Masaka climate
Masaka (Uganda) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 22 °C72 °F, and about 1,241 mm49 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Masaka climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2678 | 2068 | 2373 | 793.1 |
| Feb | 2679 | 2170 | 2474 | 873.4 |
| Mar | 2577 | 2169 | 2373 | 1505.9 |
| Apr | 2475 | 2068 | 2271 | 1696.7 |
| May | 2374 | 2068 | 2271 | 1465.7 |
| Jun | 2475 | 2067 | 2271 | 361.4 |
| Jul | 2475 | 1967 | 2271 | 351.4 |
| Aug | 2576 | 2068 | 2272 | 652.6 |
| Sep | 2577 | 2068 | 2373 | 933.7 |
| Oct | 2476 | 2068 | 2272 | 1254.9 |
| Nov | 2475 | 2067 | 2271 | 1505.9 |
| Dec | 2576 | 2068 | 2272 | 1054.1 |
| Year | 2679 | 1967 | 2272 | 1,24149 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | 70% | 5.1 | 12:08 |
| Feb | 65% | 74% | 5.4 | 12:07 |
| Mar | 71% | 80% | 5.1 | 12:07 |
| Apr | 77% | 83% | 4.9 | 12:06 |
| May | 77% | 76% | 4.8 | 12:06 |
| Jun | 69% | 67% | 4.9 | 12:06 |
| Jul | 65% | 64% | 5.0 | 12:06 |
| Aug | 65% | 72% | 4.9 | 12:06 |
| Sep | 66% | 75% | 5.1 | 12:07 |
| Oct | 71% | 81% | 5.0 | 12:07 |
| Nov | 74% | 81% | 4.8 | 12:08 |
| Dec | 69% | 73% | 4.8 | 12:08 |
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 Masaka is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 26 °C79 °F and a low of 21 °C70 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 24 °C75 °F and lows 19 °C67 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 2 °C3.5 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,241 mm49 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 37% of the annual total. The wettest month is April (169 mm6.7 in), the driest is July (35 mm1.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 65% in February to 77% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 64%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in November to 12 km/h (8 mph) in July.
Best time to visit Masaka
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are January and February and June–September: average highs of 24 °C75 °F to 26 °C79 °F with 35 mm1.4 in to 93 mm3.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is very wet (169 mm6.7 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 Masaka
- Wetter months (March–May, October–December) — highs 2374 to 25 °C77 °F, lows 2067 to 21 °C69 °F, about 141 mm5.5 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 (January and February, June–September) — highs 2475 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 1967 to 21 °C70 °F, about 66 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses.
How Masaka compares
Compared with Katabi, about 94 km to the northeast, Masaka is on average 1.2 °C2.2 °F cooler and receives 18% less precipitation (1,241 mm49 in vs 1,515 mm60 in). The difference is largest in March (1.4 °C2.5 °F cooler).
Of the 15 places in Uganda covered by World Climates, Masaka is the 10th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 9th 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 (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Nyagatare (Rwanda, Aw), Tarime (Tanzania, Aw) and Ocaña (Colombia, Aw).
Nearby places
- Mityana 89 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,330 mm52 in
- Katabi 94 km · 23 °C74 °F · 1,515 mm60 in
- Mubende 106 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,251 mm49 in
- Bukoba 111 km · 24 °C74 °F · 1,324 mm52 in
- Kampala 119 km · 22 °C71 °F · 1,397 mm55 in
- Mbarara 124 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,092 mm43 in
- Ibanda 139 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,243 mm49 in
- Lugazi 155 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,500 mm59 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Masaka?
February is the warmest month in Masaka, with an average high of 26 °C (79 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
What is the coldest month in Masaka?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 24 °C (75 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (67 °F).
When does it rain the most in Masaka?
April is the wettest month with about 169 mm (6.7 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 35 mm (1.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Masaka?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are January and February and June–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 1,163 m, while Masaka lies at about 1,292 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.