Mbandaka climate
Mbandaka (DR Congo) has a tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af). The average temperature over the year is 26 °C79 °F, and about 1,800 mm71 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Mbandaka climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3187 | 2374 | 2781 | 813.2 |
| Feb | 3187 | 2474 | 2781 | 1365.4 |
| Mar | 3085 | 2475 | 2780 | 1736.8 |
| Apr | 2984 | 2475 | 2679 | 1526.0 |
| May | 2984 | 2475 | 2680 | 1606.3 |
| Jun | 2985 | 2374 | 2679 | 1405.5 |
| Jul | 3085 | 2374 | 2679 | 1204.7 |
| Aug | 2985 | 2373 | 2679 | 1365.4 |
| Sep | 2983 | 2373 | 2678 | 1947.6 |
| Oct | 2883 | 2374 | 2678 | 1987.8 |
| Nov | 2883 | 2374 | 2678 | 1887.4 |
| Dec | 2984 | 2374 | 2679 | 1204.7 |
| Year | 3187 | 2373 | 2679 | 1,80071 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75% | 62% | 5.3 | 12:07 |
| Feb | 78% | 71% | 5.2 | 12:07 |
| Mar | 82% | 70% | 5.2 | 12:07 |
| Apr | 83% | 72% | 5.0 | 12:07 |
| May | 82% | 69% | 4.8 | 12:07 |
| Jun | 78% | 68% | 4.2 | 12:07 |
| Jul | 77% | 66% | 4.0 | 12:07 |
| Aug | 79% | 69% | 4.2 | 12:07 |
| Sep | 81% | 71% | 4.6 | 12:07 |
| Oct | 82% | 75% | 4.7 | 12:07 |
| Nov | 82% | 74% | 4.6 | 12:07 |
| Dec | 80% | 68% | 4.8 | 12:07 |
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 Mbandaka is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 31 °C87 °F and a low of 24 °C74 °F. The coldest is October, when highs average 28 °C83 °F and lows 23 °C74 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 1.4 °C2.6 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,800 mm71 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is September–November, which brings 32% of the annual total. The wettest month is October (198 mm7.8 in), the driest is January (81 mm3.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 75% in January to 83% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 62%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 2 km/h (1 mph) in March to 2 km/h (1 mph) in January.
Best time to visit Mbandaka
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December and January: average highs of 29 °C84 °F to 31 °C87 °F with 81 mm3.2 in to 120 mm4.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is March, which is very wet (173 mm6.8 in) and humid (82% 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 Mbandaka
- Wetter months (March–May, September–November) — highs 2883 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 2373 to 24 °C75 °F, about 178 mm7.0 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–February, June–August) — highs 2984 to 31 °C87 °F, lows 2373 to 24 °C74 °F, about 122 mm4.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Mbandaka compares
Of the 36 places in the DR Congo covered by World Climates, Mbandaka is the 5th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 3rd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the DR Congo climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Buenaventura (Colombia, Af), Jambi City (Indonesia, Af) and Palu (Indonesia, Af).
Nearby places
- Bandundu Province 387 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,488 mm59 in
- Gemena 394 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,617 mm64 in
- Lisala 431 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,680 mm66 in
- Bimbo 468 km · 27 °C80 °F · 1,380 mm54 in
- Bangui 481 km · 27 °C81 °F · 1,365 mm54 in
- Bumba 525 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,692 mm67 in
- Berbérati 543 km · 25 °C76 °F · 1,595 mm63 in
- Ilebo 551 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,375 mm54 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Mbandaka?
February is the warmest month in Mbandaka, with an average high of 31 °C (87 °F) and an average low of 24 °C (74 °F).
What is the coldest month in Mbandaka?
October is the coldest month, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (74 °F).
When does it rain the most in Mbandaka?
October is the wettest month with about 198 mm (7.8 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 81 mm (3.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Mbandaka?
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.