Kikwit climate
Kikwit (DR Congo) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C79 °F, and about 1,333 mm52 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kikwit climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3085 | 2171 | 2678 | 1265.0 |
| Feb | 3087 | 2271 | 2679 | 1325.2 |
| Mar | 3086 | 2271 | 2679 | 1636.4 |
| Apr | 2985 | 2271 | 2678 | 1395.5 |
| May | 3087 | 2171 | 2679 | 803.2 |
| Jun | 3290 | 2068 | 2679 | 180.7 |
| Jul | 3493 | 2069 | 2781 | 100.4 |
| Aug | 3392 | 2272 | 2882 | 502.0 |
| Sep | 3289 | 2271 | 2780 | 1174.6 |
| Oct | 3085 | 2271 | 2678 | 1666.5 |
| Nov | 2883 | 2170 | 2577 | 1817.1 |
| Dec | 2883 | 2170 | 2577 | 1515.9 |
| Year | 3493 | 2068 | 2679 | 1,33352 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78% | 85% | 4.8 | 12:23 |
| Feb | 77% | 86% | 4.9 | 12:16 |
| Mar | 79% | 84% | 5.0 | 12:09 |
| Apr | 83% | 82% | 4.9 | 12:00 |
| May | 76% | 66% | 4.8 | 11:53 |
| Jun | 59% | 43% | 4.8 | 11:50 |
| Jul | 48% | 43% | 4.7 | 11:51 |
| Aug | 58% | 54% | 4.5 | 11:57 |
| Sep | 70% | 63% | 4.8 | 12:05 |
| Oct | 79% | 75% | 5.0 | 12:14 |
| Nov | 84% | 82% | 4.9 | 12:21 |
| Dec | 83% | 87% | 4.6 | 12:25 |
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 Kikwit is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 22 °C72 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 28 °C83 °F and lows 21 °C70 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.9 °C5.3 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,333 mm52 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is October–December, which brings 37% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June and July. The wettest month is November (181 mm7.1 in), the driest is July (10 mm0.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 48% in July to 84% in November. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 43%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 1 km/h (1 mph) in April to 1 km/h (1 mph) in July.
Best time to visit Kikwit
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June: average highs of 30 °C87 °F to 32 °C90 °F with 18 mm0.7 in to 80 mm3.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is November, which is very wet (181 mm7.1 in) and humid (84% 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 Kikwit
- Wetter months (September–April) — highs 2883 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 2170 to 22 °C71 °F, about 147 mm5.8 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 (May–August) — highs 3087 to 34 °C93 °F, lows 2068 to 22 °C72 °F, about 40 mm1.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Kikwit compares
Compared with Tshikapa, about 267 km to the southeast, Kikwit is on average 0.4 °C0.7 °F cooler and receives 13% more precipitation (1,333 mm52 in vs 1,179 mm46 in). The difference is largest in May (0.7 °C1.3 °F cooler).
Of the 36 places in the DR Congo covered by World Climates, Kikwit is the 9th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 17th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the DR Congo climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Bouaflé (Ivory Coast, Aw), Daloa (Ivory Coast, Aw) and Yamoussoukro (Ivory Coast, Aw).
Nearby places
- Ilebo 211 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,375 mm54 in
- Bandundu Province 249 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,488 mm59 in
- Tshikapa 267 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,179 mm46 in
- Chitato 329 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,139 mm45 in
- Kinshasa 396 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,910 mm75 in
- Brazzaville 401 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,682 mm66 in
- Kananga 410 km · 25 °C78 °F · 1,242 mm49 in
- Inkisi 417 km · 25 °C76 °F · 1,546 mm61 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kikwit?
August is the warmest month in Kikwit, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kikwit?
December is the coldest month, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kikwit?
November is the wettest month with about 181 mm (7.1 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 10 mm (0.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Kikwit?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and June.
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 517 m, while Kikwit lies at about 466 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.3 °C0.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.