Malindi climate
Malindi (Kenya) has a tropical savanna (dry summer) climate (Köppen As). The average temperature over the year is 27 °C81 °F, and about 848 mm33 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Malindi climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3391 | 2475 | 2883 | 251.0 |
| Feb | 3492 | 2475 | 2984 | 120.5 |
| Mar | 3392 | 2577 | 2984 | 542.1 |
| Apr | 3289 | 2578 | 2883 | 1134.5 |
| May | 3086 | 2476 | 2781 | 1827.2 |
| Jun | 2984 | 2374 | 2679 | 662.6 |
| Jul | 2984 | 2272 | 2678 | 321.3 |
| Aug | 2985 | 2272 | 2678 | 271.1 |
| Sep | 3086 | 2373 | 2679 | 361.4 |
| Oct | 3188 | 2374 | 2781 | 963.8 |
| Nov | 3188 | 2475 | 2882 | 1234.8 |
| Dec | 3290 | 2476 | 2883 | 813.2 |
| Year | 3492 | 2272 | 2781 | 84833 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 72% | 41% | 6.3 | 12:17 |
| Feb | 70% | 38% | 6.5 | 12:13 |
| Mar | 72% | 42% | 6.5 | 12:08 |
| Apr | 77% | 53% | 5.8 | 12:02 |
| May | 79% | 55% | 4.9 | 11:58 |
| Jun | 75% | 50% | 5.0 | 11:56 |
| Jul | 72% | 45% | 5.2 | 11:57 |
| Aug | 72% | 39% | 5.9 | 12:01 |
| Sep | 72% | 35% | 6.4 | 12:06 |
| Oct | 74% | 38% | 6.5 | 12:11 |
| Nov | 77% | 39% | 6.5 | 12:16 |
| Dec | 76% | 36% | 6.5 | 12:18 |
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 Malindi is like
The warmest month is March, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 25 °C77 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 29 °C84 °F and lows 22 °C72 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 3.5 °C6.2 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 848 mm33 in. The wettest three-month stretch is April–June, which brings 43% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: February. The wettest month is May (182 mm7.2 in), the driest is February (12 mm0.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 70% in February to 79% in May. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 35%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 10 km/h (6 mph) in November to 18 km/h (11 mph) in July.
Best time to visit Malindi
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–August: average highs of 29 °C84 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 27 mm1.1 in to 66 mm2.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is May, which is hot, with average highs of 30 °C86 °F, very wet (182 mm7.2 in) and humid (79% relative humidity).
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 Malindi
- Wetter months (April and May, October–December) — highs 3086 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 2374 to 25 °C78 °F, about 119 mm4.7 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 (January–March, June–September) — highs 2984 to 34 °C92 °F, lows 2272 to 25 °C77 °F, about 36 mm1.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
How Malindi compares
Compared with Jomvu, about 102 km to the southwest, Malindi has practically the same average temperature and receives 5% less precipitation (848 mm33 in vs 894 mm35 in). The difference is largest in June (0.8 °C1.4 °F warmer).
Of the 18 places in Kenya covered by World Climates, Malindi is the 4th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 11th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Kenya climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Tanga (Tanzania, Aw), Cap-Haïtien (Haiti, BSh) and La Romana (Dominican Republic, BSh).
Nearby places
- Jomvu 102 km · 27 °C81 °F · 894 mm35 in
- Mombasa 106 km · 27 °C81 °F · 894 mm35 in
- Tanga 235 km · 27 °C80 °F · 987 mm39 in
- Moshi 309 km · 24 °C75 °F · 699 mm28 in
- Garissa 312 km · 28 °C83 °F · 510 mm20 in
- Handeni 339 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,455 mm57 in
- Zanzibar 343 km · 27 °C81 °F · 1,008 mm40 in
- Mwala 361 km · 22 °C71 °F · 656 mm26 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Malindi?
March is the warmest month in Malindi, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 25 °C (77 °F).
What is the coldest month in Malindi?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 29 °C (84 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
When does it rain the most in Malindi?
May is the wettest month with about 182 mm (7.2 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 12 mm (0.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Malindi?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–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 83 m, while Malindi lies at about 7 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.5 °C0.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.