Gisenyi climate
Gisenyi (Rwanda) has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C70 °F, and about 1,692 mm67 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Gisenyi climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2577 | 1762 | 2170 | 1265.0 |
| Feb | 2679 | 1763 | 2271 | 1275.0 |
| Mar | 2679 | 1763 | 2271 | 2068.1 |
| Apr | 2577 | 1763 | 2170 | 1837.2 |
| May | 2577 | 1762 | 2169 | 1425.6 |
| Jun | 2576 | 1661 | 2069 | 732.9 |
| Jul | 2577 | 1660 | 2069 | 451.8 |
| Aug | 2578 | 1762 | 2170 | 923.6 |
| Sep | 2578 | 1763 | 2170 | 1395.5 |
| Oct | 2577 | 1763 | 2170 | 1907.5 |
| Nov | 2577 | 1762 | 2170 | 2178.6 |
| Dec | 2577 | 1762 | 2169 | 1536.0 |
| Year | 2679 | 1660 | 2170 | 1,69267 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79% | 82% | 4.8 | 12:12 |
| Feb | 76% | 84% | 5.0 | 12:10 |
| Mar | 79% | 86% | 4.9 | 12:07 |
| Apr | 83% | 90% | 4.7 | 12:04 |
| May | 84% | 85% | 4.6 | 12:02 |
| Jun | 78% | 72% | 4.7 | 12:01 |
| Jul | 72% | 66% | 4.9 | 12:02 |
| Aug | 71% | 76% | 4.8 | 12:04 |
| Sep | 75% | 82% | 5.0 | 12:06 |
| Oct | 80% | 87% | 4.9 | 12:09 |
| Nov | 82% | 88% | 4.6 | 12:12 |
| Dec | 82% | 84% | 4.7 | 12:13 |
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 Gisenyi is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 26 °C79 °F and a low of 17 °C63 °F. The coldest is June, when highs average 25 °C76 °F and lows 16 °C61 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 1.3 °C2.4 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,692 mm67 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is October–December, which brings 33% of the annual total. The wettest month is November (217 mm8.6 in), the driest is July (45 mm1.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 71% in August to 84% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 66%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in November to 6 km/h (4 mph) in July.
Best time to visit Gisenyi
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–August: average highs of 25 °C76 °F to 25 °C78 °F with 45 mm1.8 in to 92 mm3.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is March, which is very wet (206 mm8.1 in) and humid (79% 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 Gisenyi
- Wetter months (March–May, October–December) — highs 2577 to 26 °C79 °F, lows around 17 °C62 °F, about 182 mm7.2 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 1660 to 17 °C63 °F, about 100 mm3.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Gisenyi compares
Compared with Kigali, about 93 km to the east, Gisenyi is on average 0.7 °C1.3 °F warmer and receives 31% more precipitation (1,692 mm67 in vs 1,291 mm51 in). The difference is largest in May (1.2 °C2.2 °F warmer).
Of the 3 places in Rwanda covered by World Climates, Gisenyi is the 2nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Rwanda climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Kisii (Kenya, Af), Mérida (Venezuela, Aw) and Ibanda (Uganda, Af).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Musanze (pop. 153,368). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Gisenyi, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Kigali 93 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,291 mm51 in
- Bukavu 99 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,705 mm67 in
- Nyagatare 127 km · 21 °C71 °F · 1,137 mm45 in
- Bujumbura 187 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,808 mm71 in
- Mbarara 197 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,092 mm43 in
- Butembo 205 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,532 mm60 in
- Gitega 206 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,339 mm53 in
- Ibanda 222 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,243 mm49 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Gisenyi?
February is the warmest month in Gisenyi, with an average high of 26 °C (79 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (63 °F).
What is the coldest month in Gisenyi?
June is the coldest month, with an average high of 25 °C (76 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
When does it rain the most in Gisenyi?
November is the wettest month with about 217 mm (8.6 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 45 mm (1.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Gisenyi?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–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 — 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 2,025 m, while Gisenyi lies at about 1,461 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +3.7 °C6.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.