Lichinga climate
Lichinga (Mozambique) has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). The average temperature over the year is 20 °C68 °F, and about 1,025 mm40 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Lichinga climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2374 | 1865 | 2169 | 30112 |
| Feb | 2374 | 1864 | 2169 | 2228.7 |
| Mar | 2374 | 1763 | 2068 | 1495.9 |
| Apr | 2373 | 1560 | 1966 | 451.8 |
| May | 2271 | 1356 | 1763 | 120.5 |
| Jun | 2169 | 1152 | 1661 | 30.1 |
| Jul | 2169 | 1151 | 1660 | 70.3 |
| Aug | 2374 | 1355 | 1864 | 80.3 |
| Sep | 2780 | 1559 | 2170 | 30.1 |
| Oct | 2984 | 1864 | 2374 | 120.5 |
| Nov | 2985 | 1967 | 2476 | 461.8 |
| Dec | 2578 | 1966 | 2272 | 2168.5 |
| Year | 2985 | 1151 | 2068 | 1,02540 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 77% | 89% | 5.0 | 12:50 |
| Feb | 78% | 85% | 5.2 | 12:33 |
| Mar | 78% | 77% | 5.3 | 12:12 |
| Apr | 75% | 60% | 5.2 | 11:49 |
| May | 70% | 45% | 5.0 | 11:30 |
| Jun | 67% | 46% | 4.5 | 11:21 |
| Jul | 63% | 49% | 4.6 | 11:25 |
| Aug | 56% | 43% | 5.3 | 11:40 |
| Sep | 50% | 35% | 6.1 | 12:03 |
| Oct | 48% | 43% | 6.4 | 12:25 |
| Nov | 52% | 60% | 6.2 | 12:45 |
| Dec | 69% | 83% | 5.4 | 12:54 |
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 Lichinga is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 29 °C85 °F and a low of 19 °C67 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 21 °C69 °F and lows 11 °C51 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.5 °C15.2 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,025 mm40 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 72% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is January (301 mm12 in), the driest is September (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 48% in October to 78% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 35%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in February to 16 km/h (10 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 11.3 hours in June to 12.9 hours in December.
Best time to visit Lichinga
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–November: average highs of 21 °C69 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 3 mm0.1 in to 46 mm1.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (301 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 Lichinga
- Wetter months (December–March) — highs 2374 to 25 °C78 °F, lows 1763 to 19 °C66 °F, about 222 mm8.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (April–November) — highs 2169 to 29 °C85 °F, lows 1151 to 19 °C67 °F, about 17 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Lichinga compares
Compared with Lilongwe, about 173 km to the southwest, Lichinga is on average 1.1 °C2 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in January (1.5 °C2.6 °F cooler).
Of the 17 places in Mozambique covered by World Climates, Lichinga is the 17th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 10th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Mozambique climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Kasama (Zambia, Csa), Lilongwe (Malawi, Csa) and Irapuato (Mexico, Csa).
Nearby places
- Mandimba 124 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,093 mm43 in
- Lilongwe 173 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,047 mm41 in
- Zomba 231 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,244 mm49 in
- Mzuzu 244 km · 19 °C67 °F · 1,250 mm49 in
- Blantyre 276 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,176 mm46 in
- Chipata 282 km · 21 °C70 °F · 939 mm37 in
- Songea 296 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,282 mm50 in
- Gurúè 304 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,570 mm62 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Lichinga?
November is the warmest month in Lichinga, with an average high of 29 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (67 °F).
What is the coldest month in Lichinga?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 21 °C (69 °F) and an average low of 11 °C (51 °F).
When does it rain the most in Lichinga?
January is the wettest month with about 301 mm (11.8 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Lichinga?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–November.
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 767 m, while Lichinga lies at about 1,349 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −3.8 °C6.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.