Livingstone climate
Livingstone (Zambia) has a hot semi-arid climate (Köppen BSh). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C74 °F, and about 613 mm24 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Livingstone climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3187 | 2068 | 2577 | 1395.5 |
| Feb | 3086 | 1967 | 2576 | 1265.0 |
| Mar | 3086 | 1965 | 2476 | 923.6 |
| Apr | 3086 | 1661 | 2373 | 331.3 |
| May | 2983 | 1355 | 2169 | 30.1 |
| Jun | 2679 | 1050 | 1864 | 60.2 |
| Jul | 2678 | 948 | 1763 | 00.0 |
| Aug | 3085 | 1254 | 2169 | 00.0 |
| Sep | 3493 | 1661 | 2577 | 20.1 |
| Oct | 3698 | 2068 | 2883 | 120.5 |
| Nov | 3594 | 2170 | 2882 | 632.5 |
| Dec | 3289 | 2069 | 2679 | 1365.4 |
| Year | 3698 | 948 | 2374 | 61324 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68% | 74% | 6.1 | 13:05 |
| Feb | 71% | 69% | 6.1 | 12:42 |
| Mar | 67% | 60% | 5.9 | 12:14 |
| Apr | 57% | 38% | 5.7 | 11:43 |
| May | 44% | 24% | 5.4 | 11:17 |
| Jun | 43% | 23% | 4.9 | 11:04 |
| Jul | 40% | 21% | 5.1 | 11:09 |
| Aug | 32% | 16% | 5.9 | 11:31 |
| Sep | 27% | 19% | 6.5 | 12:01 |
| Oct | 30% | 38% | 6.8 | 12:32 |
| Nov | 45% | 67% | 6.2 | 12:59 |
| Dec | 63% | 78% | 6.0 | 13:12 |
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 Livingstone is like
The warmest month is October, with an average high of 36 °C98 °F and a low of 20 °C68 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 26 °C78 °F and lows 9 °C48 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 10.8 °C19.5 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 613 mm24 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 65% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–October. The wettest month is January (139 mm5.5 in), the driest is August (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 27% in September to 71% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 16%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in May to 12 km/h (8 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 11.1 hours in June to 13.2 hours in December.
Best time to visit Livingstone
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–August: average highs of 26 °C78 °F to 30 °C86 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 33 mm1.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is October, which is hot, with average highs of 36 °C98 °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 Livingstone
- Wetter months (November–March) — highs 3086 to 35 °C94 °F, lows 1965 to 21 °C70 °F, about 111 mm4.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Drier months (April–October) — highs 2678 to 36 °C98 °F, lows 948 to 20 °C68 °F, about 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Livingstone compares
Compared with Lusaka, about 375 km to the northeast, Livingstone is on average 2.6 °C4.6 °F warmer and receives 21% less precipitation (613 mm24 in vs 780 mm31 in). The difference is largest in January (3.9 °C7 °F warmer).
Of the 15 places in Zambia covered by World Climates, Livingstone is the 2nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 15th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Zambia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Ondjiva (Angola, BSh), Francistown (Botswana, BSh) and Funtua (Nigeria, Aw).
Nearby places
- Mazabuka 299 km · 22 °C72 °F · 768 mm30 in
- Kafue 338 km · 23 °C73 °F · 717 mm28 in
- Lusaka 375 km · 21 °C70 °F · 780 mm31 in
- Bulawayo 385 km · 20 °C68 °F · 628 mm25 in
- Francistown 409 km · 23 °C73 °F · 485 mm19 in
- Mongu 409 km · 24 °C74 °F · 889 mm35 in
- Kadoma 433 km · 21 °C70 °F · 710 mm28 in
- Kwekwe 435 km · 21 °C69 °F · 690 mm27 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Livingstone?
October is the warmest month in Livingstone, with an average high of 36 °C (98 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (68 °F).
What is the coldest month in Livingstone?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 26 °C (78 °F) and an average low of 9 °C (48 °F).
When does it rain the most in Livingstone?
January is the wettest month with about 139 mm (5.5 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Livingstone?
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 1,035 m, while Livingstone lies at about 969 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.4 °C0.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.