Mbeya climate
Mbeya (Tanzania) has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C64 °F, and about 1,521 mm60 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Mbeya climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2373 | 1558 | 1966 | 31412 |
| Feb | 2374 | 1458 | 1966 | 2429.5 |
| Mar | 2374 | 1458 | 1966 | 27111 |
| Apr | 2374 | 1356 | 1865 | 1475.8 |
| May | 2373 | 1152 | 1762 | 341.3 |
| Jun | 2170 | 847 | 1558 | 120.5 |
| Jul | 2170 | 745 | 1457 | 130.5 |
| Aug | 2374 | 846 | 1660 | 90.3 |
| Sep | 2678 | 949 | 1864 | 30.1 |
| Oct | 2781 | 1254 | 2067 | 301.2 |
| Nov | 2680 | 1456 | 2068 | 1184.7 |
| Dec | 2475 | 1458 | 1967 | 32713 |
| Year | 2781 | 745 | 1864 | 1,52160 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86% | 87% | 5.2 | 12:35 |
| Feb | 86% | 82% | 5.7 | 12:24 |
| Mar | 86% | 80% | 5.8 | 12:10 |
| Apr | 86% | 63% | 5.7 | 11:55 |
| May | 83% | 38% | 5.7 | 11:43 |
| Jun | 81% | 21% | 5.8 | 11:36 |
| Jul | 78% | 18% | 5.9 | 11:39 |
| Aug | 73% | 20% | 6.4 | 11:49 |
| Sep | 69% | 25% | 6.9 | 12:04 |
| Oct | 68% | 43% | 7.0 | 12:19 |
| Nov | 73% | 64% | 6.4 | 12:32 |
| Dec | 82% | 81% | 5.6 | 12:38 |
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 Mbeya is like
The warmest month is November, with an average high of 26 °C80 °F and a low of 14 °C56 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 21 °C70 °F and lows 7 °C45 °F. Seasonal differences are small — just 5.9 °C10.6 °F between the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,521 mm60 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 58% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–September. The wettest month is December (327 mm13 in), the driest is September (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 68% in October to 86% in March. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 18%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 2 km/h (1 mph) in March to 4 km/h (3 mph) in October. Daylight lasts from about 11.6 hours in June to 12.6 hours in December.
Best time to visit Mbeya
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–October: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 27 °C81 °F with 3 mm0.1 in to 34 mm1.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is very wet (327 mm13 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 Mbeya
- Wetter months (December–April) — highs 2373 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 1356 to 15 °C58 °F, about 260 mm10 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (May–November) — highs 2170 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 745 to 14 °C56 °F, about 31 mm1.2 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.
How Mbeya compares
Compared with Dodoma, about 395 km to the northeast, Mbeya is on average 4.9 °C8.8 °F cooler and receives 109% more precipitation (1,521 mm60 in vs 727 mm29 in). The difference is largest in July (5.9 °C10.5 °F cooler).
Of the 34 places in Tanzania covered by World Climates, Mbeya is the 32nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 3rd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Tanzania climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Comitán (Mexico, Csb), Tehuacán (Mexico, Cwb) and Mzuzu (Malawi, Csa).
Nearby places
- Katumba 41 km · 20 °C67 °F · 1,521 mm60 in
- Tunduma 87 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,273 mm50 in
- Makumbako 152 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,765 mm69 in
- Sumbawanga 227 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,202 mm47 in
- Iringa 278 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,585 mm62 in
- Kasama 288 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,104 mm43 in
- Mzuzu 292 km · 19 °C67 °F · 1,250 mm49 in
- Songea 312 km · 21 °C69 °F · 1,282 mm50 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Mbeya?
November is the warmest month in Mbeya, with an average high of 26 °C (80 °F) and an average low of 14 °C (56 °F).
What is the coldest month in Mbeya?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 21 °C (70 °F) and an average low of 7 °C (45 °F).
When does it rain the most in Mbeya?
December is the wettest month with about 327 mm (12.9 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Mbeya?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–October.
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 1,886 m, while Mbeya lies at about 1,697 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.2 °C2.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.