Mbarara climate
Mbarara (Uganda) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 21 °C70 °F, and about 1,092 mm43 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Mbarara climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2781 | 1660 | 2171 | 682.7 |
| Feb | 2882 | 1661 | 2272 | 712.8 |
| Mar | 2780 | 1661 | 2171 | 1254.9 |
| Apr | 2577 | 1660 | 2069 | 1295.1 |
| May | 2577 | 1559 | 2068 | 1064.2 |
| Jun | 2679 | 1559 | 2069 | 421.7 |
| Jul | 2780 | 1558 | 2169 | 431.7 |
| Aug | 2780 | 1560 | 2170 | 722.8 |
| Sep | 2680 | 1660 | 2170 | 963.8 |
| Oct | 2678 | 1661 | 2169 | 1224.8 |
| Nov | 2576 | 1660 | 2068 | 1315.1 |
| Dec | 2678 | 1660 | 2169 | 873.4 |
| Year | 2882 | 1558 | 2170 | 1,09243 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 69% | 73% | 5.2 | 12:09 |
| Feb | 66% | 78% | 5.4 | 12:08 |
| Mar | 73% | 83% | 5.1 | 12:07 |
| Apr | 81% | 85% | 5.0 | 12:06 |
| May | 81% | 78% | 5.0 | 12:05 |
| Jun | 71% | 68% | 4.9 | 12:05 |
| Jul | 65% | 65% | 5.0 | 12:05 |
| Aug | 67% | 76% | 4.9 | 12:06 |
| Sep | 71% | 79% | 5.1 | 12:06 |
| Oct | 75% | 84% | 5.0 | 12:08 |
| Nov | 79% | 83% | 4.8 | 12:09 |
| Dec | 74% | 74% | 5.0 | 12:09 |
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 Mbarara is like
The warmest month is February, with an average high of 28 °C82 °F and a low of 16 °C61 °F. The coldest is May, when highs average 25 °C77 °F and lows 15 °C59 °F. Temperatures barely change through the year: the warmest and the coolest month differ by only 1.9 °C3.5 °F.
It is wet, with about 1,092 mm43 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 33% of the annual total. The wettest month is November (131 mm5.1 in), the driest is June (42 mm1.7 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 65% in July to 81% in April. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 65%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in November to 8 km/h (5 mph) in July.
Best time to visit Mbarara
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are December–February and June–September: average highs of 26 °C78 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 42 mm1.7 in to 96 mm3.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is April, which is humid (81% 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 Mbarara
- Wetter months (March–May, September–November) — highs 2576 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 1559 to 16 °C61 °F, about 118 mm4.6 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 2678 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1558 to 16 °C61 °F, about 64 mm2.5 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 Mbarara compares
Compared with Kigali, about 163 km to the southwest, Mbarara is on average 0.6 °C1 °F warmer and receives 15% less precipitation (1,092 mm43 in vs 1,291 mm51 in). The difference is largest in July (1.1 °C2 °F warmer).
Of the 15 places in Uganda covered by World Climates, Mbarara is the 14th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 11th 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), Kigali (Rwanda, Aw) and Mérida (Venezuela, Aw).
Nearby places
- Ibanda 55 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,243 mm49 in
- Nyagatare 85 km · 21 °C71 °F · 1,137 mm45 in
- Kasese 108 km · 24 °C76 °F · 1,198 mm47 in
- Masaka 124 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,241 mm49 in
- Bukoba 153 km · 24 °C74 °F · 1,324 mm52 in
- Mubende 154 km · 21 °C70 °F · 1,251 mm49 in
- Kigali 163 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,291 mm51 in
- Butembo 172 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,532 mm60 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Mbarara?
February is the warmest month in Mbarara, with an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of 16 °C (61 °F).
What is the coldest month in Mbarara?
May is the coldest month, with an average high of 25 °C (77 °F) and an average low of 15 °C (59 °F).
When does it rain the most in Mbarara?
November is the wettest month with about 131 mm (5.1 in) of precipitation; June is the driest with about 42 mm (1.7 in).
What is the best time to visit Mbarara?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are December–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.