Mbale climate
Mbale (Uganda) has a tropical monsoon climate (Köppen Am). The average temperature over the year is 23 °C74 °F, and about 1,668 mm66 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Mbale climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3086 | 1763 | 2474 | 451.8 |
| Feb | 3189 | 1864 | 2576 | 552.2 |
| Mar | 3289 | 1865 | 2577 | 1134.5 |
| Apr | 3085 | 1965 | 2475 | 2128.3 |
| May | 2882 | 1966 | 2374 | 2248.8 |
| Jun | 2780 | 1865 | 2272 | 1204.7 |
| Jul | 2679 | 1864 | 2271 | 1184.7 |
| Aug | 2679 | 1865 | 2272 | 1676.6 |
| Sep | 2882 | 1865 | 2373 | 1847.3 |
| Oct | 2883 | 1865 | 2374 | 1957.7 |
| Nov | 2883 | 1864 | 2373 | 1526.0 |
| Dec | 2984 | 1763 | 2373 | 823.2 |
| Year | 3289 | 1763 | 2374 | 1,66866 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 67% | 51% | 6.2 | 12:04 |
| Feb | 64% | 57% | 6.5 | 12:05 |
| Mar | 68% | 67% | 6.3 | 12:06 |
| Apr | 78% | 78% | 6.0 | 12:08 |
| May | 83% | 69% | 5.8 | 12:10 |
| Jun | 84% | 65% | 5.4 | 12:11 |
| Jul | 84% | 68% | 5.3 | 12:11 |
| Aug | 83% | 67% | 5.6 | 12:09 |
| Sep | 80% | 65% | 6.2 | 12:07 |
| Oct | 80% | 73% | 5.9 | 12:05 |
| Nov | 80% | 68% | 5.8 | 12:04 |
| Dec | 74% | 54% | 5.9 | 12:04 |
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 Mbale is like
The warmest month is March, with an average high of 32 °C89 °F and a low of 18 °C65 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 26 °C79 °F and lows 18 °C64 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 3 °C5.5 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,668 mm66 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is April–June, which brings 33% of the annual total. The wettest month is May (224 mm8.8 in), the driest is January (45 mm1.8 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 64% in February to 84% in June. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 51%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (3 mph) in June to 9 km/h (5 mph) in February.
Best time to visit Mbale
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December and January: average highs of 29 °C84 °F to 30 °C86 °F with 45 mm1.8 in to 82 mm3.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is May, which is very wet (224 mm8.8 in) and humid (83% 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 Mbale
- Wetter months (April and May, August–November) — highs 2679 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 1864 to 19 °C66 °F, about 189 mm7.4 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 (December–March, June and July) — highs 2679 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1763 to 18 °C65 °F, about 89 mm3.5 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.
How Mbale compares
Compared with Kitale, about 93 km to the east, Mbale is on average 4.9 °C8.8 °F warmer and receives 10% less precipitation (1,668 mm66 in vs 1,846 mm73 in). The difference is largest in December (5.5 °C9.8 °F warmer).
Of the 15 places in Uganda covered by World Climates, Mbale is the 7th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 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: Isiro (DR Congo, Am), Ébolowa (Cameroon, Aw) and Ibagué (Colombia, Af).
Nearby places
- Kitale 93 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,846 mm73 in
- Kakamega 110 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,950 mm77 in
- Khwisero 112 km · 21 °C71 °F · 1,868 mm74 in
- Njeru 132 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,500 mm59 in
- Eldoret 137 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,950 mm77 in
- Kisumu 147 km · 23 °C74 °F · 2,009 mm79 in
- Lugazi 159 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,500 mm59 in
- Lira 192 km · 25 °C77 °F · 953 mm38 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Mbale?
March is the warmest month in Mbale, with an average high of 32 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (65 °F).
What is the coldest month in Mbale?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 26 °C (79 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (64 °F).
When does it rain the most in Mbale?
May is the wettest month with about 224 mm (8.8 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 45 mm (1.8 in).
What is the best time to visit Mbale?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December and January.
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 1,953 m, while Mbale lies at about 1,125 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +5.4 °C9.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.