Mongu climate
Mongu (Zambia) has a tropical savanna (dry winter) climate (Köppen Aw). The average temperature over the year is 24 °C74 °F, and about 889 mm35 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Mongu climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2883 | 1967 | 2475 | 2088.2 |
| Feb | 2883 | 1966 | 2475 | 1576.2 |
| Mar | 2984 | 1966 | 2475 | 1425.6 |
| Apr | 2985 | 1762 | 2373 | 311.2 |
| May | 2984 | 1356 | 2170 | 20.1 |
| Jun | 2781 | 1151 | 1966 | 00.0 |
| Jul | 2882 | 1050 | 1966 | 00.0 |
| Aug | 3189 | 1356 | 2272 | 00.0 |
| Sep | 3596 | 1763 | 2679 | 30.1 |
| Oct | 3798 | 2170 | 2984 | 200.8 |
| Nov | 3391 | 2170 | 2781 | 1184.7 |
| Dec | 2985 | 2068 | 2576 | 2088.2 |
| Year | 3798 | 1050 | 2474 | 88935 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76% | 81% | 5.8 | 12:56 |
| Feb | 77% | 78% | 5.7 | 12:37 |
| Mar | 74% | 69% | 5.7 | 12:13 |
| Apr | 64% | 41% | 5.9 | 11:46 |
| May | 49% | 25% | 5.6 | 11:25 |
| Jun | 43% | 21% | 5.2 | 11:14 |
| Jul | 37% | 19% | 5.4 | 11:18 |
| Aug | 29% | 19% | 6.0 | 11:36 |
| Sep | 24% | 24% | 6.5 | 12:02 |
| Oct | 31% | 47% | 6.6 | 12:28 |
| Nov | 54% | 75% | 6.0 | 12:51 |
| Dec | 72% | 84% | 5.8 | 13:02 |
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 Mongu is like
The warmest month is October, with an average high of 37 °C98 °F and a low of 21 °C70 °F. The coldest is July, when highs average 28 °C82 °F and lows 10 °C50 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 10.3 °C18.5 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 889 mm35 in. The wettest three-month stretch is December–February, which brings 64% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–September. The wettest month is December (208 mm8.2 in), the driest is July (0 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 24% in September to 77% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 19%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in February to 11 km/h (7 mph) in September. Daylight lasts from about 11.2 hours in June to 13.0 hours in December.
Best time to visit Mongu
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–July: average highs of 27 °C81 °F to 29 °C85 °F with 0 mm0.0 in to 31 mm1.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is October, which is hot, with average highs of 37 °C98 °F.
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 Mongu
- Wetter months (November–March) — highs 2883 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 1966 to 21 °C70 °F, about 167 mm6.6 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 (April–October) — highs 2781 to 37 °C98 °F, lows 1050 to 21 °C70 °F, about 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Mongu compares
Of the 15 places in Zambia covered by World Climates, Mongu is the warmest by annual mean temperature and the 11th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Zambia climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Funtua (Nigeria, Aw), Menongue (Angola, Aw) and Ondjiva (Angola, BSh).
Nearby places
- Livingstone 409 km · 23 °C74 °F · 613 mm24 in
- Tshilenge 477 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,103 mm43 in
- Solwezi 491 km · 20 °C69 °F · 1,201 mm47 in
- Mazabuka 500 km · 22 °C72 °F · 768 mm30 in
- Luena 519 km · 22 °C71 °F · 973 mm38 in
- Kafue 545 km · 23 °C73 °F · 717 mm28 in
- Lusaka 554 km · 21 °C70 °F · 780 mm31 in
- Kolwezi 564 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,150 mm45 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Mongu?
October is the warmest month in Mongu, with an average high of 37 °C (98 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
What is the coldest month in Mongu?
July is the coldest month, with an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of 10 °C (50 °F).
When does it rain the most in Mongu?
December is the wettest month with about 208 mm (8.2 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 0 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Mongu?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–July.
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.