 | 2171 | 2373 | 1676.6 |
| Dec | 2577 | 2271 | 2374 | 1124.4 |
| Year | 2679 | 2170 | 2474 | 1,32452 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66% | 73% | 4.8 | 12:11 |
| Feb | 64% | 74% | 5.3 | 12:09 |
| Mar | 69% | 80% | 4.9 | 12:07 |
| Apr | 74% | 82% | 4.7 | 12:05 |
| May | 72% | 72% | 4.8 | 12:03 |
| Jun | 66% | 59% | 5.1 | 12:03 |
| Jul | 62% | 53% | 5.3 | 12:03 |
| Aug | 62% | 63% | 5.1 | 12:04 |
| Sep | 65% | 69% | 5.1 | 12:06 |
| Oct | 69% | 76% | 5.0 | 12:09 |
| Nov | 73% | 80% | 4.6 | 12:11 |
| Dec | 70% | 77% | 4.5 | 12:12 |
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 Bukoba is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 26 °C79 °F and a low of 23 °C73 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 25 °C76 °F and lows 21 °C70 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 1.8 °C3.2 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,324 mm52 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 38% of the annual total. The wettest month is April (190 mm7.5 in), the driest is July (24 mm0.9 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 62% in July to 74% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 53%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in November to 12 km/h (7 mph) in July.
Best time to visit Bukoba
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are January and June–September: average highs of 25 °C76 °F to 26 °C79 °F with 24 mm0.9 in to 98 mm3.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is very wet (190 mm7.5 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 Bukoba
- Wetter months (March–May, October–December) — highs 2476 to 26 °C78 °F, lows 2171 to 22 °C72 °F, about 154 mm6.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (January and February, June–September) — highs 2576 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 2170 to 23 °C73 °F, about 67 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Bukoba compares
Compared with Mbarara, about 153 km to the northwest, Bukoba is on average 2.7 °C4.8 °F warmer and receives 21% more precipitation (1,324 mm52 in vs 1,092 mm43 in). The difference is largest in May (3.1 °C5.5 °F warmer).
Of the 34 places in Tanzania covered by World Climates, Bukoba is the 14th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 7th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Tanzania climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Piedecuesta (Colombia, Aw), Bucaramanga (Colombia, Aw) and Ébolowa (Cameroon, Aw).
Nearby places
- Masaka 111 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,241 mm49 in
- Mbarara 153 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,092 mm43 in
- Nyagatare 166 km · 21 °C71 °F · 1,137 mm45 in
- Katabi 174 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,515 mm60 in
- Sengerema 175 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,092 mm43 in
- Geita 178 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,043 mm41 in
- Mwanza 179 km · 24 °C75 °F · 1,090 mm43 in
- Mityana 196 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,330 mm52 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Bukoba?
February is the warmest month in Bukoba, with an average high of 26 °C (79 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (73 °F).
What is the coldest month in Bukoba?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 25 °C (76 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
When does it rain the most in Bukoba?
April is the wettest month with about 190 mm (7.5 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 24 mm (0.9 in).
What is the best time to visit Bukoba?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are January and June–September.
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.