Gaborone climate
Gaborone (Botswana) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 22 °C71 °F, and about 503 mm20 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Gaborone climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3493 | 2068 | 2780 | 863.4 | 0 |
| Feb | 3391 | 2067 | 2679 | 783.1 | 0 |
| Mar | 3188 | 1763 | 2476 | 692.7 | 0 |
| Apr | 2883 | 1457 | 2170 | 411.6 | 0 |
| May | 2678 | 1049 | 1864 | 110.4 | 0 |
| Jun | 2272 | 643 | 1457 | 120.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 2272 | 541 | 1457 | 20.1 | 1 |
| Aug | 2679 | 847 | 1763 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Sep | 3187 | 1254 | 2271 | 110.4 | 0 |
| Oct | 3392 | 1661 | 2577 | 351.4 | 0 |
| Nov | 3493 | 1864 | 2679 | 672.6 | 0 |
| Dec | 3493 | 2067 | 2780 | 903.5 | 0 |
| Year | 3493 | 541 | 2271 | 50320 | 2 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53% | 53% | 7.1 | 13:30 |
| Feb | 54% | 53% | 6.5 | 12:57 |
| Mar | 55% | 45% | 5.9 | 12:18 |
| Apr | 55% | 40% | 5.0 | 11:33 |
| May | 47% | 25% | 4.6 | 10:56 |
| Jun | 48% | 19% | 4.2 | 10:37 |
| Jul | 43% | 17% | 4.5 | 10:45 |
| Aug | 35% | 18% | 5.3 | 11:16 |
| Sep | 30% | 27% | 6.3 | 11:59 |
| Oct | 36% | 39% | 6.9 | 12:43 |
| Nov | 43% | 53% | 7.1 | 13:21 |
| Dec | 51% | 57% | 7.1 | 13:39 |
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 Gaborone is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 34 °C93 °F and a low of 20 °C68 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 22 °C72 °F and lows 5 °C41 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 13.1 °C23.6 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 503 mm20 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 50% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is December (90 mm3.5 in), the driest is August (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 30% in September to 55% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 17%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in May to 11 km/h (7 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 10.6 hours in June to 13.7 hours in December.
Best time to visit Gaborone
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–August. Average highs then reach 22 °C72 °F to 28 °C83 °F. Precipitation is 2 mm0.1 in to 41 mm1.6 in per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is hot, with average highs of 34 °C93 °F.
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 Gaborone
- Summer (December–February) — highs 3391 to 34 °C93 °F, lows around 20 °C67 °F, about 84 mm3.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2678 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 1049 to 17 °C63 °F, about 40 mm1.6 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.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 2272 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 541 to 8 °C47 °F, about 5 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 3187 to 34 °C93 °F, lows 1254 to 18 °C64 °F, about 38 mm1.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Gaborone compares
The nearest larger place is Rustenburg, about 175 km to the southeast. Compared with it, Gaborone is on average 1.6 °C2.9 °F warmer. It receives 14% less precipitation (503 mm20 in vs 585 mm23 in). The difference is largest in January (2.1 °C3.8 °F warmer).
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Santiago del Estero (Argentina, BSh), Catamarca (Argentina, BSh) and Mokopane (South Africa, BSh).
Nearby places
- Climate in Rustenburg 175 km · 20 °C68 °F · 585 mm23 in
- Climate in Carletonville 242 km · 17 °C63 °F · 584 mm23 in
- Climate in Krugersdorp 246 km · 16 °C61 °F · 633 mm25 in
- Climate in Klerksdorp 256 km · 19 °C66 °F · 528 mm21 in
- Climate in Potchefstroom 259 km · 19 °C66 °F · 554 mm22 in
- Climate in Roodepoort 259 km · 16 °C60 °F · 642 mm25 in
- Climate in Pretoria 259 km · 19 °C66 °F · 571 mm22 in
- Climate in Soweto 266 km · 17 °C62 °F · 586 mm23 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Gaborone?
January is the warmest month in Gaborone. Its average high is 34 °C (93 °F) and its average low is 20 °C (68 °F).
What is the coldest month in Gaborone?
July is the coldest month. Its average high is 22 °C (72 °F) and its average low is 5 °C (41 °F).
When does it rain the most in Gaborone?
December is the wettest month with about 90 mm (3.5 in) of precipitation. August is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Gaborone?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–August.
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 1,108 m, while Gaborone lies at about 1,011 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.6 °C1.1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.