Makumbako climate
Makumbako (Tanzania) has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C63 °F, and about 1,765 mm69 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Makumbako climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2272 | 1559 | 1965 | 35614 |
| Feb | 2272 | 1559 | 1965 | 29612 |
| Mar | 2272 | 1559 | 1865 | 33013 |
| Apr | 2170 | 1457 | 1763 | 2098.2 |
| May | 2068 | 1253 | 1660 | 662.6 |
| Jun | 1966 | 948 | 1457 | 200.8 |
| Jul | 1966 | 846 | 1356 | 281.1 |
| Aug | 2169 | 948 | 1559 | 190.7 |
| Sep | 2374 | 1151 | 1762 | 70.3 |
| Oct | 2577 | 1355 | 1966 | 331.3 |
| Nov | 2578 | 1457 | 2067 | 993.9 |
| Dec | 2475 | 1558 | 1967 | 30312 |
| Year | 2578 | 846 | 1763 | 1,76569 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86% | 84% | 5.4 | 12:35 |
| Feb | 87% | 78% | 5.8 | 12:24 |
| Mar | 88% | 75% | 5.8 | 12:10 |
| Apr | 90% | 59% | 5.7 | 11:55 |
| May | 87% | 35% | 5.7 | 11:43 |
| Jun | 83% | 22% | 5.7 | 11:37 |
| Jul | 79% | 20% | 5.9 | 11:39 |
| Aug | 75% | 21% | 6.3 | 11:49 |
| Sep | 70% | 22% | 6.9 | 12:04 |
| Oct | 68% | 36% | 7.0 | 12:19 |
| Nov | 72% | 54% | 6.6 | 12:32 |
| Dec | 81% | 76% | 5.8 | 12:38 |
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 Makumbako is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 25 °C78 °F and a low of 14 °C57 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 19 °C66 °F and lows 8 °C46 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 6.3 °C11.3 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,765 mm69 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is January–March, which brings 56% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June and August and September. The wettest month is January (356 mm14 in), the driest is September (7 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 68% in October to 90% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 20%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (3 mph) in February to 10 km/h (6 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 11.6 hours in June to 12.6 hours in December.
Best time to visit Makumbako
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–November: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 25 °C78 °F with 7 mm0.3 in to 99 mm3.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is very wet (356 mm14 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 Makumbako
- Wetter months (December–April) — highs 2170 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1457 to 15 °C59 °F, about 299 mm12 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 (May–November) — highs 1966 to 25 °C78 °F, lows 846 to 14 °C57 °F, about 39 mm1.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Makumbako compares
Compared with Mbeya, about 152 km to the west, Makumbako is on average 0.6 °C1.1 °F cooler and receives 16% more precipitation (1,765 mm69 in vs 1,521 mm60 in). The difference is largest in May (1 °C1.8 °F cooler).
Of the 34 places in Tanzania covered by World Climates, Makumbako is the 34th warmest by annual mean temperature and the wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Tanzania climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Comitán (Mexico, Csb), Antsirabe (Madagascar, Cwb) and Xalapa de Enríquez (Mexico, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Katumba 140 km · 20 °C67 °F · 1,521 mm60 in
- Mbeya 152 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,521 mm60 in
- Iringa 154 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,585 mm62 in
- Ifakara 219 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,182 mm47 in
- Songea 223 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,282 mm50 in
- Tunduma 232 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,273 mm50 in
- Mzuzu 304 km · 19 °C67 °F · 1,250 mm49 in
- Dodoma 314 km · 23 °C73 °F · 727 mm29 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Makumbako?
November is the warmest month in Makumbako, with an average high of 25 °C (78 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (57 °F).
What is the coldest month in Makumbako?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 19 °C (66 °F) and an average low of 8 °C (46 °F).
When does it rain the most in Makumbako?
January is the wettest month with about 356 mm (14.0 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 7 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Makumbako?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–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 1,524 m, while Makumbako lies at about 1,651 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.8 °C1.5 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.