Lira climate
Lira (Uganda) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 25 °C77 °F, and about 953 mm38 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Lira climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3492 | 1967 | 2679 | 240.9 |
| Feb | 3594 | 2068 | 2781 | 281.1 |
| Mar | 3392 | 2169 | 2781 | 692.7 |
| Apr | 3087 | 2068 | 2577 | 1164.6 |
| May | 2883 | 2067 | 2475 | 1124.4 |
| Jun | 2883 | 1967 | 2475 | 763.0 |
| Jul | 2883 | 1966 | 2374 | 732.9 |
| Aug | 2883 | 1966 | 2474 | 1044.1 |
| Sep | 2985 | 1966 | 2476 | 1134.4 |
| Oct | 3086 | 1967 | 2576 | 1174.6 |
| Nov | 3087 | 1966 | 2476 | 763.0 |
| Dec | 3290 | 1865 | 2578 | 451.8 |
| Year | 3594 | 1865 | 2577 | 95338 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44% | 58% | 6.2 | 12:00 |
| Feb | 43% | 68% | 6.3 | 12:03 |
| Mar | 52% | 79% | 6.1 | 12:06 |
| Apr | 65% | 82% | 5.9 | 12:10 |
| May | 72% | 74% | 5.8 | 12:13 |
| Jun | 69% | 72% | 5.3 | 12:15 |
| Jul | 67% | 73% | 5.2 | 12:14 |
| Aug | 68% | 73% | 5.6 | 12:11 |
| Sep | 66% | 70% | 6.1 | 12:07 |
| Oct | 66% | 77% | 6.1 | 12:04 |
| Nov | 64% | 73% | 5.9 | 12:01 |
| Dec | 52% | 58% | 6.0 | 11:59 |
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 Lira is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 35 °C94 °F and a low of 20 °C68 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 28 °C83 °F and lows 19 °C66 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 4 °C7.1 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 953 mm38 in. The wettest three-month stretch is August–October, which brings 35% of the annual total. The wettest month is October (117 mm4.6 in), the driest is January (24 mm0.9 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 43% in February to 72% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 58%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in June to 10 km/h (6 mph) in February.
Best time to visit Lira
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June and July: average highs of 28 °C83 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 73 mm2.9 in to 76 mm3.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is February, which is hot, with average highs of 35 °C94 °F.
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 Lira
- Wetter months (April and May, August–October) — highs 2883 to 30 °C87 °F, lows 1966 to 20 °C68 °F, about 112 mm4.4 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 (November–March, June and July) — highs 2883 to 35 °C94 °F, lows 1865 to 21 °C69 °F, about 56 mm2.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Lira compares
Compared with Gulu, about 89 km to the northwest, Lira has practically the same average temperature and receives 12% less precipitation (953 mm38 in vs 1,084 mm43 in). The difference is largest in August (0.9 °C1.6 °F warmer).
Of the 15 places in Uganda covered by World Climates, Lira is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 15th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Uganda climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Yei (South Sudan, Aw), Bakwa (DR Congo, Aw) and Arba Minch (Ethiopia, Aw).
Nearby places
- Gulu 89 km · 25 °C76 °F · 1,084 mm43 in
- Masindi 146 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,049 mm41 in
- Mbale 192 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,668 mm66 in
- Hoima 194 km · 24 °C75 °F · 1,063 mm42 in
- Njeru 203 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,500 mm59 in
- Lugazi 209 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,500 mm59 in
- Kampala 218 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,397 mm55 in
- Mityana 226 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,330 mm52 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Lira?
February is the warmest month in Lira, with an average high of 35 °C (94 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (68 °F).
What is the coldest month in Lira?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
When does it rain the most in Lira?
October is the wettest month with about 117 mm (4.6 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 24 mm (0.9 in).
What is the best time to visit Lira?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June 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.