Kolwezi climate
Kolwezi (DR Congo) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 20 °C68 °F, and about 1,150 mm45 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kolwezi climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2374 | 1661 | 2067 | 2369.3 |
| Feb | 2475 | 1661 | 2068 | 1566.2 |
| Mar | 2475 | 1661 | 2068 | 1716.7 |
| Apr | 2576 | 1559 | 2067 | 612.4 |
| May | 2577 | 1254 | 1966 | 40.2 |
| Jun | 2576 | 1050 | 1763 | 00.0 |
| Jul | 2578 | 1049 | 1864 | 00.0 |
| Aug | 2883 | 1355 | 2069 | 60.2 |
| Sep | 3188 | 1661 | 2374 | 140.5 |
| Oct | 3086 | 1763 | 2474 | 672.6 |
| Nov | 2679 | 1762 | 2170 | 1847.2 |
| Dec | 2475 | 1661 | 2068 | 25310.0 |
| Year | 3188 | 1049 | 2068 | 1,15045 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 85% | 92% | 4.8 | 12:41 |
| Feb | 83% | 91% | 5.0 | 12:27 |
| Mar | 83% | 86% | 5.2 | 12:11 |
| Apr | 79% | 62% | 5.6 | 11:52 |
| May | 67% | 32% | 5.8 | 11:38 |
| Jun | 57% | 20% | 5.6 | 11:30 |
| Jul | 49% | 20% | 5.7 | 11:33 |
| Aug | 39% | 30% | 5.8 | 11:46 |
| Sep | 38% | 54% | 5.9 | 12:03 |
| Oct | 56% | 75% | 5.7 | 12:22 |
| Nov | 76% | 87% | 5.1 | 12:37 |
| Dec | 83% | 92% | 4.9 | 12:45 |
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 Kolwezi is like
The warmest month is October, with an average high of 30 °C86 °F and a low of 17 °C63 °F. The coldest is June, when highs average 25 °C76 °F and lows 10 °C50 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.3 °C11.3 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,150 mm45 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 58% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is December (253 mm10.0 in), the driest is July (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 38% in September to 85% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 20%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in February to 12 km/h (7 mph) in August. Daylight lasts from about 11.5 hours in June to 12.7 hours in December.
Best time to visit Kolwezi
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–August: average highs of 25 °C76 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 61 mm2.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is very wet (253 mm10.0 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 Kolwezi
- Wetter months (November–March) — highs 2374 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 1661 to 17 °C62 °F, about 200 mm7.9 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 2576 to 31 °C88 °F, lows 1049 to 17 °C63 °F, about 22 mm0.8 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 Kolwezi compares
Compared with Lubumbashi, about 243 km to the southeast, Kolwezi is on average 0.7 °C1.2 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in November (2.6 °C4.6 °F cooler).
Of the 36 places in the DR Congo covered by World Climates, Kolwezi is the 34th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 25th 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: Solwezi (Zambia, Cwa), Huambo (Angola, Cwa) and Cuíto (Angola, Cwa).
Nearby places
- Likasi 142 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,052 mm41 in
- Bukama 173 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,023 mm40 in
- Solwezi 190 km · 20 °C69 °F · 1,201 mm47 in
- Kamina 226 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,138 mm45 in
- Kipushi 227 km · 20 °C69 °F · 1,198 mm47 in
- Lubumbashi 243 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,120 mm44 in
- Tshilenge 282 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,103 mm43 in
- Mwene 301 km · 24 °C75 °F · 1,114 mm44 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kolwezi?
October is the warmest month in Kolwezi, with an average high of 30 °C (86 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (63 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kolwezi?
June is the coldest month, with an average high of 25 °C (76 °F) and an average low of 10 °C (50 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kolwezi?
December is the wettest month with about 253 mm (10.0 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Kolwezi?
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 1,379 m, while Kolwezi lies at about 1,485 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.7 °C1.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.