Kigali climate
Kigali (Rwanda) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 20 °C68 °F, and about 1,291 mm51 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kigali climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2680 | 1559 | 2169 | 973.8 |
| Feb | 2781 | 1560 | 2170 | 1024.0 |
| Mar | 2679 | 1560 | 2169 | 1536.0 |
| Apr | 2576 | 1560 | 2068 | 1787.0 |
| May | 2476 | 1559 | 2067 | 1395.5 |
| Jun | 2577 | 1457 | 1967 | 502.0 |
| Jul | 2678 | 1356 | 1967 | 311.2 |
| Aug | 2780 | 1558 | 2169 | 562.2 |
| Sep | 2780 | 1560 | 2170 | 883.5 |
| Oct | 2679 | 1560 | 2169 | 1285.1 |
| Nov | 2577 | 1559 | 2068 | 1596.3 |
| Dec | 2678 | 1559 | 2068 | 1094.3 |
| Year | 2781 | 1356 | 2068 | 1,29151 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 74% | 76% | 5.0 | 12:13 |
| Feb | 72% | 78% | 5.2 | 12:11 |
| Mar | 76% | 82% | 5.0 | 12:07 |
| Apr | 82% | 85% | 4.8 | 12:04 |
| May | 82% | 76% | 4.8 | 12:02 |
| Jun | 74% | 61% | 5.0 | 12:01 |
| Jul | 66% | 58% | 5.2 | 12:01 |
| Aug | 65% | 68% | 5.0 | 12:03 |
| Sep | 68% | 74% | 5.1 | 12:06 |
| Oct | 74% | 81% | 5.0 | 12:09 |
| Nov | 79% | 82% | 4.7 | 12:12 |
| Dec | 77% | 78% | 4.8 | 12:14 |
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 Kigali is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 27 °C81 °F and a low of 15 °C60 °F. The coldest is June, when highs average 25 °C77 °F and lows 14 °C57 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 1.9 °C3.5 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,291 mm51 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 36% of the annual total. The wettest month is April (178 mm7.0 in), the driest is July (31 mm1.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 65% in August to 82% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 58%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (3 mph) in March to 5 km/h (3 mph) in September.
Best time to visit Kigali
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are January and June–September. Average highs then reach 25 °C77 °F to 27 °C80 °F. Precipitation is 31 mm1.2 in to 97 mm3.8 in per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is very wet (178 mm7.0 in).
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 Kigali
- Wetter months (March–May, October–December) — highs 2476 to 26 °C79 °F, lows around 15 °C59 °F, about 145 mm5.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (January and February, June–September) — highs 2577 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 1356 to 15 °C60 °F, about 71 mm2.8 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 Kigali compares
The nearest larger place is Kampala, about 377 km to the northeast. Compared with it, Kigali is on average 1.7 °C3 °F cooler. It receives 8% less precipitation (1,291 mm51 in vs 1,397 mm55 in). The difference is largest in February (2.6 °C4.6 °F cooler).
World Climates covers 3 places in Rwanda. By annual mean temperature, Kigali is the 3rd warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 2nd wettest. See all of them on the Rwanda climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall (with seasons shifted for the other hemisphere). The closest matches are Mbarara (Uganda, Aw), Mérida (Venezuela, Aw) and Ibanda (Uganda, Af).
Nearby places
- Climate in Nyagatare 78 km · 21 °C71 °F · 1,137 mm45 in
- Climate in Gisenyi 93 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,692 mm67 in
- Climate in Bukavu 148 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,705 mm67 in
- Climate in Mbarara 163 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,092 mm43 in
- Climate in Gitega 165 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,339 mm53 in
- Climate in Bujumbura 177 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,808 mm71 in
- Climate in Bukoba 207 km · 24 °C74 °F · 1,324 mm52 in
- Climate in Ibanda 208 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,243 mm49 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kigali?
February is the warmest month in Kigali. Its average high is 27 °C (81 °F) and its average low is 15 °C (60 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kigali?
June is the coldest month. Its average high is 25 °C (77 °F) and its average low is 14 °C (57 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kigali?
April is the wettest month with about 178 mm (7.0 in) of precipitation. July is the driest with about 31 mm (1.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Kigali?
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. 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 1,614 m, while Kigali lies at about 1,542 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.