Kafue climate
Kafue (Zambia) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C73 °F, and about 717 mm28 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kafue climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2882 | 1966 | 2374 | 1837.2 |
| Feb | 2781 | 1965 | 2373 | 1335.2 |
| Mar | 2882 | 1864 | 2373 | 943.7 |
| Apr | 2883 | 1661 | 2272 | 281.1 |
| May | 2781 | 1356 | 2069 | 30.1 |
| Jun | 2578 | 1152 | 1865 | 10.0 |
| Jul | 2577 | 1050 | 1864 | 10.0 |
| Aug | 2883 | 1355 | 2069 | 00.0 |
| Sep | 3290 | 1661 | 2475 | 10.0 |
| Oct | 3594 | 1967 | 2781 | 100.4 |
| Nov | 3391 | 2069 | 2780 | 742.9 |
| Dec | 2984 | 2067 | 2476 | 1897.4 |
| Year | 3594 | 1050 | 2373 | 71728 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78% | 81% | 5.6 | 12:58 |
| Feb | 80% | 76% | 5.6 | 12:38 |
| Mar | 76% | 64% | 5.6 | 12:13 |
| Apr | 64% | 44% | 5.5 | 11:46 |
| May | 52% | 29% | 5.4 | 11:23 |
| Jun | 50% | 30% | 4.9 | 11:12 |
| Jul | 47% | 28% | 5.0 | 11:16 |
| Aug | 40% | 20% | 5.9 | 11:35 |
| Sep | 34% | 19% | 6.5 | 12:02 |
| Oct | 36% | 32% | 6.8 | 12:29 |
| Nov | 50% | 63% | 6.3 | 12:52 |
| Dec | 72% | 81% | 5.7 | 13:04 |
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 Kafue is like
The warmest month is October, with an average high of 35 °C94 °F and a low of 19 °C67 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 25 °C77 °F and lows 10 °C50 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 9.3 °C16.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 717 mm28 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 70% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is December (189 mm7.4 in), the driest is August (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 34% in September to 80% 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 14 km/h (8 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 11.2 hours in June to 13.1 hours in December.
Best time to visit Kafue
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March–August: average highs of 25 °C77 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 94 mm3.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is very wet (189 mm7.4 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 Kafue
- Wetter months (November–March) — highs 2781 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 1864 to 20 °C69 °F, about 135 mm5.3 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 2577 to 35 °C94 °F, lows 1050 to 19 °C67 °F, about 6 mm0.2 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 Kafue compares
Compared with Lusaka, about 42 km to the north, Kafue is on average 1.7 °C3 °F warmer and receives 8% less precipitation (717 mm28 in vs 780 mm31 in). The difference is largest in January (2 °C3.7 °F warmer).
Of the 15 places in Zambia covered by World Climates, Kafue is the 3rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 14th 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: Kadoma (Zimbabwe, Cwa), Menongue (Angola, Aw) and Dodoma (Tanzania, BSh).
Nearby places
- Lusaka 42 km · 21 °C70 °F · 780 mm31 in
- Mazabuka 47 km · 22 °C72 °F · 768 mm30 in
- Kabwe 150 km · 21 °C70 °F · 950 mm37 in
- Luanshya 294 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,032 mm41 in
- Ndola 316 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,036 mm41 in
- Kitwe 330 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,032 mm41 in
- Livingstone 338 km · 23 °C74 °F · 613 mm24 in
- Kadoma 340 km · 21 °C70 °F · 710 mm28 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kafue?
October is the warmest month in Kafue, with an average high of 35 °C (94 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (67 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kafue?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 25 °C (77 °F) and an average low of 10 °C (50 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kafue?
December is the wettest month with about 189 mm (7.4 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Kafue?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March–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.