Kisumu climate
Kisumu (Kenya) has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C74 °F, and about 2,009 mm79 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kisumu climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3085 | 1864 | 2475 | 773.0 |
| Feb | 3188 | 1865 | 2577 | 632.5 |
| Mar | 3188 | 1966 | 2577 | 1706.7 |
| Apr | 2984 | 1967 | 2475 | 29912 |
| May | 2781 | 1966 | 2374 | 26811 |
| Jun | 2679 | 1965 | 2272 | 1435.6 |
| Jul | 2679 | 1865 | 2272 | 1124.4 |
| Aug | 2780 | 1865 | 2373 | 1485.8 |
| Sep | 2882 | 1966 | 2374 | 1626.4 |
| Oct | 2883 | 1966 | 2475 | 2118.3 |
| Nov | 2882 | 1965 | 2374 | 2309.1 |
| Dec | 2883 | 1864 | 2374 | 1275.0 |
| Year | 3188 | 1864 | 2374 | 2,00979 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64% | 56% | 6.3 | 12:07 |
| Feb | 60% | 57% | 6.6 | 12:07 |
| Mar | 64% | 67% | 6.5 | 12:07 |
| Apr | 74% | 77% | 6.0 | 12:07 |
| May | 78% | 68% | 5.8 | 12:07 |
| Jun | 77% | 60% | 5.5 | 12:07 |
| Jul | 75% | 55% | 5.5 | 12:07 |
| Aug | 74% | 61% | 5.8 | 12:07 |
| Sep | 72% | 63% | 6.3 | 12:07 |
| Oct | 73% | 70% | 6.2 | 12:07 |
| Nov | 75% | 70% | 5.9 | 12:07 |
| Dec | 70% | 59% | 6.0 | 12:08 |
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 Kisumu is like
The warmest month is March, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 19 °C66 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 26 °C79 °F and lows 18 °C65 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2.9 °C5.2 °F.
It is very wet, receiving about 2,009 mm79 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 37% of the annual total. The wettest month is April (299 mm12 in), the driest is February (63 mm2.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 60% in February to 78% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 55%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (3 mph) in May to 9 km/h (6 mph) in February.
Best time to visit Kisumu
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are January and February and July: average highs of 26 °C79 °F to 31 °C88 °F with 63 mm2.5 in to 112 mm4.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is very wet (299 mm12 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 Kisumu
- Wetter months (March–May, October and November) — highs 2781 to 31 °C88 °F, lows around 19 °C65 °F, about 236 mm9.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (December–February, June–September) — highs 2679 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 1864 to 19 °C66 °F, about 119 mm4.7 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 Kisumu compares
Compared with Kakamega, about 43 km to the north, Kisumu is on average 2.9 °C5.2 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in December (3.2 °C5.7 °F warmer).
Of the 18 places in Kenya covered by World Climates, Kisumu is the 7th warmest by annual mean temperature and the wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Kenya climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Ibagué (Colombia, Af), Kandy (Sri Lanka, Af) and Tuluá (Colombia, Af).
Nearby places
- Khwisero 36 km · 21 °C71 °F · 1,868 mm74 in
- Kakamega 43 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,950 mm77 in
- Kisii 64 km · 20 °C69 °F · 1,747 mm69 in
- Eldoret 89 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,950 mm77 in
- Kitale 127 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,846 mm73 in
- Tarime 146 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,089 mm43 in
- Mbale 147 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,668 mm66 in
- Nakuru 147 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,233 mm49 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kisumu?
March is the warmest month in Kisumu, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kisumu?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 26 °C (79 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (65 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kisumu?
April is the wettest month with about 299 mm (11.8 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 63 mm (2.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Kisumu?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are January and February and July.
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 1,619 m, while Kisumu lies at about 1,174 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +2.9 °C5.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.