Manzini climate
Manzini (Eswatini) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C70 °F, and about 735 mm29 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Manzini climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3187 | 1865 | 2476 | 1375.4 |
| Feb | 3187 | 1865 | 2476 | 953.8 |
| Mar | 3086 | 1763 | 2374 | 863.4 |
| Apr | 2781 | 1458 | 2170 | 532.1 |
| May | 2679 | 1152 | 1966 | 150.6 |
| Jun | 2475 | 948 | 1661 | 100.4 |
| Jul | 2474 | 847 | 1661 | 110.4 |
| Aug | 2780 | 1050 | 1865 | 130.5 |
| Sep | 2985 | 1355 | 2170 | 291.1 |
| Oct | 3086 | 1558 | 2272 | 592.3 |
| Nov | 3187 | 1661 | 2374 | 1034.1 |
| Dec | 3188 | 1864 | 2476 | 1224.8 |
| Year | 3188 | 847 | 2170 | 73529 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 73% | 71% | 6.0 | 13:38 |
| Feb | 72% | 65% | 5.9 | 13:02 |
| Mar | 71% | 58% | 5.3 | 12:19 |
| Apr | 70% | 53% | 4.4 | 11:30 |
| May | 61% | 32% | 4.0 | 10:50 |
| Jun | 57% | 29% | 3.6 | 10:29 |
| Jul | 54% | 29% | 3.8 | 10:38 |
| Aug | 53% | 34% | 4.4 | 11:12 |
| Sep | 54% | 45% | 4.9 | 11:59 |
| Oct | 62% | 63% | 5.1 | 12:46 |
| Nov | 66% | 72% | 5.5 | 13:28 |
| Dec | 70% | 75% | 5.9 | 13:48 |
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 Manzini is like
The warmest month is December, with an average high of 31 °C88 °F and a low of 18 °C64 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 24 °C74 °F and lows 8 °C47 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 8.5 °C15.3 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 735 mm29 in. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 49% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–August. The wettest month is January (137 mm5.4 in), the driest is June (10 mm0.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 53% in August to 73% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 29%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in May to 8 km/h (5 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 10.5 hours in June to 13.8 hours in December.
Best time to visit Manzini
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–September: average highs of 24 °C74 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 10 mm0.4 in to 53 mm2.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is hot, with average highs of 31 °C87 °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 Manzini
- Summer (December–February) — highs around 31 °C87 °F, lows around 18 °C64 °F, about 118 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 2679 to 30 °C86 °F, lows 1152 to 17 °C63 °F, about 52 mm2.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 2474 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 847 to 10 °C50 °F, about 12 mm0.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2985 to 31 °C87 °F, lows 1355 to 16 °C61 °F, about 64 mm2.5 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 Manzini compares
Compared with Maputo, about 134 km to the northeast, Manzini is on average 2.2 °C3.9 °F cooler and receives 5% less precipitation (735 mm29 in vs 777 mm31 in). The difference is largest in June (3.5 °C6.2 °F cooler).
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Mbombela (South Africa, BSh), Thohoyandou (South Africa, BSh) and Imphal (India, Cwa).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Mbabane (pop. 76,218). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Manzini, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Mbombela 121 km · 21 °C70 °F · 685 mm27 in
- Ressano Garcia 133 km · 24 °C75 °F · 642 mm25 in
- Maputo 134 km · 23 °C74 °F · 777 mm31 in
- Ermelo 139 km · 15 °C59 °F · 796 mm31 in
- Vryheid 153 km · 17 °C63 °F · 765 mm30 in
- Newcastle 200 km · 18 °C65 °F · 747 mm29 in
- Standerton 218 km · 16 °C61 °F · 649 mm26 in
- Emalahleni 225 km · 16 °C61 °F · 656 mm26 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Manzini?
December is the warmest month in Manzini, with an average high of 31 °C (88 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (64 °F).
What is the coldest month in Manzini?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 24 °C (74 °F) and an average low of 8 °C (47 °F).
When does it rain the most in Manzini?
January is the wettest month with about 137 mm (5.4 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 10 mm (0.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Manzini?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–September.
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 833 m, while Manzini lies at about 601 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.5 °C2.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.