Maseru climate
Maseru (Lesotho) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 16 °C60 °F, and about 670 mm26 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Maseru climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2985 | 1559 | 2272 | 1024.0 | 0 |
| Feb | 2882 | 1458 | 2170 | 923.6 | 0 |
| Mar | 2679 | 1254 | 1967 | 742.9 | 0 |
| Apr | 2271 | 847 | 1559 | 632.5 | 0 |
| May | 1865 | 541 | 1253 | 220.9 | 2 |
| Jun | 1559 | 134 | 846 | 210.8 | 9 |
| Jul | 1559 | 133 | 846 | 80.3 | 11 |
| Aug | 1865 | 337 | 1051 | 220.9 | 7 |
| Sep | 2374 | 744 | 1559 | 190.7 | 1 |
| Oct | 2679 | 1050 | 1864 | 612.4 | 0 |
| Nov | 2781 | 1253 | 1967 | 843.3 | 0 |
| Dec | 2984 | 1457 | 2170 | 1034.1 | 0 |
| Year | 2985 | 133 | 1660 | 67026 | 31 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57% | 54% | 7.3 | 13:49 |
| Feb | 60% | 56% | 6.6 | 13:09 |
| Mar | 60% | 49% | 5.8 | 12:20 |
| Apr | 61% | 45% | 4.7 | 11:25 |
| May | 57% | 37% | 4.0 | 10:40 |
| Jun | 58% | 32% | 3.5 | 10:17 |
| Jul | 53% | 25% | 3.9 | 10:26 |
| Aug | 49% | 27% | 4.7 | 11:05 |
| Sep | 41% | 36% | 5.8 | 11:58 |
| Oct | 46% | 46% | 6.7 | 12:51 |
| Nov | 50% | 49% | 7.4 | 13:38 |
| Dec | 54% | 55% | 7.6 | 14:01 |
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 Maseru is like
The warmest month is January, with an average high of 29 °C85 °F and a low of 15 °C59 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 15 °C59 °F and lows 1 °C33 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 14.2 °C25.5 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 670 mm26 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 44% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: July and September. The wettest month is December (103 mm4.1 in), the driest is July (8 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 41% in September to 61% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 25%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in April to 10 km/h (6 mph) in November. Daylight lasts from about 10.3 hours in June to 14.0 hours in December.
Best time to visit Maseru
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are February–May and September–November: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 19 mm0.7 in to 92 mm3.6 in of precipitation per month.
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 Maseru
- Summer (December–February) — highs 2882 to 29 °C85 °F, lows 1457 to 15 °C59 °F, about 99 mm3.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (March–May) — highs 1865 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 541 to 12 °C54 °F, about 53 mm2.1 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.
- Winter (June–August) — highs 1559 to 18 °C65 °F, lows 133 to 3 °C37 °F, about 17 mm0.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (September–November) — highs 2374 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 744 to 12 °C53 °F, about 55 mm2.1 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.
How Maseru compares
Compared with Bloemfontein, about 125 km to the west, Maseru is on average 1.4 °C2.5 °F cooler and receives 37% more precipitation (670 mm26 in vs 490 mm19 in). The difference is largest in December (2.2 °C4 °F cooler).
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Botshabelo (South Africa, BSk), Queenstown (South Africa, Cfb) and Qujing (China, Cwb).
Nearby places
- Botshabelo 74 km · 16 °C61 °F · 560 mm22 in
- Bloemfontein 125 km · 17 °C63 °F · 490 mm19 in
- Virginia 148 km · 18 °C64 °F · 525 mm21 in
- Welkom 166 km · 18 °C64 °F · 525 mm21 in
- Kroonstad 187 km · 17 °C63 °F · 545 mm21 in
- Ladysmith 239 km · 19 °C66 °F · 792 mm31 in
- Kimberley 272 km · 19 °C66 °F · 417 mm16 in
- Sasolburg 280 km · 17 °C63 °F · 550 mm22 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Maseru?
January is the warmest month in Maseru, with an average high of 29 °C (85 °F) and an average low of 15 °C (59 °F).
What is the coldest month in Maseru?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 15 °C (59 °F) and an average low of 1 °C (33 °F).
When does it rain the most in Maseru?
December is the wettest month with about 103 mm (4.1 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 8 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Maseru?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are February–May and September–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 1,717 m, while Maseru lies at about 1,552 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.1 °C1.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.