Kabwe climate
Kabwe (Zambia) has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C70 °F, and about 950 mm37 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kabwe climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2679 | 1763 | 2271 | 2529.9 |
| Feb | 2678 | 1763 | 2171 | 1867.3 |
| Mar | 2678 | 1662 | 2170 | 1194.7 |
| Apr | 2578 | 1457 | 2067 | 381.5 |
| May | 2577 | 1152 | 1865 | 30.1 |
| Jun | 2475 | 948 | 1661 | 10.0 |
| Jul | 2475 | 947 | 1661 | 10.0 |
| Aug | 2781 | 1152 | 1966 | 10.0 |
| Sep | 3188 | 1558 | 2373 | 00.0 |
| Oct | 3492 | 1865 | 2679 | 100.4 |
| Nov | 3289 | 1966 | 2577 | 963.8 |
| Dec | 2781 | 1864 | 2373 | 2449.6 |
| Year | 3492 | 947 | 2170 | 95037 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82% | 84% | 5.5 | 12:53 |
| Feb | 84% | 79% | 5.6 | 12:35 |
| Mar | 83% | 69% | 5.6 | 12:13 |
| Apr | 76% | 44% | 5.6 | 11:47 |
| May | 65% | 28% | 5.4 | 11:27 |
| Jun | 60% | 27% | 5.0 | 11:17 |
| Jul | 55% | 25% | 5.2 | 11:21 |
| Aug | 44% | 20% | 5.9 | 11:38 |
| Sep | 36% | 19% | 6.6 | 12:02 |
| Oct | 37% | 34% | 6.8 | 12:27 |
| Nov | 55% | 65% | 6.3 | 12:48 |
| Dec | 77% | 84% | 5.7 | 12:59 |
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 Kabwe is like
The warmest month is October, with an average high of 34 °C92 °F and a low of 18 °C65 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 24 °C75 °F and lows 9 °C47 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 9.7 °C17.5 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 950 mm37 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 72% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is January (252 mm9.9 in), the driest is September (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 36% in September to 84% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 19%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in February to 13 km/h (8 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 11.3 hours in June to 13.0 hours in December.
Best time to visit Kabwe
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–August: average highs of 24 °C75 °F to 27 °C81 °F with 1 mm0.0 in to 38 mm1.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (252 mm9.9 in) and humid (82% 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 Kabwe
- Wetter months (November–March) — highs 2678 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1662 to 19 °C66 °F, about 180 mm7.1 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 (April–October) — highs 2475 to 34 °C92 °F, lows 947 to 18 °C65 °F, about 8 mm0.3 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 Kabwe compares
Compared with Lusaka, about 108 km to the south, Kabwe has practically the same average temperature and receives 22% more precipitation (950 mm37 in vs 780 mm31 in). The difference is largest in May (0.8 °C1.4 °F cooler).
Of the 15 places in Zambia covered by World Climates, Kabwe is the 10th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 9th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Zambia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Lubumbashi (DR Congo, Cwa), Kipushi (DR Congo, Cwa) and Lilongwe (Malawi, Csa).
Nearby places
- Lusaka 108 km · 21 °C70 °F · 780 mm31 in
- Luanshya 146 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,032 mm41 in
- Kafue 150 km · 23 °C73 °F · 717 mm28 in
- Ndola 167 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,036 mm41 in
- Mazabuka 174 km · 22 °C72 °F · 768 mm30 in
- Kitwe 185 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,032 mm41 in
- Mufulira 212 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,133 mm45 in
- Chingola 222 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,133 mm45 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kabwe?
October is the warmest month in Kabwe, with an average high of 34 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (65 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kabwe?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (47 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kabwe?
January is the wettest month with about 252 mm (9.9 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Kabwe?
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 — 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 1,122 m, while Kabwe lies at about 1,191 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.5 °C0.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.